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Placing & Finishing

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    Bulging Joint Fillers

    Under resilient floors, what is less likely to telegraph joints after moisture equilibration: semirigid epoxy or polyurea?

     
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    Greening of Slag Cement Concrete

    We are using a concrete mix with 60% slag in architectural concrete and are having significant issues with the color of the concrete. What can we do to avoid this?

     
  • Pigment Effects on Concrete Properties

    Besides changing the color, does adding pigment to concrete have any other effects on its properties that a contractor should be aware of?

     
  • Adding Water to Concrete on the Jobsite

    Under what conditions are we allowed to retemper ready-mixed concrete at the jobsite? If we receive a batch that has too low a slump, can we add water to make the concrete more workable?

     
  • Depth of Isolation Joints

    Do I need to cut completely through a slab to form isolation joints?

     
  • Concrete Expansion Joints

    Are joints in concrete meant to accommodate expansion or contraction? Someone told me that what I've always called expansion joints I should now call contraction joints. Does this mean that concrete doesn't expand? What are these joints actually supposed to do?

     
  • Concrete and Copper Concerns

    We've been asked to place a concrete pad as the floor for a newhome, on a base of crushed limestone. There will be copper water pipescoming up through the floor. Are there any reasons for concern about a chemical reaction between the limestone and the copper pipe?

     
  • Preparing for an SCC Pour

    We have our first large self-consolidating concrete (SCC) project coming up soon, so I want to ensure that we get this right. The engineer performed the required test mixes to confirm slump, flow, spread, and compressive strength performance. The mix from

     
  • Fixing a Curling Floor

    The contractor says it is a workmanship problem between me and the excavator. What are your thoughts on this and how should I go about repairing it? The contractor suggested pumping grout under the floor at the joints, but I don't think that is a good ide

     
  • Did Salt Finish Affect Color?

    I am the building manager for a large church on the East Coast. We recently have contracted with a company to grind and overlay about 5000 square feet of our church.

     
  • Grinding Questions From a Novice

    I am the building manager for a large church on the East Coast. We recently have contracted with a company to grind and overlay about 5000 square feet of our church.

     
  • Is Slump Test Outdated?

    A lot of the concrete we're now placing would be considered “low slump.” Years ago it would have meant trouble for the crew. But today, we're able to work with most of the low slump concrete we get. Is the slump test outdated?

     
  • Problem Clinic: How Curling Happens and How to Control It

    I am about to install a 10,000-square-foot floor and the owner believes that wet curing the floor will result in no curling. Is this true?

     
  • Correcting for Aggregate Moisture

    Q: I'm fairly new in the concrete business and I know that a mix's water-cement ratio affects how well the concrete turns out, but as a contractor why should I care about something called "aggregate moisture?"

     
  • Curing

    Questions about the effects on curing of temperature and superplasticizers.

     
  • Early Morning Slab Pours

    I am a concrete contractor in the Southwest and to beat the heat in the summertime, I cast my slabs early in the morning, starting before dawn. By avoiding the heat of the day, doesn't this reduce the need for curing?

     
  • Testing Curing Effectiveness

    What tests can I use to determine if the curing has been effective?

     
  • Does Superplasticizer Reduce Need for Curing Water?

    I am using a superplasticizer in my concrete. I have heard that since this is a water-reducer, the need for curing water is reduced. Is this correct?

     
  • On the Questionable, and Perhaps Lost, Art of Curing Concrete

    I have a project specification that requires fog spraying, followed by curing compound, followed by wet cure with burlap and soaker hoses. Why the complicated curing requirements? Isn't this a case of specification-overkill?

     
  • Concrete expansion joints

    I was told that what we used to call expansion joints I should now call contraction joints. Does that mean that concrete doesn't expand?

     
 
 
 
 

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