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Mayes stumbled across an article on the Blastcrete concrete squeeze pump and was intrigued by its peristaltic pumping action. "The setup, the mechanics and the engineering were very, very simple," he states. "The other thing that interested me was its low pressure. It doesn't require the huge amount of hydraulic pressure pushing the concrete, which really cuts down on the danger."

The lower pressure also results in a more even flow compared to a piston-style pump. "The other pumps surge," says Mayes. "It's harder for the guys to handle the large hoses."

The capacity of the pump is proving more than adequate for Church Street Construction's typical jobs. "They rate it at 25 yds. an hour. That's a lot of concrete to pump," Mayes points out. "That's the equivalent of three fully loaded 8-yd. concrete trucks dumping in one hour.

"For my type of work, the most I will ever put in the ground in a one-day period is probably 100 yds.," he continues. "This machine would handle that without any problem at all."

Creative Equipment Design Curbcat

They say "necessity is the mother of invention," and this is certainly true in the construction industry. Just ask Jack Johnson, president of Johnson Building Systems Inc., a general contractor and construction management firm based in Galesburg, Ill.