The Concrete Pumping Glossary: Essential Terms You Need to Know

Concrete pumping may seem straightforward, but it's a field filled with unique equipment, methods, and terminology that are essential for smooth and safe operations. With this guide, you'll have a clearer picture of what goes into each stage of a concrete pour!

Agitator
A rotating mechanism in the hopper that ensures the concrete mixture remains uniform and moves it towards the pump cylinders.

Bagging
Refers to placing hoses, sometimes also used to denote ground line placement.

Ball Catcher
An attachment placed at the pipeline end during cleaning with compressed air to catch the sponge ball safely, preventing it from shooting across the site. This should always be fitted to a steel pipe with hoses removed before use.

Bend
A curved steel pipe section allowing deviation in concrete pipelines. Common angles are 90° and 45° bends, with radii up to 1 metre.

Blockage
Occurs when concrete cannot move through the pipeline due to issues like insufficient grout, incorrect grout consistency, or an unsuitable concrete mix.

Blow Out Adapter
An adapter with air inlets used to introduce compressed air, forcing a sponge ball through pipelines to clean them. Also has a stopper to prevent reverse pressure on the sponge ball.

Blow Out Cannon / Blow Out Gun
Colloquial terms for a blow out adapter.

Boom
The hydraulic arm of a concrete pump that controls and directs the concrete placement.

Boom and Rubber Job
A setup where concrete is delivered directly from the boom's end hose, without using a ground line.

Boom Certificate
An annual certification ensuring that a boom is structurally safe and fully functional.

Boom Pump
A concrete pump mounted on a truck, equipped with a hydraulic boom. It includes three main components: truck chassis, pumping unit, and boom.

Bottom Bend
A long-radius bend with support at the bottom of a vertical pipeline section.

CITB
Construction Industry Training Board, which sets training standards for the construction sector.

Clamp / Clip
Devices used to join sections of pipeline or placing hoses securely.

Concrete
A mixture of cement, aggregates, and water, sometimes with additives, which hardens over time due to a chemical reaction with water.

Concrete Delivery Pipe
A steel pipe for delivering concrete, typically 3 metres long but available in other sizes as needed.

Concrete Pump
Equipment designed to transport concrete across a site, either as a static or mobile unit.

Concrete Pump Primer
A lightweight, dust-free alternative to cement grout, mixed with water to coat the pump line for smoother concrete flow.

Coupling / Coupling Set
The hardware connecting pipeline sections or hoses, including seals and safety pins.

CPCS Competent Operator (Blue) Card
Qualification demonstrating an operator’s competence with construction machinery, including concrete pumps.

CPCS Trained Operator (Red) Card
Confirms core knowledge and skills before formal competency assessment. Offers training for truck-mounted, trailer-mounted, and static concrete placing booms.

Easy Mode
Schwing's system allowing safe short-rigging to fit pumps into smaller spaces. Only to be used with appropriate safety systems.

Electric Pump
An electric-motor-driven concrete pump, commonly used in confined spaces like tunnels to avoid fumes.

End Placing Hose
A steel-reinforced hose used at the boom or static line end for concrete distribution.

Fibres
Material, like steel or polypropylene, added to concrete to enhance its hardened properties.

Flat Line
A concrete pipeline laid flat on the ground or reinforced steel.

Flexi
Short for a flexible end placing hose.

Gasket
A seal in a coupling set to prevent grout leakage.

Gate Valve
A shut-off valve, either manual or hydraulic, with a sealing mechanism to minimise grout loss.

Ground Line
Pipeline laid on the ground or reinforced steel to transport concrete.

Grout
A cement-water mixture used as a lubricant before concrete pumping, ensuring smooth flow without blockage.

Grout Pump
A small pump designed for grout but not suitable for concrete containing aggregates.

Grouting Up
Applying grout before concrete pumping to prevent blockages.

Heavy Weight Concrete
Concrete made with dense aggregates, used in structures needing additional mass, like radiation shielding.

Hopper
The component that receives concrete from the truck and feeds it into the pump.

