I.Definition and core functions

1.Concrete mixing tanker (Transit Mixer) 

Concrete mixing tanker is an engineering vehicle dedicated to the transportation of ready-mixed concrete, and its core function is to transport and maintain the uniformity of concrete over long distances. The vehicle is equipped with a rotating tank (mixing drum), which prevents the concrete from solidifying and stratifying by rotating the tank. It needs to rely on the mixing plant to centralize the production of concrete and then transport it to the construction site, which is a standardized transport tool in the traditional construction industry.

2.Self-Loading Concrete Mixer (Self-Loading Concrete Mixer) 

Self-Loading Concrete Mixer is a set of material loading, mixing, transportation functions in one of the multi-purpose construction machinery. The vehicle is equipped with self-loading devices such as buckets, conveyor belts or hydraulic arms, which can directly complete the loading of raw materials such as sand, gravel, cement, etc. at the site, and complete the mixing by using the vehicle mixing system without relying on external mixing stations. It is suitable for decentralized or small-scale operation scenarios.

Ⅱ. Advantages and disadvantages analysis

1. Concrete mixing tankers (Transit Mixer) 

Advantages:

Efficient and stable: the single transportation capacity can reach 8-12m3, suitable for continuous pouring of large projects;

Controllable quality: standardized production in mixing plant, accurate proportioning; 

Low maintenance cost: simple structure, low failure rate.

Disadvantages:

Strong dependence: matching mixing plant and hardened roads are required; 

Poor flexibility: unable to cope with the demand for temporary refilling or ratio adjustment at construction sites; 

High idling rate: no load on the return trip, increasing carbon emissions.

2. Concrete self-feeding mixer truck

Advantages: 

Autonomous for the whole process: single machine to complete loading -- mixing -- pouring, reducing equipment dependence; 

Strong terrain adaptability: 4WD chassis design can cope with mud, ramps and other complex terrain; 

Small Scale Economy: suitable for decentralized projects such as rural house building and water conservancy maintenance.

Disadvantages:

Capacity limitation: the mixing tank capacity is usually 3-6m3, and the efficiency is lower than the Transit Mixer truck; 

High operation threshold: need to master loading, mixing and driving skills at the same time;

Complicated maintenance: higher failure rate of hydraulic system and mechanical arm. 

Ⅲ. Scope of application and typical scenes

1. Concrete mixing tanker

Applicable scenes:

Urban high-rise buildings, subway tunnels and other large-scale projects;

Projects with an average daily concrete demand of more than 200m³;

The area within 50km radius of the radiation of the mixing station.

Typical cases:

Urban CBD commercial complex pouring, cross-sea bridge pier construction.

2. Concrete self-feeding mixer truck

Applicable scenes:

Mountain/rural road hardening, small water conservancy facilities construction;

Decentralized projects such as electric power base stations and communication towers;

Emergency concrete supply such as rescue and disaster relief.

Typical cases:

Paving of village roads in remote areas, emergency repair of dykes after typhoons.

Ⅳ. Technology Development Trends

Mixer trucks: transition to new energy (electric/hydrogen) to reduce carbon emissions; install GPS and IoT system to realize precise scheduling.

Self-loading mixer trucks: develop AI proportioning control system to improve the stability of concrete quality; modular design to enhance multi-functional scalability (e.g. additional pumping function).