Puzzles and Games
The Concrete Mixer Challenge: Race Against Drying Time
At Rapid Foundations Ltd., a large-scale warehouse floor is being poured, and time is ticking! Expert concrete mixer operator Alex “Smooth Pour” Morales is responsible for delivering fresh concrete to the site before it hardens in the drum.
Alex operates a Mack Granite CV713 Cement Mixer, which can carry 9 cubic yards of concrete per load. However, the challenge isn’t just moving the concrete—it’s keeping the mixture from setting too soon and coordinating with the finishing crew to ensure a perfect pour.
Required Concrete Volume – A total of 270 cubic yards must be delivered to cover the warehouse floor.
Travel Time – The plant is 12 miles away, and the truck averages 40 mph, with 5 minutes spent loading each trip.
Drying Limit – Once loaded, concrete must be poured within 90 minutes, or it hardens inside the drum!
Site Unloading – Each load takes 8 minutes to unload onto the prepared site.
Rush Deadline – Alex has 7 hours to complete all deliveries before the concrete crew starts finishing work.
The Questions:
- How many total trips will Alex need to transport all the concrete?
- What is the total time required for each round-trip delivery?
- Will Alex finish all the deliveries within 7 hours?
- If unexpected traffic adds 15 minutes per round trip, how does this affect his ability to complete on time?
The success of the warehouse foundation depends on Alex’s precision and speed—can you calculate the best strategy for him to complete all deliveries?