Hose
A reinforced concrete delivery hose used in booms or ground lines.

Iron Fist
A type of hydraulic shut-off valve.

Lazy Bend
Also known as a long-radius bend.

Legs
Slang term for pump outriggers.

Light Weight Concrete
Concrete using lighter aggregates to reduce its overall density, often referred to as Lytag concrete.

Line Pump
A ground-line-only mobile pump, used without a boom.

Linesman
A site worker responsible for assembling and disassembling concrete pipelines.

Long Radius Bend
A bend with a typical radius of 1 metre, providing a smooth pipeline curve.

Lytag
A lightweight aggregate made from fly ash, used in lightweight concrete mixes.

Manual Boom
A small, manually positioned placing boom for concrete distribution.

Mobile Pump
A concrete pump mounted on a truck, usually equipped with a placing boom.

Normal Weight Concrete
Concrete made with standard aggregates, with an average density around 2300 kg/m³.

Off-The-Back
A setup where concrete is delivered directly from the pump without using the boom.

OSS
Putzmeister’s boom restriction system for safe short-rigging in limited spaces.

Outrigger Pads
Pads under outriggers to distribute the pump's load over a larger area, enhancing stability.

Pig
A rubber cleaning device for clearing long pipelines, especially with water.

Pipeline
A network of pipes, typically ending in placing hoses, to distribute concrete from the pump.

Pipeline Job
A setup requiring a ground line rather than direct placement from a boom.

Placing Hose
Reinforced hose used for concrete distribution at the boom end.

Polypropylene Fibres
Synthetic fibres added to concrete to enhance its hardened properties.

Pump Mix
A concrete mix with additional fines, optimised for pumping.

Putzmeister
A globally recognised concrete pump manufacturer.

Radio Remote Control
A wireless controller for operating the pump and boom from a distance.

Reducer
A pipe that adjusts pipeline diameter, typically from 125mm to 100mm.

Remixer
Another term for an agitator.

Remote Control
Device allowing pump and boom operation from a distance, often wirelessly.

Riser
Vertical pipeline for pumping concrete to elevated locations.

Rubber
Colloquial term for the end placing hose.

Safety Grille
A protective grid on the hopper that prevents oversized debris from entering.

Safety Pin
A pin securing a coupling to prevent accidental opening.

Schwing
A major manufacturer of concrete pumping equipment.

Screed Pump
Equipment designed to pump floor screed across a site.

Seal
An essential gasket in each pipeline joint to prevent grout leakage.

Short-Rig
Deploying outriggers with limited extension, permitted only with appropriate safety systems.

Shotcrete
Sprayed concrete, applied with compressed air, commonly used for tunnels or curved structures.

Shut Off Valve
A valve in pipelines to prevent backflow in vertical lines.

Slew Restrictor
A device limiting boom rotation to avoid dangerous areas.

Speedy Concrete
UK-based concrete pumping service specialising in rapid, efficient concrete delivery and pumping solutions. Speedy Concrete offers a range of concrete pumps, from line pumps to boom pumps, tailored for both large-scale construction sites and smaller projects.

Spider Boom
A manually operated boom for concrete slab pours.

Sponge Ball
A rubber ball used to clean concrete pipelines, available in various sizes and densities.

Sprayed Concrete
Concrete projected through a nozzle onto a structure, ideal for forming complex shapes.

Static Line
A concrete delivery pipeline laid on the ground or reinforcement.

Static Pump
A stationary concrete pump for long-term contracts.

Stationary Placing Boom
A hydraulic boom used in high-rise or civil engineering projects, typically mounted on a steel column.

Steel
Slang for rigid steel pipe sections in a pipeline.

Steel Fibres
Fibres that improve concrete's durability and structural integrity but increase pump wear.

Ticket
Slang term for a CPCS card, certifying operator qualifications.

Trailer Pump
A static pump on a wheeled trailer, easily moved around the site.

Wash Out Adapter
An adapter used with compressed air to clean pipelines by pushing a sponge ball through the line.

Washout Box
A container for managing concrete pump washout waste at the end of a pour.