Ready-mix Trucks Can't Keep Up - Putzmeister's New 32Z-Meter Boom Pump Shows Its Muscle at the Job Site June 1999

Contractors praise pump's compact size and new boom configuration

After only a few months on the market, Putzmeister's new 32Z-Meter truck-mounted concrete boom pump is getting great reviews from contractors – notably because of its compact size and the pump's exclusive Multi-Z boom configuration.

Officially unveiled at the 1999 World of Concrete show, the revolutionary boom pump has more than proven its worth for the contractors who purchased the first units.

Pioneer Concrete Pumping in Smyrna, Ga., bought the first 32Z-Meter pump. Tom Inglese, Pioneer's regional manager, praised the unit's compact 18-foot outriggers, which allow operators to easily set up in tight spaces between buildings.

"We can't do that with a bigger unit," he said. "And because of the fast set-up and take-down time, combined with its pumping power, we've done up to five jobs a day. Before, we could do only two or three."

Putzmeister's new 32Z-Meter is the only the truck-mounted boom pump that delivers both high-volume 210 yd3/hr (160 m3/hr) outputs and high-pressure 1233 psi (85 bar) on the rod side with its 0.16H pump. It also features free-flow hydraulics, radio and cable remotes, and a high-performance S-Valve.

Since purchasing the 32Z-Meter pump, Pioneer has used it to pour foundations and floors for office buildings, manufacturing facilities and apartment buildings.

A recent job included pumping the concrete floor for the Forsyth County, Ga., maintenance building in which the roof was already in place. The operator pulled next to the doors of the 90x120-foot building and extended the boom to a 92-foot horizontal reach inside. The 32Z-Meter pump has an unfolding height of only 25 feet, 3 inches, which made unfolding and maneuvering easy. Pioneer pumped the 257 cubic yards of concrete in just three hours.

Brian Barone, a 12-year veteran pump operator at Pioneer, said, "We usually pump between 300 and 400 cubic yards a day with the 32Z. But we set a record of 207 yards an hour with the pump. And we could have pumped more if the ready-mix trucks kept up with us."

32Z-Meter used to pump tilt-up walls Evan Kunard, owner of Midwest Concrete Placement in Ottawa, Kan., is using the new 32Z-Meter to pump floors, stairwells and tilt-up walls for a 100,000-square-foot hotel and convention facility in Blue Springs, Mo. Kunard said tilt-up walls are becoming a popular application because they are a more efficient solution than transporting pre-cast walls from an off-site source. Also, the pumps can finish the job quickly.

In order to construct the tilt-up walls, concrete is pumped into metal molds, allowed to set for five to seven days and then tipped up with a crane and set into place. He also mentioned that tilt-up walls are less expensive than masonry walls and there is no transportation cost.

Another benefit of the 32Z-Meter pump mentioned by Kunard is the Multi-Z boom. It doesn't have to be fully unfolded to begin a pour, allowing concrete to be placed right next to the truck. When a longer reach is needed, the boom extends to 105 feet vertically and 92 feet horizontally. "With virtually no bounce when placing concrete, it's the best pump I've ever operated," he said.