4. Conclusion

As the demand for ever-higher performance continues to grow, the manufacturing process plays an increasingly important role in determining the quality of concrete—both in achieving the desired performance levels and in ensuring consistency throughout the construction of structures.

Manufacturing itself is at a turning point in the supply chain, since—unlike other links in the chain—it has the ability to correct nature’s “imperfections” and produce “custom-made” products. This requires a thorough understanding of the characteristics of the raw materials, some of which vary significantly over time.

Preserving the characteristics of the components and doing everything possible to ensure that the final properties of the mixture make the most of these characteristics must be the plant operator’s constant objectives and primary concern. To this...