Day 9: Concrete batch plant visit / Financials and accounting lecture

We began our day today with a visit to the Ready Mix Beton concrete batching plant. Our visit began with a lecture from their technical manager Mr. Adel William. He discussed the different types of cement and aggregates that they use in their mixes. Next, we learned about the process used to create the concrete and ship it out to the client. Since the establishment of Ready Mix Beton in 1975, the ingredients in the concrete mix have changed, effecting the strength of the concrete. Concrete with strengths of 25 to 30 MPa were being used when they first started, but they are now able to create batches with strengths of up to 180 MPa.

One of the more interesting parts of the visit was when Mr. Adel explained the unique challenge of constructing tall buildings with concrete, like the ones that we have seen in Dubai. To get the concrete up to these high heights, concrete pump trucks are utilized. A model of one of these trucks is shown in the picture above. The truck uses a hydraulic system along with pistons to pump the concrete up to where it needs to be placed using the reach of its boom.

Following his lecture on the concrete mixing materials and process, he brought us for a tour of the plant. We saw the truck repair workshop, testing laboratory, aggregate storage area, mixing water storage tanks, production department, material receiving area, and the storage area for 86 tons of ice chips used in cooling water. Concrete itself was a familiar topic for our group, but learning about the mixing process and tools used to form the concrete was a enlightening experience.

In the afternoon, Mr. Kareem Abughazaleh talked with us about finance and accounting in construction.He began with reviewing the basic accounting tools such as income statements and balance sheets. Then he showed us how it applied to the construction industry. He discussed bonds and guarantees which are financial products that help both the client and the contractor ensure the deal with go smoothly. It was interesting to see how the finances are different in the construction industry from other types of industries. For example, a contractor will have to pay for the material up front but may not receive money from the client until the end of the month that material is used in. This was a very helpful lecture because we will all need to handle finance and accounting in both our personal and professional lives.