Showerthought: That bridge job in Spokane taught me about finishing water

I was out in Spokane last fall helping a crew pour a pedestrian bridge over the river, and the mix kept setting way faster than we planned because of the wind. We had to switch to a magnesium float and spray on a fine mist instead of water to keep it workable, and it totally changed the finish. Has anyone else run into weird weather messing with your set time like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

xenaf514d ago

Oh man, the wind is the worst for that. Had a similar headache last summer pouring a concrete patio on a super hot day in eastern Montana. The wind was whipping off the plains and the slab started crusting over before we could even get it floated out properly. Ended up having to use a combination of a jitterbug to bring up the cream and then misting it constantly with a spray bottle just to keep it from going too fast. The finish turned out a little blotchy in spots, but at least it didn't turn into a total crumbly mess. Concrete really does have a mind of its own sometimes.

logan_ellis3d ago

@xenaf51 you're telling me, wind and concrete is a brutal combo. I had a similar nightmare last fall on a foundation pour in North Dakota, ended up spraying water on it like a crazy person just to keep it workable.

the_emery3d ago

Had a pour out in eastern Colorado turn into concrete dust in under two hours.