Command Alkon Quality Control Innovators Receive Patent on Mixing Concrete Process

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 07, 2018 -- Command Alkon, the global leader in digital supply chain solutions for the heavy building materials industry, announces that Bob Phare and Charlene Hohl have been awarded a US Patent No. 9,533,429 – System and Process for Mixing Concrete Having Desired Strength Characteristics. The patent addresses issues with having to replace defective concrete due to inaccurate mixing, improving quality and saving costs.

“We encourage our employees to think outside of the box. Their industry expertise and problem-solving skills foster change by developing state-of-the-art inventions that address significant issues and challenges in the industry,” said Phil Ramsey, CEO of Command Alkon. “We are proud of these team members for their innovation in advancing processes that will help to improve our customer’s efficiencies and lower their costs.”

The patent for “System and Process for Mixing Concrete Having Desired Strength Characteristics” relates to a method and system for rapidly determining the predicted strength of concrete prior to pouring the concrete.  The system and process provides for a database storing concrete family characteristics that may be updated as actual strength of poured concrete is determined.  The process also allows construction workers to pour concrete with a keener knowledge of the resulting concrete strength.

Even though the general relationship between water to cement ratio and compressive strength in concrete is known, builders and concrete producers have been unable to quickly and accurately determine the water and concrete amounts for a particular delivery of concrete. Currently, during the concrete production process, a mixture of automated and manual steps are taken, but often result in an inaccurate record of exactly how much water and cement actually went into the delivery. Plus trucks that delivery concrete often add varying amounts of water while at the construction site, which may result in concrete with an inadequate strength. The patent addresses these challenges by providing a system for accurately determining the right inputs in order to create the expected compression strength for the cured concrete.

Bob Phare has been with Command Alkon for 40 years, serving in product design and management and system architecture roles throughout his career. He also holds a patent related to the Command Alkon Moisture Probe Technology. Charlene Hohl has been with Command Alkon for 20 years in programming and product management roles and currently serves as the COMMANDqc Development Manager.

About Command Alkon
Command Alkon offers expertise and technologies that automate and streamline all aspects of the construction materials supply chain for producers, suppliers and haulers of ready-mixed concrete, aggregates, asphalt, cement, and manufactured concrete. A comprehensive suite of industry specific software and automation offerings combined with employees invested in the success of construction materials operations differentiates Command Alkon as an industry leader and go-to partner. Command Alkon is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama and has offices in locations around the globe. For more information, visit www.commandalkon.com.

For More Information, Contact:
Becky Boyd
MediaFirst PR
(770) 642-2080 x 214
[email protected]

Ed Rusch
Command Alkon
(205) 879-3282 x 2965
[email protected]