Whether the season of extreme heat, cold, or inclement rains, all civil engineers should be accustomed to fighting seasonal fluctuations bringing different obstacles. They need to dodge it with smart tricks and tips. Concreting during the monsoon is an issue to tackle with awareness. The PPC cement for construction requires time to set.
However, after reaching its final setting time of 10 hours, rainwater becomes a source for curing the concrete. Here are points to remember while pouring cement during the monsoons:
Water content in the mixture
With increased humidity in the environment and the wetness of the raw materials, like aggregate and sand, be particular about the amount of water poured into the mixture. Balance the excess water to stay within the mix limit. You can also reduce the water-cement ratio by mixing suitable admixtures.
Waterproofing admixtures
When laying the concrete, hydrophilic crystalline admixtures give it resistance to water infiltration under hydrostatic pressure. The admixture reacts with cement particles and water to form crystals, blocking both the pores and microcracks in the concrete and preventing the passage of water.
Timing
When preparing to pour weatherproof cement for construction, ensure the weather conditions are not overly wet or windy. Pouring concrete when there has been more than 12 hours of dry weather is best.
Combat heavy winds
Ensure strong and resilient shuttering before pouring the concrete. Heavy winds may cause bleeding, leading to shrinkage and cracks. Therefore, pour the concrete only if it is not too windy to let it set well and maintain its hardness and other properties. Cover the area well to keep the original water-to-cement ratio.
Visual inspection
After the rainstorm subsides, assess the damage caused to the concrete visually. A simple scratch test lets you compare the relative surface scratch hardness of the areas in question to those slab sections of good quality. A thorough test requires you to take several core samples of the PPC cement for construction for checking in a lab with an electronic microscope.
Instant repairs
Minor repairs are necessary immediately after the rain stops if the concrete’s surface quality is compromised. Singular repairs require using the same concrete or spraying cement slurry on the surface. If many small areas of a thin slab are damaged, removing and replacing the complete sections is economical. If there is a large, isolated, and damaged area in a thick slab, apply a thin layer of cement slurry after removing the damaged concrete.
Closing thoughts
The key to mitigating damage to the concrete surface by a rainstorm lies in preparation, accurate predictions, and timing. Before a storm occurs, build a protective enclosure around the work site with plastic tarps. If you have already poured concrete and it starts raining, it is best to wait, let the rain pass, and move the water off the surface before finishing.
