Cold Weather Concrete Checklist

Checklist for Installing Concrete in Cold Weather

Prior to Placement of Concrete

Don't place concrete on frozen ground or snow. Cover excavated soil with straw to retain heat prior to pouring.

Have all blankets, tarps, enclosures ready before the pour. Every minute counts after the concrete is finished!

Be prepared to wait for the concrete to set. Don't expect to "get in and get out". Cold temps will slow set time!

Installation and Placement of Concrete

Be sure to order air-entrained concrete. Tiny air bubbles grow within the concrete which help win the war against ice crystal damage.

Order heated concrete, preferably between 55 to 75 degrees. Order concrete with an extra 100 lbs of cement per cubic yard. This will help develop both early and long term strength.

Order concrete with a low slump or water content. Excess water is your enemy in cold weather! Don't worry, the concrete will not "get away" from you. Remember the colder temperatures slow the set time.

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Wait for the warmest time of the day if possible to place the concrete. Cold temperatures and wind will suck the heat from the concrete rapidly!

Do not trowel surface bleed water back into the concrete! This bleed water must evaporate or be gently removed (with a hose or a squeegee) from the top of the concrete. Troweling this water into the surface will significantly weaken the top layer of the concrete! Ordering concrete with a low slump will prevent excess bleed water.

Protection after Placement

Use polyethylene plastic or liquid membrane curing compounds. Do not use ponding water or wet burlap.

Cover the concrete with insulating blankets as soon as the curing procedure is complete. Edges and corners need extra protection!

Use vented heaters to provide warmth. Excessive carbon dioxide buildup will cause surface defects! The concrete will dust at a later time!

After the curing period (five to seven days) allow some air to get to surface for drying purposes. Try to "dry" the surface before exposing concrete to freezing temperatures.

Gradually remove insulating blankets. Thermal shock (exposure to cold temperatures too rapidly) can lead to concrete cracking.

Do not expose cold, fresh concrete to early loads. Remember, the concrete is getting stronger each day. It may take weeks or months for it to gain the strength it is designed for. Be careful!