There are only two methods of manufacturing concrete bunks, a slip form/wet cast method or a dry cast method, which is what McPherson Concrete Products utilizes.

McPherson Concrete Products concrete feed bunks are produced on a high-volume packerhead machine. This machine packs concrete against an outside form while trowelling the inside surface automatically for a smooth finish. This troweling results in a sealed surface that resists the effects of acidic rations as well as ice, snow and other elements. 

The concrete we use in our dry cast concrete feed bunks has virtually no slump (eight sacks of cement per cubic yard). We use just enough water in the mix to chemically complete the hydration process. Because of the packing effect during production and the minimum amount of water used, a high density, high strength product results. When core samples of our concrete feed bunks are compared to a typical ready-mixed (wet cast) concrete feed bunk, the difference is clear. Our concrete feed bunks prove the greater density by comparison of unit weight and absorption. (The more water used in concrete, the more voids there are when the concrete cures.)

Denser material exhibits less porosity (interconnected water voids) and is much less susceptible to ensilage or other acidic feeds. Of course, when the concrete feed bunk does not absorb the acid or other corrosives, you can expect a much longer service life.

Another important part of the dry cast method is the curing process. Our concrete feed bunks undergo an eight-hour steam cure after production. Steam curing prevents the loss of water in the concrete, which, in turn, ensures the hydration of all cement in the mix. Again, this translates into a very high strength, durable concrete feed bunk. Wet cast/slip-form products are at the mercy of nature to affect a curing process. Concrete cured in hot, windy or cold conditions results in a product with less strength and more cracking.

The steel reinforcing in our concrete feed bunk consists of welded wire fabric with approximately 3/16” round vertical bars on 6” centers and the same size horizontal round bars on 2” centers. The steel reinforcing is placed approximately 1” from the outside wall of the concrete feed bunk.