Concrete washout container

Abstract

A washout container to which are mounted inclined ramps that allow a transit mixer, concrete pumping truck or other concrete handling vehicle to drive up over a portion of the container for dumping excess concrete and washing out waste concrete. The container cross-section may be rectangular to semi-circular, and is preferably fabricated with a steel structure. A watertight latching door assembly is coupled to the container to prevent leakage of collected liquid concrete waste material while allowing solidified concrete materials to be unloaded at a disposal site. The interior of the container is preferably lined with a material to which concrete will not adhere. The liner may be applied as a coating to the interior of the container or as a solid material retained within the container. In this way, solidified waste concrete can be easily removed from the container at the disposal site and preferably crushed for recycling.

1 . A method of controlling concrete washout, comprising:
 providing a portable concrete washout container with a plurality of constructed walls in a structurally rigid and stable shape comprising first and second side-walls extending between first and second ends and a bottom and an end wall at the first end, and with an opening at the second end with an adjustable door that is adjustable between open and closed conditions relative to the opening, and a plurality of inner wall surfaces, and also with a substantially open and un-covered top;   placing a volume of hardening concrete washout material in said container with the door in the closed condition;   applying a release material to at least one of said plurality of inner wall surfaces and which is resistant to an adherence of hardening concrete washout material;   allowing the volume of concrete washout material to substantially harden into a substantially hardened condition within the container with the door in the closed condition;   allowing the volume of concrete washout material in the substantially hardened condition to separate from the container's walls under its own weight and removing said volume of concrete washout material in the substantially hardened condition from said container through the opening at the second end by tilting the container with the first end above the second end and articulating only the door from the closed condition to the open condition; and   wherein the container is maintained in a structurally rigid and stable shape during use with the concrete washout material.   
   
   
       2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising applying the release material by applying a solid material liner which is resistant to an adherence of hardening concrete washout material to the at least one inner wall surface. 
   
   
       3 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the solid material liner applied to the at least one inner wall surface comprises a material selected from the group consisting essentially of a polymeric material, a flexible liner, and a plastic liner. 
   
   
       4 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising applying the release material by applying a liquid onto the at least one inner wall surface. 
   
   
       5 . A method as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising allowing the liquid to harden onto the at least one inner wall surface. 
   
   
       6 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the release material is not applied to the door. 
   
   
       7 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said adjustable door comprises a sealed door structure configured to contain the volume of concrete washout material within the container in the hardening condition in the closed condition, and to facilitate removal of the volume of concrete washout material in the substantially hardened condition from said container in the open condition.   
   
   
       8 . A method as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising providing the sealed door structure with a sufficient width to allow the opening in the open condition to accommodate a width at a widest point of the concrete washout material contained within the container. 
   
   
       9 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the door has a height that is higher than a height of the container's side-walls. 
   
   
       10 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the side-walls have a height that is between about one feet high and about four feet high. 
   
   
       11 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of inner wall surfaces is tapered outward relative to said adjustable door to facilitate removal of hardened concrete. 
   
   
       12 . A method as recited in  claim 11 , further comprising providing a tapered widening between the side-walls from the first end toward the second end to reduce a force required to remove the concrete washout material in the substantially hardened condition from the washout container. 
   
   
       13 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 driving a vehicle up a ramp assembly adjacent the container; and   washing the volume of concrete washout material in the substantially hardening condition from the vehicle on the ramp assembly and into the container through the substantially open and uncovered top.   
   
   
       14 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a pair of skids extending downward from the bottom of the container.   
   
   
       15 . A method as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 supporting the container on the ground with the pair of skids.   
   
   
       16 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 supporting the side-walls of the container in the substantially rigid and stable shape with a plurality of vertically oriented structural support members.   
   
   
       17 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 retaining the door in the closed position by use of a latching means.   
   
   
       18 . A method as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising providing the latching means with a lever lock. 
   
   
       19 . A method as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising providing said lever lock with a ratchet tightener and butterfly drawnuts for retaining the door in the closed position. 
   
   
       20 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising locking the door in the closed condition with the concrete washout material contained within the container in the hardening condition. 
   
