Carmix in Action: High-Altitude Concrete Success for Tashjian Towers in California
The Challenge: Building on a Remote Mountaintop
Building in high elevations is never easy—especially when it comes to delivering concrete. For Tashjian Towers Corporation, a California-based company specializing in communications infrastructure, the challenge was clear: how to supply high-spec concrete to a remote mountaintop site near Porterville, CA, where a new communications complex was underway. The project included a tower foundation, an office building, and support structures for three long rows of solar panels—all to be powered off-grid.
The access road alone ruled out standard ready-mix delivery. Steep grades, narrow turns, and loose surfaces made it too risky for full-sized mixer trucks. Helicopter delivery was impractical. Mixing by hand on-site would compromise both schedule and quality. The project required 5000 PSI concrete—tight tolerances, reliable batching, and efficient placement were non-negotiable.
Without a practical way to deliver or mix high-spec concrete on-site, the entire project faced serious risk of delay—or cancellation.
The Turning Point: A Self-Sufficient Alternative
At this point, Tashjian’s team considered several options: hiring a portable batch plant, bringing in ready-mix via smaller trucks, or even mixing concrete manually. None offered the right balance of mobility, precision, and efficiency—and more importantly, none of them could realistically meet the site’s logistical demands without massive delays or cost overruns.
That’s where Carmix came in—a piece of equipment many in the U.S. construction sector may still be unfamiliar with. Carmix is a self-loading concrete mixer—a unique all-in-one machine that combines the functions of a front-end loader, concrete batch plant, mixer truck, and mobile pump, all in one compact, off-road capable unit.
Unlike traditional solutions, Carmix doesn’t rely on external batching plants or concrete supply lines. It brings raw materials—cement, sand, gravel, and water—directly into the mixer via its onboard loading bucket, weighs and mixes them automatically according to recipe, and drives to the pour location. One operator can handle the entire process.
This self-sufficiency was key for Tashjian’s mountaintop site. With no access for regular delivery trucks and no room for large-scale batching equipment, Carmix offered a turnkey concrete solution that matched the realities on the ground.
Delivery Made Simple — No Road? No Problem.
Carmix units are delivered to the jobsite on a standard lowboy trailer. When delivery is scheduled in advance, there are rarely any logistical issues. In areas where the trailer can’t go—such as steep, washed-out mountain roads or unstable soil conditions—the Carmix simply rolls off the trailer and drives the rest of the way under its own power.
In fact, without this level of delivery flexibility, access to the actual construction zone would have made the project virtually unworkable.
Carmix 3500 TC at a Glance
The model used on site was the Carmix 3500 TC, one of the flagship machines in the Carmix lineup. Here’s how it works:
- Loading: Hydraulic loading shovel with built-in bucket scale.
- Mixing: 4.6 cubic yard drum (approx. 3.5 m³) + Concrete-Mate dosing system (±1% accuracy).
- Transport: 4×4 traction, 17,400 lb (7,900 kg), designed for off-road slopes.
- Pouring: Drum tilts and rotates — often no need for a separate pump.
Operator: Single-operator, digital-controlled, climate cab.
Key Performance Advantages in the Field
All-Terrain Mobility
Carmix units climbed steep, uneven access roads with ease. Four-wheel drive, low center of gravity, and articulated steering handled narrow switchbacks and unstable surfaces.
On-Site Production, On-Demand
Concrete was produced directly on-site, eliminating delivery delays and waste. The batch plant was wherever the machine was.
High-Precision Mixing
The boots-on-the-ground crew dialed in each 5000 PSI mix with full digital accuracy—because at this elevation, there was no room for error.
Efficiency and Cost Control
No batch plant mobilization, no idle crews, no wasted loads. One machine. One operator. Maximum efficiency.
Altitude-Ready Engineering
Carmix systems remained stable and accurate at elevation. High-temp seals, rugged hydraulics, and enclosed systems performed flawlessly.Low Environmental Impact
Minimal footprint, fewer haul trucks, no washout zones. The site remained clean and compliant with low-impact construction standards.
Estimating the Cost Advantage
While exact savings depend on the scale and location of each project, the use of Carmix often results in significant cost reductions. In this case, the contractor avoided the need for:
- transporting concrete over 30 miles of steep mountain roads,
- mobilizing a portable batch plant and support crew,
- dedicating extra labor for manual mixing or equipment coordination.
Instead, with one self-contained unit and a single operator, the team produced high-strength concrete on-site, on-demand.
Rough estimates suggest that Carmix reduced overall concrete-related costs by 25–35% compared to conventional supply models. That includes savings on transport, labor, waiting time, and material overages. For a remote job like this, that’s not just a budget win—it’s the difference between viable and impossible.
Results That Matter
By integrating Carmix into their workflow, Tashjian Towers delivered a complex, high-altitude build on schedule and within budget—without compromising safety, quality, or environmental goals.
In hindsight, Carmix wasn’t just a smart choice for this project—it was the enabler.
No other approach would have allowed this mountaintop installation to be completed within scope, budget, and timeframe.
🔹 What This Means for You
If your projects take you into hard-to-reach terrain, where logistics, timing, and quality all have to align—Carmix gives you control where batch plants can’t.
From military installations to off-grid farms, from telecom towers to border infrastructure, Carmix gives builders autonomy, efficiency, and peace of mind.
Ready to See If Carmix Fits Your Next Project?
Whether you’re planning a remote site, tackling tough terrain, or just looking to simplify your concrete operations, Carmix could be the right fit.
✅ Download the technical datasheet
✅ Request a project-specific consultation
✅ Talk to a specialist about logistics and cost efficiency
Visit carmix-usa.com/contact-us to get started — our team is ready to support your next remote build.
