How Many m³/h Should A Small Concrete Batching Plant Produce for A 5 km Local Road Construction Project?

When planning a 5 km local road construction project, one of the most practical questions is: how much concrete should you produce per hour? Choosing the right capacity for a small concrete batching plant can directly affect your project schedule, budget, and quality. If the plant is too small, delays will push up costs. If it is too large, you may waste money on unused capacity. In this post, I will walk you through the key factors to determine the ideal production capacity for such a project, based on real construction scenarios in local road building.

Understanding the concrete needs for a 5 km local road

Before choosing a plant size, you need to estimate the total concrete volume. A typical local road is around 6–7 meters wide with an average thickness of 0.18–0.20 meters. Multiplying length, width, and thickness gives you the total cubic meters required. For example:

• Length: 5,000 m

• Width: 6.5 m

• Thickness: 0.18 m

Total concrete volume = 5,000 × 6.5 × 0.18 = 5,850 m³. This number may vary depending on design and site conditions, but it gives us a realistic starting point. With this figure in mind, you can match plant capacity to your construction schedule.

Linking project duration with plant capacity

Now, let’s connect the total concrete demand with the available working days. If your project schedule allows 3 months of active road paving, you can divide 5,850 m³ by the total workdays. Assuming 60 effective working days (allowing for weather delays), you need to pour around 98 m³ per day. From here, we can calculate the required hourly capacity.

Example calculation

Daily target: 98 m³ ÷ 8 working hours = 12.25 m³/h. Since batching plants come in fixed capacities, you would choose the next practical size up, such as a 15 m³/h batching plant mini. This provides a safety margin for production fluctuations, material supply delays, or higher-than-expected demand in certain sections.

Balancing capacity with mobility and site conditions

In small-scale road projects, capacity is not the only factor. You also need to consider how easy it is to set up and relocate the plant. A compact mobile batching plant can save time on installation and reduce the cost of transporting concrete from a fixed site. This is especially important if the 5 km road is not built all at once but in separate sections.

Additionally, power supply and water availability will influence your choice. If you work in a rural or island location, a batching plant Indonesia with lower power requirements and water recycling features can be more reliable. In such cases, even if the capacity is slightly higher than needed, operational stability matters more.

Why not choose a much larger plant?

Some might think bigger is better, but for local roads, oversizing can backfire. A large batching plant may require more space, stronger foundations, higher transportation costs for materials, and a bigger crew to operate. These factors can quickly erode any time savings. Instead, the goal is to match plant output with your daily pour rate, ensuring a continuous workflow without bottlenecks or waste.

Practical capacity range for a 5 km local road

Based on industry experience, a small concrete batching plant in the range of 15–25 m³/h is usually ideal. It allows steady daily production, fits within limited sites, and can handle moderate changes in the work schedule. For projects with tighter timelines or thicker pavement designs, you may consider 25–35 m³/h to speed up completion.

Making the final decision

When selecting your plant, consider these three questions:

1. What is the exact total concrete volume based on the road design?

2. How many effective working days and hours do you have?

3. What are the local site conditions and logistical constraints?

By answering these, you can confidently choose the right plant size without over-investing. This approach reduces operational stress and keeps the project running smoothly.

Conclusion and call to action

For a 5 km local road construction project, the sweet spot for a small concrete batching plant is usually between 15–25 m³/h, adjusted for your actual project duration and site conditions. Choosing correctly means you’ll pour efficiently, meet deadlines, and control costs.

If you are planning a road project and want professional advice on the best concrete batching plant capacity, contact us today. We can calculate your needs based on your project design, schedule, and budget, and recommend a reliable solution that keeps your construction on track.