When people think about risk during concreting, they often imagine dramatic failures: blow-outs caused by excessive formwork pressure, hidden voids, or structural defects. However, most projects experience something more subtle.
A wall is poured more slowly than necessary because actual pressure can't be seen. Formwork remains in place longer because strength can't yet be confirmed. A crane waits, follow-on trades are delayed, and equipment stays on hire for another day.
Individually, none of those consequences seem that significant, but together they become a hidden tax that many concrete projects pay. For decades, that has simply been accepted as part of construction. The question is whether it still has to be.
Turning unseen conditions into visible information
VEMAVENTURI, part of the PERI Group, specialises in technologies that allow contractors to see what was previously invisible. Fresh concrete quality can be verified before it even enters the formwork. Concrete pressure can be monitored during a pour rather than estimated from theoretical assumptions so it can proceed at the optimal speed. Filling and compaction can be confirmed in areas where visual inspection isn’t possible, avoiding expensive rework or long-term quality issues. Concrete strength can be tracked as it develops rather than inferred from time alone, so formwork can be struck as soon as the structure is ready, not simply because a certain amount of time has passed.
This monitoring enables contractors to make fuller use of the engineering capability already built into the formwork they’ve invested in.
Certainty doesn’t end when the pour does
Certainty helps projects move faster and stand up to greater scrutiny. Construction projects are becoming more complex at the same time as regulations are tightening and demands on documentation are growing. Information that once disappeared with the concrete is increasingly expected to form part of the project's quality record.
Monitoring creates that data trail. Project teams can demonstrate the conditions that existed during the pour, explain why key decisions were made, and retain evidence that supports quality assurance long after the concrete has cured.
A different way to think about cost
One of the most common misconceptions about concrete monitoring is that it is an expensive project add-on. Several of VEMAVENTURI’s monitoring solutions are designed to be reused across multiple pours and projects, so that contractors continue extracting value from the hardware over time.
However, a more important consideration is the cost of uncertainty. How much programme time is lost waiting for the confidence to proceed? How much plant, labour, or temporary works remain on site because the safest decision is to wait? What is the value of having objective evidence if a decision is questioned months or years later?
Engineering has always evolved through better information
Technology doesn’t replace the judgment of experienced professionals – nor should it. But as construction continues to become more measurable, the ability to replace assumptions with evidence may prove to be one of the most valuable advances in modern concrete construction.
“Engineering has always been about reducing uncertainty. We calculate loads, test materials, and verify designs because better information leads to better decisions. Concrete shouldn’t be any different. The more we can understand what’s happening inside it, the more confidently contractors can use the engineering capability that’s already built into their formwork.”
Aaron Lucid
Global Partnership & Channel Manager, VEMAVENTURI
How VEMAVENTURI supports the concreting process - making the invisible visible
- Temperature & Maturing Monitoring
Tracks core and surface temperature in real-time to calculate live concrete strength, supporting safe, evidence-based striking decisions. - Pressure Monitoring
Measures actual lateral pressure during pouring in real time, to support theoretical calculations, optimise pour speed, and prevent blow-outs. - Detection & Compaction Monitoring
Confirms concrete has reached difficult-to-observe areas and monitors compaction, reducing the risk of voids and honeycombing. - Water Content Monitoring
Verifies water content at the point of discharge within minutes, supporting durability and consistent concrete quality.
One platform, multiple insights
All monitoring data is brought together through a single platform, creating a more complete picture of what is happening throughout the concreting process.
CASE STUDY
Building confidence on HS2
As part of the HS2 programme, Balfour Beatty VINCI installed the A46 Bypass Bridge near Kennilworth using an innovative bridge slide technique that saw the 14,500 tonne concrete structure moved into position in just 18 days.
Once the bridge was in place, around 400 m3 of concrete infill was required on either side of the structure. However, the design included tall, enclosed voids with no direct line of sight, making it impossible to visually confirm whether concrete had fully reached every area.
Working with PERI UK and VEMAVENTURI, the project team deployed 24 PHONO sensors, linked wirelessly to a cloud-based monitoring platform. The system provided live visibility of concrete movement during the pour, allowing the team to confirm full coverage, switch pump lines when required, and maintain the required rate of rise throughout the three-day concreting operation.
The result
- 24 PHONO sensors deployed throughout the structure
- More than 800 m3 of self-compacting concrete monitored
- Live verification of concrete placement in enclosed voids
- Digital record created to support quality assurance and compliance
The monitoring solution enabled the team to complete the works with confidence, providing verified evidence that the concrete had fully filled the required areas while minimising risk during a critical phase of the project.
“The PERI/VEMAVENTURI void sensors proved to be an invaluable addition to our quality assurance and control processes during the A46 bridge slide and associated pours. They gave us the confidence, control, and traceability needed for a critical and complex operation.”
Maurice Dowling
Works Manager at Balfour Beatty VINCI