The quality of concrete is a paramount concern for concrete contractors. Only a precise mix of aggregate, cement, water and air can ensure that the concrete will withstand the daily use in buildings, roads, bridges and other key infrastructure segments. The proper amount of air is especially important, as the addition of microscopic air bubbles in fresh concrete provides enhanced freeze-thaw durability after the concrete hardens.

Maintaining that optimum balance of air and solids can be especially challenging during transport from the batch site to the jobsite. In an effort to maintain uniform material characteristics, CiDRA Concrete Systems, a Wallingford, Conn., supplier of technology solutions for the concrete industry, teamed with controls and telematics specialist HED Inc. and independent software provider Exosite to develop a technology designed to monitor the concrete mix during transit and make that information remotely.

CiDRA’s SMARThatch system, designed to be installed on the mixing drum of a concrete truck, gives contractors the ability to monitor the entrained air content and temperature in real-time while concrete is being transported from batch plant to job site.