   
       21 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising removing liquid from the container while the concrete washout material is hardening within the container with the door in the closed condition. 
   
   
       22 . A method of controlling concrete washout, comprising:
 providing a portable concrete washout container comprising a plurality of constructed walls in a structurally rigid and stable shape with first and second side-walls extending between first and second ends and a bottom and an end wall at the first end, and with an opening at the second end with an adjustable door that is adjustable between open and closed conditions relative to the opening, and a plurality of inner wall surfaces, and also with a substantially open and uncovered top;   placing a volume of concrete washout material in a hardening condition in said container with the door in the closed condition;   allowing the volume of concrete washout material in a substantially hardened condition to separate from the container's walls under its own weight and removing said volume of concrete washout material in the substantially hardened condition from the container through the opening at the second end by tilting the container with the first end above the second end and articulating only the door from the closed condition to the open condition;   wherein the container is maintained in a structurally rigid and stable shape during use with the concrete washout material; and   wherein said structurally rigid and stable shape comprises an outward taper of at least one of said plurality of inner wall surfaces relative to said adjustable door sufficient to facilitate separation and removal of the volume of concrete washout material in the substantially hardened condition from the container.   
   
   
       23 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , further comprising:
 applying a release material to at least one of said plurality of inner wall surfaces of said container and which is resistant to an adherence of hardening concrete washout material.   
   
   
       24 . A method as recited in  claim 23 , further comprising applying the release material by applying a solid material liner which is resistant to an adherence of hardening concrete washout material to the at least one inner wall surface. 
   
   
       25 . A method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the solid material liner applied to the at least one inner wall surface comprises a material selected from the group consisting essentially of a polymeric material, a flexible liner, and a plastic liner. 
   
   
       26 . A method as recited in  claim 23 , further comprising applying the release material by applying a liquid onto the at least one inner wall surface. 
   
   
       27 . A method as recited in  claim 26 , further comprising allowing the liquid to harden onto the at least one inner wall surface. 
   
   
       28 . A method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the release material is not applied to the door. 
   
   
       29 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein:
 said adjustable door comprises a sealed door structure configured to contain the volume of concrete washout material in the hardening condition within the container in the closed condition, and to facilitate removal of the volume of concrete washout material in the substantially hardened condition from said container in the open condition.   
   
   
       30 . A method as recited in  claim 29 , further comprising providing the sealed door structure with a sufficient width to allow the opening in the open condition to accommodate a width at a widest point of the concrete washout material contained within the container. 
   
   
       31 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the door has a height that is higher than a height of the container's side-walls. 
   
   
       32 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the side-walls have a height that is between about one feet high and about four feet high. 
   
   
       33 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , further comprising providing a tapered widening between the side-walls from the first end toward the second end sufficient to reduce a force required to remove the concrete washout material in the substantially hardened condition from the washout container. 
   
   
       34 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , further comprising:
 driving a vehicle up a ramp assembly adjacent the container; and   washing the volume of concrete washout material in the substantially hardening condition from the vehicle on the ramp assembly and into the container through the substantially open and uncovered top.   
   
   
       35 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , further comprising:
 providing a pair of skids extending downward from the bottom of the container.   
   
   
       36 . A method as recited in  claim 35 , further comprising:
 supporting the container on the ground with the pair of skids.   
   
   
       37 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , further comprising:
 supporting the side-walls of the container in the substantially rigid and stable shape with a plurality of vertically oriented structural support members.   
   
   
       38 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , further comprising:
 retaining the door in the closed position by use of a latching means.   
   
   
       39 . A method as recited in  claim 38 , further comprising providing the latching means with a lever lock. 
   
   
       40 . A method as recited in  claim 39 , further comprising providing said lever lock with a ratchet tightener and butterfly drawnuts for retaining the door in the closed position. 
   
   
       41 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , further comprising locking the door in the closed condition with the concrete washout material contained within the container in the hardening condition. 
   
   
       42 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , further comprising removing liquid from the container while the concrete washout material is hardening within the container with the door in the closed condition.