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Concrete Bucket and Hopper

A concrete bucket and hopper receives ready mix from a truck or pump and releases it at the pour location on demand, usually flown by crane or carried by an excavator or forklift. It provides controlled placement where chutes and pump lines cannot reach. Listed sizes in this class fall in 1.00-2.00 and 3.00-4.00 cu yd capacity bands.

Models

1.00-2.00 or 3.00-4.00 cu yd listed bands

Capacity

Brands

How it works

The bucket charges under a truck chute or pump discharge, is rigged to the crane hook, and travels to the forms. A gate at the bottom — lever, wheel or air-operated — meters the discharge, letting the crew fill columns, walls and congested forms at a controlled rate rather than in one dump. Cycle time is set by charge, flight and discharge, so bucket capacity is matched to crane capacity and the batch delivery rate. Listed load capacities in the class run 1,814-2,722 kg.

Types & variants

General-purpose crane bucket: Round or square-bodied bucket with a center discharge gate, the standard format for wall, column and footing pours.
Laydown (low-profile) bucket: Charges on its side under a truck chute, then uprights when lifted; useful where headroom under the chute is limited.
Fork-carried hopper: Hopper framed for forklift or telehandler forks, moving concrete at grade where no crane is available.
Gated discharge hopper: Static hopper that buffers mix between delivery and placement, feeding buggies or barrows at a controlled rate.

Key specifications

Specification	Typical range	What it means
Capacity	1.00-2.00 or 3.00-4.00 cu yd listed bands	Sets volume per lift; total rigged weight of a full bucket must stay inside the crane's chart at working radius.
Load capacity	1,814-2,722 kg on listed units	The rated payload of the bucket structure; full wet concrete plus bucket weight defines the rigging load.
Gate type	manual lever or air-operated gate	Controls discharge rate and precision; air gates suit high placements where a worker guides the bucket from a platform.

How the industry sizes it

Buckets are sized by struck capacity in cubic yards, chosen against two limits: the crane's rated capacity at the working radius, and the pour rate the crew and finisher can absorb. The 1.00-2.00 cu yd band suits columns, piers and spot pours where control matters; 3.00-4.00 cu yd cuts the number of lifts on slab and wall pours but demands proportionally more crane capacity.

Applications

Foundation and footing pours with crane-only access
Column, pier and wall placement needing controlled release
High-rise deck and core pours
Bridge and structural pours over water or grade
Remote placements beyond chute or line reach
Buffering mix between truck delivery and placement

Safety & operation

Workers must never position themselves under a suspended bucket; placement paths are planned so loads do not pass over the crew.
Riding a concrete bucket is prohibited.
A filled bucket plus its own weight defines the rigged load; it must be verified against the crane load chart at the actual working radius before the first lift.
Rigging, gate mechanisms and bails are inspected before each shift; a gate failure releases the full load without warning.

Standards & certifications

OSHA · 29 CFR 1926.701(e): Prohibits riding concrete buckets and requires employees to stay clear of suspended buckets.
OSHA · 29 CFR 1926.702(f): Concrete bucket equipment requirements, including protection from shock and vibration on hydraulic and pneumatic gates.
ASME · B30.20: Below-the-hook lifting devices — design, marking, inspection and operation practices applicable to crane-handled buckets.

Frequently asked

When is a bucket used instead of a pump?

When a crane is already on site, when pours are intermittent or small enough that pump setup is not justified, or when placements sit beyond chute and line reach — over water, at height or in congested structures.

What sizes do concrete buckets come in?

This class lists 1.00-2.00 cu yd and 3.00-4.00 cu yd capacity bands, with listed load capacities of 1,814-2,722 kg.

How does bucket size affect crane selection?

The full bucket's weight at the working radius must stay inside the crane's load chart, so a larger bucket may require a larger crane or a shorter radius, not just more concrete per lift.

What does the gate do?

The bottom gate meters discharge, letting the crew place concrete at a controlled rate into columns, walls and congested forms instead of releasing the whole load at once.