THE EFFECTS OF WEATHER ON CONCRETE POURING

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July 17, 2016 / By Groupa Concrete

As many people drive by in construction zones, it seems that concrete work is underway almost all year round. In fact, many will jokingly say that Canada has only two seasons; winter and construction, but the truth is that it is far more complicated than that. In today’s blog, we will be taking a look at the impact of weather conditions on pouring concrete.

Concrete can be poured at virtually any temperature but many will agree that anything below 4 degrees will require special treatment to keep the concrete from freezing which can weaken it. If concrete must be poured in conditions below 4 degrees, alternative methods for keeping the concrete at a good temperature can be applied such as using hot water instead of cold water for mixing the concrete as well as hoarding, the practice of covering a given area with plastic and heating it.

When the weather approaches 25 or higher, it is considered hot and things like setting time of concrete will change drastically, even as high as 50%. A good way to get around high temperatures is to pour early in the morning or at dusk when the sun is not at its highest anymore. This way, the process of curing concrete can take longer, meaning the concrete has adequate time to set and attain maximum strength. There are of course other precautionary steps that can be taken to make sure a project goes smoothly, regardless of the weather.  These include how quickly concrete is placed as well as making sure the concrete has adequate moisture either from water or an evaporation retardant during the hotter seasons.

If it is raining then it is best to reschedule pouring for a different day. Rainfall during placement has been known to affect the durability of concrete.

The weather, as shown above, plays a key role during which time concrete can be poured. It is important to discuss with your contractor when any work is being done in order to understand any time delays that can be a result of weather conditions.