Software in Depth

How well are your mixes performing? Which mixes are performing well and which ones are liabilities?  The only way to know for sure is by the timely and effective evaluation of the data you receive.  Some data can be near real-time, like batch weights and plastic properties, but other data like strength results will have

When things are going well, concrete is breaking beyond design strength, concrete finish times are ideal, hardened concrete exhibits little to no cracking, and discoloration is simply unheard of.  It is easy to become complacent when things are going well!  This sense of security has a way of getting shattered as business expands into new

Low Concrete Cylinder Strength Analysis

ACI defines required average compressive strength (fc’r) as the larger of the following equations:     fc’r = fc’ + 1.34 x S fc’r = fc’ + 2.33 x S – 500 (<= 5000psi) fc’r = 0.9 x fc’ + 2.33 x S (> 5000psi) Where: fc’ is design or specified strength S is the sample

Control Charts

Introduction   Control charts are a very important tool in quality control.  We say “A picture is worth a thousand words” because images are better at conveying complex ideas and most people find it easier to understand large amounts of data visually than in tabular form.  Variability in a manufactured product is unavoidable, but it

In a previous blog post on material blending we touched on some of the reasons why a user might want to employ material constraints while blending multiple aggregate products.  I would like to expand on those reasons and add a few more to the list.  The mathematical and visual blending tools available in StonemontQC for aggregate,

Introduction   Concrete batching/dispatching and quality control/mix design software have a mutually beneficial need to communicate with each other.  Currently, no universal application programming interface (API) exists for this purpose other than the ULINK protocol, which is seriously outdated and limited.  ULINK uses the BYSYNC protocol that was developed by IBM almost 50 years ago

Material Blending

Introduction   Blending material gradations to obtain consistent characteristics and performance can be a tremendous challenge, especially when faced with sources that can change over time.  Without tools to show you both mathematically and graphically what is happening, means that any adjustments to the blend are like a shot in the dark.  Not only can

Temperature Time Factor

Temperature Time Factor (TTF) calculations and compressive strength results are used for estimating concrete strength gain using the maturity method as outlined in ASTM C 1074.  To develop the data used for this type of evaluation, cylinders are cast to be broken at certain intervals. The total curing time in either days or hours and

Using Product Evaluation to Monitor an Asphalt Mix

Introduction   In previous blogs we have discussed the benefits of the Stonemont KPI and the Mix Risk analysis tool.  Mix Risk uses the Stonemont KPI to provide an evaluation of potential future performance of a mix design prior to or during production of the mix.  However, the Stonemont KPI also can be used to

Using Mix Risk to Evaluate an Asphalt Mix

Introduction The previous blog post, The Stonemont Quality KPI, focused on explaining the Stonemont KPI and the potential use of this value as a measurement of risk associated with aggregate products, asphalt mixes, and concrete mixes.  In this blog post, we will show an example of using the KPI and the associated statistical measurements for