Tried a magnesium float versus a steel one on a 30-yard pour last Thursday.

The magnesium gave me a much smoother finish on that warm morning, but does anyone have a trick for when the concrete starts setting up too fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_claire27d ago

Forget the garden hose, that water trick @harper_gibson2 mentioned can mess with your mix if you're not careful. Have you tried keeping a retarder spray bottle on the truck for those emergency moments? My crew will sometimes pour a cooler slab in the morning shade first to buy time for the main pour. What's the fastest you've ever seen a slab set up on a hot day?

harper_gibson227d ago

What, you didn't bring a priest to bless the pour and slow down the set? On those hot days it feels like you're racing the sun. I've seen guys use a light spray of water from a garden hose on the forms just before the pour, seems to buy a few minutes. But sometimes you just have to work faster and swear more.

mason_jackson1d ago

Man I read somewhere that the water spray trick can actually make the top layer weaker if you get it wrong. They said it's better to cool the actual mix itself if you can, like with chilled water or even tossing some ice in the truck. But yeah, when you're out there and the clock's ticking, you'll try anything. Seen a crew once use those big shade tarps just to block the sun while they finished the finish work.