Why a Sand Heater is a Big Deal for all Concrete Suppliers in Indiana.
To make 70 degree concrete in the winter we must get 4000 pounds of material from a frozen stockpile up to temperature. Water is the most popular choice the deliver heat to the mix. The problem is that water cannot be heated above 200 degrees very safely. At 200 degrees water has a limited number of calories to deliver to the mix. Hot sand on the other hand has over 10 times the calories as hot water. It is safer and has more thermal retention for the contractors. Every one of our customers can feel the advantage. It takes hours off the clock.
How a sand heater works:
Sand heaters look like an asphalt production drum. There is a rotating drum that is about 20 feet long. It is tilted with fins on the inside walls. One end has a large flame that shoots heat down the barrel. As sand is augured up the barrel it gradually becomes hot from the torch. The sand holds the heat very well over the hours until it is loaded in the plant for production.
