| CPC C04B 40/0075 (2013.01) [B28C 5/468 (2013.01); B28C 7/0038 (2013.01); B28C 7/02 (2013.01); C04B 28/02 (2013.01); C04B 40/0032 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |

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1. A method for providing a batch of fresh concrete at a point of use, the method comprising:
a) mixing an amount of cement, an amount of aggregate, and an amount of mixing water at a first location so as to produce fresh concrete,
b) performing one or more of the following cooling steps at the first location:
i) cooling the cement before mixing,
ii) cooling the aggregate before mixing,
iii) cooling the mixing water before mixing,
iv) cooling the fresh concrete during mixing and/or in a vehicle with which the fresh concrete is to be transported,
c) transporting the fresh concrete along a route from the first location to a second location by means of the vehicle, and
d) supplying the fresh concrete to the point of use at the second location, wherein, the one or more cooling steps b) are controlled by an automatic control unit on the basis of:
i. sets of data collected during previous performances of steps a) to d) and stored in a data storage unit of the control unit, including fresh concrete temperatures collected at at least two different locations on the route from the first location to the second location; and
ii. one or more of the following input parameters:
length of the route between the first location and the second location in step c),
expected transport time of the vehicle along the route between the first location and the second location during step c,
expected time lapse between start of transport in step c) and time of supply of the fresh concrete in step d),
actual and/or forecast weather conditions at the first location and/or on the route between the first and the second location and/or at the second location during step c),
in such a way that in step d) the fresh concrete has a temperature within a predetermined temperature range.
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