Typically readymix concrete is delivered within a 20 mile radius of the concrete production plant to prevent the mix from curing too soon. This is why its so important to make sure a careful, tightly controlled process is followed to ensure the delivery goes as smoothly as possible.
Concrete is delivered in a mixing truck (similar to the one in the photograph) to the construction site. Mixer trucks are used as they have a rotating mixer drum, typically set at an angle, that contains a series of fins set-up in a spiral fashion; allowing the concrete to load and mix as the drum rotates in one direction (it discharges when rotated in reverse).
Generally the truck's drum is used to keep the ready mixed concrete consistent, however, it is equally capable of actually mixing the concrete whilst on the move, delivering the mix.
By mixing the concrete in the truck's drum, whilst on the move, offers a key benefit - the concrete prematurely curing / hardening and can prevent loss in slump (which can result in delays between mixing and delivery).
Mixing the concrete in the drum also allows the mix to be hauled to sites at quite a distance away from the departure point. When this happens, the concrete is mixed, loaded and then taken to the job site with the drum rotating at between 2 and 6 rotations per minute. This helps to ensure the ready mix remains at optimum consistency when it arrives at the job site.
Our readymix concrete trucks typically pour the mix from the back of the truck (although its not unheard of for a mixer truck to discharge from the front). The truck driver can park the truck directly on site and direct the discharge chute with very little hassle, however, there are cases where this might not be possible (e.g. difficult to reach or restricted areas).
In this case we typically recommend hiring a concrete pump that can navigate difficult to access areas (many pumps can reach up to 80 metres in length, for example).
If the pour is relatively small an alternative to consider is a smaller truck for space-restricted jobsites - in this case we can also offer minimix concrete in a number of areas around the UK that can help overcome space issues.