Concrete Batching Plant Waste Calculator

A small weighing deviation goes unnoticed in a single batch. By the end of the month it adds up to tonnes, by the end of the year to a serious figure. Enter your own plant’s values below and see what the overdosed cement costs you.

How is it calculated?

The formula is simple, nothing hidden:

Daily cement          = Daily m³ × cement per m³
Overdosed per day     = Daily cement × deviation rate
Monthly loss          = Overdosed (t) × cement price per tonne

The calculation covers cement only; the real loss is larger. Deviations in aggregate, water and admixture are not included.

What should I enter as the deviation rate?

If you don’t know, don’t guess — measure. Tare the scale, weigh a single material to its target and read the value after the scale has settled. The difference between target and reading is that silo’s deviation. Repeat three times and take the average.

As a rough guide:

• 0.5 % or less — weighing is under control
• 1–2 % — in-flight compensation is missing or out of date
• 3 % and above — residue is left on the scale, the gate closes late or calibration is off

How is this loss closed?

• In-flight compensation. The gate closes before the target and the falling material lands on target. Set bin by bin. (how it is measured)
• Jog feeding. Near the target the gate pulses; the last kilos arrive under control.
• Automatic tare after discharge. Residue on the scale does not mix into the next batch.
• Moisture correction. Wet aggregate up, water down; the water/cement ratio stays constant. (the calculation is here)
• Batch-level records. If you cannot see the deviation in the report, you cannot notice when it drifts.

All of these are the automation software’s job; the operator cannot be expected to do them by hand for every batch.

Software that does all five: DKT CPlants — concrete batching plant software. For the cost side: how much does concrete plant automation cost.