When constructing a floor, concrete contractors often unroll a sheet of plastic vapor retarder over the subbase and cover it with a blotter layer of compacted granular fill before placing concrete on the fill. But how effectively do vapor retarders resist punctures during construction operations?
In bidding a job, concrete contractors have to estimate the duration of each concrete placement, which requires estimating the concrete's setting time. When cold weather, admixtures, or other factors delay setting and increase the time finishers must wait, the contractor starts losing money. But how much money?
Owners and engineers increasingly demand low-shrinkage concrete to reduce the number of cracks, crack width, and curling. Some engineers even specify shrinkage limits for submittals of concrete proportions.
Truck-mounted or self-propelled conveyors permit fast, accurate, and efficient material handling at the jobsite, reducing labor requirements while freeing up cranes, skidsteers, and tractor or wheel loaders for other work.
In exterior or interior applications, cast-in-place concrete can now reproduce the look of slate, cobblestone, brick, tile, limestone, travertine, polished marble, and even wood.
