SettingsSettings for this calculationUS
The total horizontal length of pump line.
Measure the actual routed line length, not the straight-line distance.
The total vertical rise the line must pump concrete up.
Zero if the pour is at ground level relative to the pump.
How many feet of horizontal-equivalent pressure one foot of vertical lift costs.
ACI 304.2R cites a range of 3-4x; this calculator defaults to the conservative 4x value.
Your pump/mix's friction loss rate, in psi per 100 ft of horizontal line — enter it in that unit whichever measurement system the page is set to.
There is no unit selector on this field because the quantity is a pressure per unit of pipe run, not a pressure. Working in metric, convert before you type: 1 psi per 100 ft = 0.2262 kPa per metre — that is 22.6 kPa per 100 m, or 6.79 kPa per 30 m — so the 10-60 range this field accepts is roughly 2.3-13.6 kPa per metre. The rate itself varies significantly by pipe diameter, mix slump, and pump, so get the actual figure from your pump manufacturer's chart or a field trial rather than relying on a generic assumption.
Estimated total pressure loss
89.1 psi
The friction loss rate you entered is the biggest source of uncertainty here — it varies by mix design, pipe diameter and condition, and pump output, so confirm it against your pump manufacturer's chart or a field trial rather than treating the default as universal.
- Equivalent horizontal pumping distance
- 297 ft
- Static head of the concrete column
- 34.38 psi
They open the calculator with your figures already in it
Concrete Pump Line Friction Loss Calculator: 89.1 psi — shown in imperial, US market. The link sets both, so the result they see is the one on your screen.
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How this was calculated
Formula source(s)
- ACI 304.2R pumping guidance: each foot of vertical lift requires roughly 3-4 times the pumping pressure of a foot of horizontal line, so vertical lift is converted to an equivalent horizontal distance at that ratio before estimating total pressure loss
Inputs used
- Horizontal Line Length
- 165 ft
- Vertical Lift Height
- 33 ft
- Vertical Equivalency Ratio
- 4
- Friction Loss Rate (psi per 100 ft)
- 30
Intermediate steps
- Equivalent horizontal pumping distance
- 297 ft
- Static head of the concrete column
- 34.38 psi
Confidence note: The friction loss rate you entered is the biggest source of uncertainty here — it varies by mix design, pipe diameter and condition, and pump output, so confirm it against your pump manufacturer's chart or a field trial rather than treating the default as universal.
What this calculation does not cover
- No fitting in the line is counted. Every bend, reducer, coupling, flexible end hose and boom section carries its own equivalent-length penalty that this model leaves out, so a line with real geometry in it needs a margin on top of this figure or the pump supplier's full equivalent-length chart.
- Pipe bore, slump, aggregate size, pump output and the condition of the pipe are not inputs — all of them are folded into the single friction-loss rate you type. Change the line size or the mix and the correct rate changes with it, and this calculator has no way to tell you the new one. Take it from the pump manufacturer's chart or a field trial.
- Vertical lift is handled only by the 3-4x equivalency ratio, a rule of thumb calibrated against typical friction rates. The static weight of the concrete standing in the riser is not added as a separate term, so at the low end of the rate and ratio ranges the vertical share can come out below the pressure needed just to hold that column up.
- This is a pressure estimate, not a pump selection and not a pressure rating for the line. It says nothing about whether your pipe, couplings, clamps and end hose are rated for the pressure it reports, and a coupling that lets go under pump pressure is a serious injury risk. Have the pumping contractor confirm the pump and the whole delivery line.
- Blockages, priming the line with slurry, pumping downhill, cleanout, and concrete left standing while a pour is paused all sit outside this model. None of them scale with length and lift, and any one of them can stop a pour the pressure arithmetic said was fine.
Add the equipment this sizes
This result is a specification — 89.1 psi — not a quantity. Put the thing it sizes into your project: how many, what you call it, and your supplier’s price.
Computed in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded. Presented in US customary units and US trade terminology. Where a formula follows a published standard, that standard and its edition are cited beside it on this page; where none governs, the page says so. Local amendments override model codes — verify against the code in force where you build.
Sources checked 2026-09-03 · in the site-wide review of 2026-09-06 · v1.0.2
Regulatory standards & verification citations1
- ACI 304.2R pumping guidance: each foot of vertical lift requires roughly 3-4 times the pumping pressure of a foot of horizontal line, so vertical lift is converted to an equivalent horizontal distance at that ratio before estimating total pressure loss
Which documents these citations point at
Standards referenced: ACI 304.2R (American Concrete Institute, United States).
Cite this page
Your workspace
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Tools and safety for this job
To place and finish concrete, erect formwork and saw-cut cured concrete. Generic types, no brands, no prices.
Protection this work requires
- Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
- Hardwood dust is a recognised carcinogen: extract at the tool and wear a P2/N95 respirator when cutting or sanding indoors.
- Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
- Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
- Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
- Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
Show the 17 tools this job needsHide tools
Essential
Angle grinder
Bull float and edger
Circular saw
Claw hammer
Dust extractor or vacuum with a fine filter
Screed bar or rail
Shovel and spade
Spirit level
String line and pins
Tape measure
Wheelbarrow
Recommended
Chalk line
Cordless drill/driver
Floor or cut-off saw
Plate compactor
SDS rotary hammer
Optional
Power float
Also needed as materials: chalk refill, circular saw blades, cutting and diamond discs, diamond blades, drill and driver bits, SDS bits and chisels.
what each concrete tool is for, and the spec that decides which to buy where one does.