1930-1950 concrete batch plant: I'm looking for images and maybe info for concrete batch plants from the 1930 to 1950's. In the early 70's I operated an old batch plant where the sand...

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

I'm looking for images and maybe info for concrete batch plants from the 1930 to 1950's.
In the early 70's I operated an old batch plant where the sand and gravel was batched/weighed with all manual controls. This was old school.....
Thanks for any help!
Pat

Timmers Loc: San Antonio Texas.

Jay Pat wrote:

I'm looking for images and maybe info for concrete batch plants from the 1930 to 1950's.
In the early 70's I operated an old batch plant where the sand and gravel was batched/weighed with all manual controls. This was old school.....
Thanks for any help!
Pat

People like me don't have a clue what you are asking about, care to explain what you are asking about.

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Timmers wrote:

People like me don't have a clue what you are asking about, care to explain what you are asking about.

I used to work for a concrete/construction company and used to run the batch plant that weighed out the sand, gravel, cement and water and load it into a concrete mixer truck.
This plant was a very old plant.
The cement weighing was controlled with air power.
I hope that helps.
Pat

Working on some things I used to do.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Timmers wrote:

People like me don't have a clue what you are asking about, care to explain what you are asking about.

I thought he explained it pretty well.

dyximan

Timmers wrote:

People like me don't have a clue what you are asking about, care to explain what you are asking about.

And people like you and those who are not or were not in the construction industry most liky wouldn't have a clue. And wouldn't be able to help him much as you've probably never seen and/or been near a batch plant. Today they are automated but back in the day they were not, they were places large gravel pits. where they mixed sand. gravel. Or other aggrgates with cement to make concrete. Most laymen or people who are not in the trades think of it as cement but it's actually concrete; sidewalks, curbs, gutters, building walls, floors etc. I understand that buchart gardens at 1 time was a batch plant and now is a beautiful garden in Canada. And to the op I work for Kaiser and at 1 time he had his own plants I'll see if I can find something for you.

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

dyximan wrote:

And people like you and those who are not or were ... (show quote)

The plant I operated had manual levers to open the gates to weigh the sand or gravel.
The scale was a beam scale similar to the old doctors scale except you would set the target weight and then open the grave/sand gate to fill the scale. When you reached the target weight the beam scale would balance out and you would close the gate.
I also had a lever that came up thru the platform floor that I was standing on. This lever controlled the gate at the bottom of the scale hopper. By opening this gate the weighed material would drop down on the conveyor belt and deposited into the mixer truck.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Maybe Google Earth will give you ideas on gravel pits and industrial areas, then local archives as to land use. I would imagine many have been made into parks or water themed recreation. Sadly some will have been built up....prime housing ....or shopping malls.

I would imagine every town had its own 'cement works' in the 40's - 50's. It may be a case of judging 'landscapes' from ariel views.

pmorin Loc: Huntington Beach, Palm Springs

Jay Pat wrote:

I'm looking for images and maybe info for concrete batch plants from the 1930 to 1950's.
In the early 70's I operated an old batch plant where the sand and gravel was batched/weighed with all manual controls. This was old school.....
Thanks for any help!
Pat

Something similar to this?

(Download)

Timmers Loc: San Antonio Texas.

In San Antonio Texas it is now called the Quarry, years ago I had access to photograph it, it's original name was Cement Ville. It was self contained and even had a school for the workers children.

Going out I-10 towards El Paso (WEST) at the edge of San Antonio were quarries under the control of the Mc Donna Brothers. They are still there both in use and closed, this is at the West edge of 1604 also known as The Charles Anderson Loop (the loop goes around the city 101 miles). This is the model for all the major cities in the US for highway loops that go around a city. San Antonio has two loops, The Charles Anderson Loop and Loop 410, they are different.

The Quarry began as Cement Ville and later became a part of Alamo Iron Works.

machia Loc: NJ

We have several in NJ.
Watchung quarry, Newark, Edison and in Secaucus. The next time I’m at the quarry I’ll snap some photos for you.
Please remind me.

Plieku69 Loc: The Gopher State, south end

Jay, good luck with your search. I remember those days well. We all gathered for coffee and gossip in the morning before the first orders arrived.
I had a 1961 REO V8 with a 6 yard mixer, powered by a Chrysler industrial engine. All the controls were manual.
Sadly there were no pictures taken then.
Ken

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Timmers wrote:

People like me don't have a clue what you are asking about, care to explain what you are asking about.

His explanation was spot-on. Surely anyone why has been out and about knows what a concrete plant is.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

What would we do without concrete?

EdJ0307 Loc: out west someplace

Fotoartist wrote:

What would we do without concrete?

My question is what do we do with concrete when the structure is was used to build is no longer needed and it is demolished? Send it to a landfill, dump it in the desert, throw it in the ocean as a breakwater or fish sancturary? Can't see that it can be recycled unless they can pulverize it, add more water and build something else with it.

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

G Brown wrote:

Maybe Google Earth will give you ideas on gravel pits and industrial areas, then local archives as to land use. I would imagine many have been made into parks or water themed recreation. Sadly some will have been built up....prime housing ....or shopping malls.

I would imagine every town had its own 'cement works' in the 40's - 50's. It may be a case of judging 'landscapes' from ariel views.

I'm looking for very detailed images/pictures.
Thanks for this idea. I'll keep it in mind.
Pat