Pouring concrete in cold weather antifreeze any good

Hugh 2

Anybody here know if concrete treated with antifreeze is available here in ireland or is it any good
Forecast for next few days is cold with some few hours a day below freezing.
I have a load due tomorrow but I am going to ask about upping the strength and if they have an additive to help the concret from getting frost damaged.
Thanks

cjpm

Should only be poured if it's 4 degrees or higher. Cover with plastic and straw before the temp drops below 4. It will be fine if it's well covered during the cold spell

Keep the surface of it damp for at least a week
, longer if possible to cure the concrete correctly

Timmaay

Pour it as early as possible in the day to get some decent drying in.

Hugh 2

Thanks for the reply
Don't know if this image will post or how long it will stay up but basically it shows only a few hours of the day over 5 c

I am thinking of covering with straw after it goes off ( it will be indoors but with little shelter)
it is going to be a calf house that I will need shortly so I am anxious to get this floor down.

cjpm

Cover it with plastic and then spread straw over it. The plastic will prevent it drying out too fast, and the straw will keep the frost away.

Bullocks

Could you put a space heater in there before and after you pour the concrete aswell

Miname

There is an additive for frost proofing. It's not 100% but it's something. There's a second sealer that can be put on the concrete after its started curing but I can't think of the name of it.

Genghis Cant

You might laugh at this...... But if indoors, can ya leave a light on overnight. The old man poured acres of concrete in his time and I seen him do this.
If it's badly exposed plastic and straw would be what I'd do.

99nsr125

Hugh 2 wrote: »

Anybody here know if concrete treated with antifreeze is available here in ireland or is it any good
Forecast for next few days is cold with some few hours a day below freezing.
I have a load due tomorrow but I am going to ask about upping the strength and if they have an additive to help the concret from getting frost damaged.
Thanks

Calcium chloride

Same stuff you mix with water and put in the rear wheels of a tractor for ballast

Not that common because hardly ever cold enough to be needed

Hugh 2

Thanks for the replies.
Found this link regarding using concrete in cold weather

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CD4QFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhansonready-mixconcrete.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fhanson-cold-weather-pouring-info.pdf&ei=3dTOVIb5BYL4aN3mgKgC&usg=AFQjCNF7p8PNvg5el-lh0svBgI9JgCZJBg

The wife says to wait for finer weather - that looks likely to be a weak away .

I will recheck forecasts in morning and see what local plant has to say - help and concrete provisionally booked for 2pm I have the plastic and straw -might go ahead if I can get treated concrete earlier in the day---

Bullocks

Hugh 2 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.
Found this link regarding using concrete in cold weather

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CD4QFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhansonready-mixconcrete.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fhanson-cold-weather-pouring-info.pdf&ei=3dTOVIb5BYL4aN3mgKgC&usg=AFQjCNF7p8PNvg5el-lh0svBgI9JgCZJBg

The wife says to wait for finer weather - that looks likely to be a weak away .

I will recheck forecasts in morning and see what local plant has to say - help and concrete provisionally booked for 2pm I have the plastic and straw -might go ahead if I can get treated concrete earlier in the day---

I'd sooner plough on with the concrete and have it better cured before you put cows on it . The frost will hardly be too hard or prolonged and it should be well enough protected if it's in a shed

RightTurnClyde

There's a crowd in Naas or Dublin " construction chemicals". They do a lot of concrete additive type products. I've found them very good for advice over the years. You should give them a ring and talk to them. You don't have to buy anything, just pick their brains.

onyerbikepat

Maybe listen to the wife! One week won't make that much difference.

I've seen concrete put down at home in freezing weather about 25 years ago. It was covered with plastic and straw at the time. It has degraded a lot since, compared to the areas that were done around it at the same time.

F.D

Seen lads mixing a small amount of concrete before and putting in washing up liquid, not sure why now that i think of it they could have been plastering

Hugh 2

Thanks again for all the replies.
After doing a little expirament last night with a few buckets of water I
Decided to go ahead with pour today.
The plant told me that the additive was not an antifreeze but an accelerant that speeded up the curing of the concrete

Not wanting to get stuck trying to work a quick drying mix I opted to instead up the mix ton30 newton which should cause the mix to to cure faster.

Anyways I was happy at 2 pm putting down the mix but it became apparent that concrete cures way slower way slower in cold weather.

By 5 the mix was still wet round 7 it was firm enough ( just) to cover with a sheet of plastic and then cover with plenty of straw.

Hugh 2

Just an update

The concrete looks grand but from how slow iit cured I am glad I was not pouring outside
Buckets of water left outside froze an inch deep while ones left inside did not freeze at all - I am also sure leaving the lights on also helped kept the frost out
I will leave the concert alone under the plastic and straw as I will have to trave over it with loader to bring on straw for the calves - as this is going to be2nd caft house this might be a few weeks away yet

Bullocks

Hugh 2 wrote: »

Just an update

The concrete looks grand but from how slow iit cured I am glad I was not pouring outside
Buckets of water left outside froze an inch deep while ones left inside did not freeze at all - I am also sure leaving the lights on also helped kept the frost out
I will leave the concert alone under the plastic and straw as I will have to trave over it with loader to bring on straw for the calves - as this is going to be2nd caft house this might be a few weeks away yet

If you could have put a space heater in a couple of days in advance of pouring it would have really sped up the drying . But I wouldn't have any fear for it now either way when its inside a shed
If we are using acrylic plaster in the winter we often tarp walls a few days beforehand and put in a heater . A few times we didn't do it and it's so slow setting it would start to run 3 days after it was put on :mad: