Washouts & Pumps
Concrete washout equipment gives a site one controlled place to wash off concrete skips, pumps, truck mixers and other concrete plant, and the range includes closed loop systems that separate the solids from the wash water and recycle it. Our concrete skip washout frames take pouring skips in a variety of sizes. Pump trays are used mainly on construction sites to capture concrete waste and wash water for disposal, and they are simple to move, with fork pockets on three sides and retaining pins that let the tray be tipped to empty.
Concrete washout skips, trays and systems
The right washout unit follows the plant being cleaned, because a concrete pump, a crane-lifted pouring skip and a truck mixer each wash out in a different place and in different volumes.
Plug & Go concrete washout system
The Plug & Go concrete washout system is for washing out truck mixers and other concrete equipment on site. It separates the solids from the wash water and returns the water to the wash, so the site runs a closed loop. Choose it where wagons arrive throughout the day and the wash water needs to stay on site.
Concrete skip washout frame
The concrete skip washout frame is the station for washing off crane-lifted pouring skips between pours. It fits any of the concrete pouring skips up to 2000 litres, so a site washes out the skips it already runs, and it is quick to set up within reach of the crane.
Washout and pump trays
Washout and pump trays sit under the hopper and line of a concrete pump to catch spills, overflow and the water used to clean the pump down after a pour. Their open shape makes them the simplest unit to place beneath plant, and they suit pump work and smaller amounts of washout that can be lifted away and tipped.
Concrete washout skip bins
Skip bins catch pump discharge, slurry under truck mixers and the run-off from a temporary or permanent wash station, and the choice between the two versions comes down to what happens to the water. The plain concrete washout skip bin is tipped with its whole contents. The washout skip bin with a ball valve lets the settled water be drawn off first, so the solids are tipped with less water and the drained water can run through adsorption sacks or back into a recycling system. Choose the valved bin where water is treated or reused on site, and the plain bin where the load leaves site in one go.
10 yard concrete washout skips
The 10 yard concrete washout skip takes the high slurry volumes of foundation works and large pours, where a tray or bin would need emptying too often. Its base is fully sealed to hold wet waste, and the skip comes in four colours so that each one can be matched to a waste stream or to a contractor's zone on a multi-plot development.
Washout skip or closed loop washout system
A skip or tray suits a site that washes out occasionally and can lift the waste away, while a closed loop system suits a site that washes out every day and would otherwise pay to remove large volumes of water. A washout skip or tray contains the wash water and slurry until a forklift or crane moves it for emptying, which needs little planning, although the water leaves site with the waste unless it is drawn off and treated first. The Plug & Go system separates the solids and recycles the water for the next wash, which leaves the separated solids as the material to remove.
The balance turns on how often plant is washed out, how many wagons the pour programme brings to site, the space available for a wash station, and the cost of skip exchanges and suction wagons over the length of the job. A short pour or a single pump visit is usually served by a tray or skip bin. Daily skip washing at the frame or a series of wagon deliveries over several weeks favours the system, and because the skip washout frame connects to it, pouring skips and wagons can share one recycling set-up.
Concrete washout bags and sack frames
Adsorption sacks are the filtration step between catching the wash water and reusing or discharging it. Sold as concrete washout bags, the sacks hold back solids and oil residue while the effluent drains through, and the retained solids stay in the sack for disposal.
The sacks are used in adsorption sack frames, which come in single, double and enclosed versions and let a full sack be handled safely. The water that drains from the sack is pumped to a discharge point or returned to the washout system for reuse, so a valved skip bin, a sack frame and the closed loop system can run as one treatment line.
The same sacks are used to empty flocculated settlement tanks. A site that treats silty water from excavations as well as concrete wash water can therefore run both jobs through one set of frames and sacks.
Setting up a concrete washout area
A washout area is planned before the first pour, since a full unit is heavy to move and the plant that empties it needs a clear way in.
Position on site
The washout unit belongs on level, hard standing within reach of the pour and the wagon route, so pump crews and truck mixers can wash out without crossing soft or open ground. It is kept clear of drains and watercourses, with drain covers from our waste and spill equipment over any gullies nearby, and it is marked so that every driver and operative uses the same point.
Lifting and emptying
The trays and skip bins are moved and emptied by forklift through their fork pockets or by crane from their lifting eyes, and the 10 yard skips are built to be lifted, transported and stacked. The site therefore needs a forklift or crane that can reach the unit when it is full, with room around it for the forks or chains and a clear route to the emptying point. Where water is drawn off before tipping, the hose route to the sack frame, the discharge point or the system is planned at the same time.
Sizing to the pour
Capacity is matched to the number of pouring skips, pumps and truck mixers washed out each day. A long pour or a run of wagon deliveries can fill a unit before there is time to empty it, so a second unit or the closed loop system keeps the wash station in use.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can concrete washout water go down the drain?
No. Concrete wash water is highly alkaline and carries cement fines, and letting it into surface water drains or a watercourse causes pollution. It is caught in a washout unit and then either treated and reused on site or taken away as waste.
Is a washout tray the same as a pump tray?
Yes. The two names describe the same tray: it is called a pump tray when it sits under a concrete pump and a washout tray when it catches wash water from other plant. HERMEQ lists it as a washout and pump tray.
What is the difference between a concrete skip and a concrete washout skip?
A concrete skip, also called a pouring skip, is lifted by crane to carry fresh concrete to where it is placed and discharge it. A concrete washout skip stays at ground level and catches the wash water and slurry when pouring skips, pumps and truck mixers are cleaned after use.
Can a concrete washout skip take general site waste?
The 10 yard concrete washout skip also takes rubble, dry waste and inert site material, so one skip can serve the washout area and the general clear-up. The washout trays and skip bins are built for washout, slurry and pump discharge.
Is HERMEQ concrete washout equipment made in the UK?
Yes. The Plug & Go system, the concrete skip washout frame, the washout and pump trays, the 10 yard washout skips and the adsorption sack frames are manufactured in the UK. HERMEQ processes its own steel in-house.