Avoid these 15 Common Mistakes when Pouring Concrete
One of the most challenging construction industry works is concrete pouring and is considered one crucial aspect. Hence, it should be handled and prepared correctly by the concrete contractors expected to be aware of different construction management technology and its benefits. But if time might be limited during the construction project, expect that the entire task of pouring concrete becomes very stressful. In most cases, due to lesser time by hand, contractors and subs are rushing to complete the work quickly. As a result, it leads to unsafe concrete pouring.
Additionally, most concrete projects tend to fail mainly because of avoidable mistakes in pouring and mixing. Using poor concrete techniques is also a factor that leads to deterioration, flaking, and premature failure. This very unsafe concrete pouring ways and procedures can affect the entire project and can be fatal to the crew involved. That is why contractors need to pour concrete properly by following the proper guidelines.
Listed below are the 12 common concrete pouring errors that every concrete contractor has to be aware of. Keep reading.
1. Reinforcement Issue
While concrete is a solid material, yet in most cases, it lacks tensile strength. To make concrete much stronger, reinforcing it is not necessary anymore. When plastics and metal fibers are mixed with concrete, they usually become stronger and withstand for many years. Moreover, concrete hardens around the fiber, thus, creating a more robust and lasting bond. Unfortunately, due to less time and money, reinforcing concrete is often skipped.
2. Pouring Too Thin
Concrete can be both long-lasting and strong, but only if it’s thick enough. Contractors have to be significantly reminded not to make the slab thinner than three inches in any applications. In fact, six inches is the only minimum thickness when it comes to a concrete slab. If this is the case, determine first if you’re pouring a concrete slab or the other way around.
3. Less Number of Staffs
Having lesser crew members when working is considered a major issue when pouring concrete. There should be a sufficient number of helpers and workers to execute the pouring procedure. Lack of subcontractors might cause costly reworks, injuries, or accidents. Concrete tends to get easily hard, especially when the smoothing and leveling process isn’t completed at the right time.
Contractors can use subcontractor scheduling software to supervise and monitor everyone involved. It also provides a tracking feature where time and labor hours are reviewed. It’s best to deploy this software application at work and let crew members access it anytime and anywhere.
4. Using Old Cement
The active ingredient in concrete known as Portland cement is considered a perishable commodity. Make sure never to use a just-add-water type of concrete mix or cement that’s more than a year older in any of your current projects. Take note that even new cement with inconsistencies and hard lumps must not be used for concrete. Hard lumps usually indicate the cement has obtained moist at some point. As a result, it loses its ability to harden and get stronger.
5. Project Management software is not used
There’s no easy work when executing concrete projects. Contractors not only need to follow-up on project updates but also need to supervise the team. Concrete pouring is one of the trickiest activities, and it needs further supervision by the project leaders.
Good thing that advanced software application is designed to cater to the needs of every construction team. This software application is designed for project management purposes. It makes the work easier to do and to manage. The features it offers include time-tracking, crew/resource management, cloud-based storage, archival options, new approval notifications, and so on. This software has a promising better performance, and it’s worth availing.
The Pro Crew Schedule 2.0 is finally released in the market and offers a much better user experience. Request a free demo now.
6. Reinforcing Rod that is Corrosion-Prone
In terms of compression, concrete is very strong. However, whenever any mild to strong force tries to pull it apart, it becomes weaker. This showing weakness in tension is one good reason why concrete should be reinforced with metal rods. The only issue is, most concrete reinforcing rods are often made of bare steel. This type of steel is usually vulnerable to rust from water that often sneaks within the concrete.
7. Failure to Use Fibers
Not everyone knows about concrete reinforcing fibers. Actually, these very thin and short strands of plastics eventually add tons of crack resistance and strength to any concrete project. You can add some pints of fibers to every mixing drum load of concrete. The fibers slowly spread out within the mixing and will help bind the hardened concrete as one. It does make a huge difference.
8. Concrete-to-Skin Contact
The cement in concrete is known to be high in alkaline, and it only means that it can harm the skin. The tricky thing is that anyone can get wet the concrete by hands all day long and never notice anything until the end of the day. There will be painful and red areas of thin, cracked, or dissolved skin slowly showing up. Concrete contractors may use a shove and trowel to handle wet concrete.
To become safer, make sure to wear gloves and other construction safety gear. It is also best to implement construction crew management software to make sure of the safety of every crew. Doing so will create a harmonious working environment, hence, making the team more collaborative.
9. Choosing Wrong Mix
Even before placing the order for the concrete, it is crucial to reach out and communicate to the supplier regarding the purpose for which you’re ordering concrete. Doing so will help you to get the best concrete mix for your next projects. Make sure to ask for advice and recommendations even before you place the order.
Also, be aware of mixing the concrete. The standard concrete recipe is usually one part cement, two portions of sands, and three portions of clean crushed stone. Contractors like you shouldn’t skimp since crushed stone is filler. Never use anything apart from the recipe. Bear in mind that using a little less stone can be possible if you may have difficulty troweling a smooth and nicer surface.
10. Wrong air temperature
When the temperature is too hot and humid, pouring concrete should never be considered. Pouring and mixing concrete when the temperature is hotter than eight-degrees Fahrenheit is considered very risky. If it is the case, the concrete may start to harden sooner than you can have it troweled or poured. Also, pouring concrete when there’s a threat of frost is a recurring issue because concrete loses a great amount of strength.
11. Concrete too dry
While a less common issue than concrete too wet, too dry isn’t good either. In actuality, Portland cement is the known active ingredient in concrete, while the cement needs enough moisture to cure in full strength. If troweling some sample piles of concrete won’t create a smoother, muddy, and wet surface in three strokes of the trowel, the concrete is possibly too dry.
12. Improper Finish
One of the effective ways to achieve excellent end results is to finish the project properly. Concrete contractors should never overwork with the concrete or utilize trowel excessively. It might make the concrete mix much drier, which can lead to cracks. Using the best construction management software creates more awareness in every single activity they execute. Monitoring and tracking every task and assigned crew member is quick and easy.
13. Cement-to-Water Ratio is wrongly used
The right proportion of cement and water is key to the concrete slab’s integrity. The ratio calculates the weight of the cement and the weight of the water to create the ideal mixture. Too much water can weaken the concrete, and insufficient water will make the concrete harder to spread and pour. The basic ratio used today is .50, but it might vary according to Uniform Building Codes.
14. Underestimating the Amount of Concrete Needed
Whenever deciding how much concrete is needed for the project, less is more isn’t apply. That is why concrete contractors need to consider using a concrete slab. Hence, a thicker depth is crucial for different applications where concrete is load-bearing. Driveways and foundations are two common examples of it. The distinction between the two will determine how much a contractor needed to order.
15. Reinforcing Mesh is assumed to stop cracking
No one ever desires a concrete project to fail or to crack. Yet, never rely upon the type of standard welded wire mesh commonly used for concrete reinforcement. It never stops cracking, yet it might hold the cracked concrete pieces together. This is something every concrete contractor has to observe. Mixing concrete using reinforcing rods with reinforcing fibers will greatly minimize the chance of crack formation.
Key Takeaways
Concrete pouring involves more than just pouring and mixing it out. A lot of work and planning goes into the preparation, aftercare, and installation of concrete. Doing it right the first time ensures that the projects are as strong as the clients expected to be and will last for a long time. That is why contractors must know the top concrete pouring mistakes in order to avoid them effectively.
