richard_ramirez•4d agoProlific Poster

Caught a sneaky concrete cure failure on a 30-yard pour last month

I was double checking some slab specs from a job in Phoenix and stumbled across a stat that said over 60% of concrete cracks show up because of bad curing in the first 48 hours. Never realized how fast those tiny surface checks turn into real problems. Any of you guys ever run a moisture meter on day 3 to catch it early?

3 comments

3 Comments

ryan_coleman214d ago

Man that stat doesn't surprise me one bit... I've seen crews in Arizona just spray water once and call it a day, then wonder why the slab looks like a spiderweb two weeks later. Have you ever tried wet burlap and plastic sheeting for the full 72 hours? I swear it makes a difference on those big pours where the heat just sucks the moisture right out. Moisture meter on day 3 sounds smart too, but don't you gotta be careful not to puncture the surface if it's still green? I had a buddy do that once and it left a little crater that turned into a bigger crack later on.

dakota7872d ago

Have you guys ever tried misting the surface with a fogger instead of a hose? I swear it works better for keeping that top layer from drying out too fast. @ryan_coleman21 you're spot on about the burlap and plastic though, I've done it on a few desert pours and it's night and day compared to just spraying once.

william3202d ago

Fogger is the way to go. Keeps that film of moisture on the surface without blasting it. Hose just runs off too fast in dry climates. Burlap and plastic is the real pro move though. Never skip that step on a desert pour.