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Concrete in the cold – do it right!

We're getting to that time of the year, aren't we?

As much as we hate to admit it, it's pretty much winter. The forecast is showing below-zero temperatures, and that puts a damper on construction - especially pouring concrete.

That's because concrete has to be kept above freezing - and a bit more - to be effective.

For this reason, our office will require anyone pouring concrete from now until the spring to file a "warming plan" with us. That's just an outline of how any concrete set at this time of the year will be kept at suitable temperatures, or otherwise treated so that it achieves its required design strength before the assembly's net temperature drops to freezing temperatures.

Depending on the weather, this may mean nothing more than covering concrete with tarps, or it may involve creating an entire "tent" around the construction and keeping it warm with blast heaters.

For more, check out our knowledge base article on cold-temperature concrete here: https://snbsc-planning.com/cct/cold-temperatures-cement/