Masonry Magazine March 2008 Page. 20
Delivery Systems
# Money-saving pumps and delivery systems
Earlier this year, Airplaco Equipment Co. in Cincinnati brought its PumpMaster model PG-21 to the market. Designed for masonry block fill applications, the grout pump is able to fill blocks without a telehandler or a full-size concrete pump.
"The Airplaco PG-21 provides an option for block fill contractors," says Tom Norman, Airplaco product manager. "It saves a lot of labor and equipment that is needed in traditional methods of filling block."
Capable of pumping aggregate up to 50 feet vertically or 125 feet horizontally, the pump can deliver 210 cubic feet per hour, says Todd Ferguson, marketing manager for the company. The pump, powered by a 20-horsepower diesel engine, does not need to be elevated.
"It really provides a better solution and better option over more traditional methods of block filling, and all of the equipment and labor that's needed to do that," Ferguson says. "There is a price benefit. Others have to have a mixer and a forklift, and that adds up after a while."
# The Most Powerful Handpump in the Industry
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Staying Power
Some masonry equipment that has been available for several years is starting to come into its own and gain popularity as masonry contractors discover the benefits.
The Grout Grunt, a two-handled plastic scoop that holds 0.5 cubic feet of material, made its debut in 2005 when Giovanni Agazzi, a mason with more than 45 years of experience, saw a need to more effectively deliver grout. He invented the Grout Grunt, which allows masons to quickly scoop, handle and pour high density material, including grout, sand and mortar.
"They're very easy to use, and with two handles, your fingers are never dirty," says Morgan Agazzi, manager for Grout Grunt in Livonia, Mich. "It's a clean way to move grout, and it saves you time and money. Everyone stays on the scaffolding."
Kenrich Products Inc. in Portland, Ore., has found success with its line of compact, low-volume grout power pumps.
"We're serving a segment of the market that's not being met by anyone else," says Rick Rountree, company owner. The pumps evolved from hand-operated pumps to the GP-3A, an air operated pump with a 4.6-gallon hopper and an output capacity of five gallons per minute.
Last year, the company introduced the GP-BA, a low-pressure, air-powered grout pump. "The benefit of it is it has a higher volume than the GP-3," Rountree says. "It eliminates the manual labor, so you'll never get tired. For the amount of pressure it puts out, it's a pretty slick pump."
As buildings get taller and extend beyond the reach of telehandlers, Ferguson says he expects the market to lean toward pumps that can operate independently. "I see more people going toward equipment that doesn't have the inconvenience of a having to have a forklift onsite," he says.
Delivery systems are also making advances. Lang says EZ Grout just launched a new version of its popular Up Hill Grout Hog that dispenses grout 50 percent faster. In addition, the company released a new concrete delivery system called the Hog Chute.
"The advantage of the Hog Chute is that, unlike other concrete dump buckets on the market, you can easily and quickly pour large volumes of concrete while maintaining control of the concrete at the point of discharge," he says.
# Better-designed mixing systems
New mixers are being made to last longer, eliminate breakdowns and reduce user fatigue. Lang says EZ Grout improved the frame on its Mud Hog mixers to make them more resistant to problems caused by spills.
"In 2008, we came out with a flat, self-cleaning frame on the Mud Hog mixers that does not collect the access mortar and