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Watching a crew in Phoenix pour a huge patio without a single cold joint changed my mind about how much water to add to the mix.
They kept a guy with a hose on standby to mist the truck's chute and the concrete in the wheelbarrows during the whole 90-degree afternoon, which convinced me that a little extra water control in transit is better than fighting a stiff pour later. What's your go-to method for keeping the mix workable on a hot site?
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black.laura1mo ago
Honestly, that sounds like a great way to weaken the slab. Adding water at the truck is a band-aid fix that messes with the water-cement ratio. My crew fights the heat with planning, not a hose. We schedule pours for early morning, use set retarders in the mix design, and have everyone ready to place and finish fast. Workability comes from the mix design and speed, not watering it down on site.
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jade2261mo ago
But what if the truck gets stuck in traffic and the mix starts to set? @black.laura, sometimes you need that hose to save the pour when plans fall apart, and a slightly weaker spot is better than a cold joint.
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