Tarmac chooses Hydramotion Moisture Meter

When Tarmac needed a quick and accurate way of measuring moisture content and temperature of bulk sand and gravel, they turned to MicroLance, the portable moisture meter from Hydramotion.

When Tarmac needed a quick and accurate way of measuring the moisture content and temperature of bulk sand and gravel, they turned to the MicroLance, the portable moisture meter from Hydramotion.

Tarmac, a member of the Anglo American plc group, is among the world leaders in the supply of heavy building materials such as aggregate, asphalt, concrete, mortar and screed.

The company operates across the UK, Europe and the Far East with more than 130 crushed rock and sand and gravel quarries in the UK alone.

With access to mineral resources worldwide, Tarmac is also a leading supplier and processor of minerals and materials for industrial applications.

There is always some moisture in quarried bulk materials.

Tarmac's newer plants have moisture probes built into the storage hopper that read the moisture directly.

Tarmac uses the MicroLance as a cost-effective way of accurately determining moisture content in their older plants where moisture probes are not fitted.

The instrument can measure the moisture content and temperature of minerals and building materials at depths of up to six feet (two metres) simply by insertion.

A probe is inserted into the material and the large-digit LCD display unit mounted on the shaft gives an instant readout of the moisture content or temperature at its tip.

Any quantity of material can be assessed, from a few kilos to hundreds of tonnes.

For large amounts of material where the moisture content may vary from place to place, the instrument can calculate a bulk average from readings taken at up to ten different points.

The typical moisture range is 0 to 25% (resolution +/-0.1%) and the temperature range is -20 to +60 C (resolution +/-0.1 C).

The unit is pre-programmed for standard materials (fine and coarse sands), and a user-friendly six-key membrane keyboard enables rapid calibration for any other material.

An automatic shutdown is incorporated to extend effective battery life.

Tarmac took delivery of its first MicroLance in 1994.

User feedback was positive from the start: Tarmac technical supervisor Henry G Williams commented: "I have found Hydramotion to be most helpful in the past, providing technical info as and when requested".

"The units themselves appear to be very robust, and we have not had one fail to date".

"They are simple and straightforward to use, and provided they are set up correctly give accurate results".

Weighing less than two kilos, the MicroLance is a truly portable moisture meter, designed for robustness, reliability and ease of use in the field.

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