Thought I could beat the heat with a faster set additive on a driveway in Phoenix

It was 108 degrees last Thursday and I added the stuff to the mix like the bag said, maybe a little extra. The concrete set up so fast I couldn't even get the bull float on it properly before it started to crust. Ended up with a rough patch about 4 feet wide that looked terrible. Had to grind it down the next day, which took two hours and cost me the profit on that job. Learned that more accelerator is not the answer when you're already fighting the sun. What's your go-to move for a pour when the temp spikes past 100?

3 comments

3 Comments

nguyen.morgan11d ago

You added extra in Phoenix heat?

nancyjones11d ago

Only a fool would add accelerator in 115 degree heat. That mix will set up so fast you'll be chiseling it out of the wheelbarrow. Ryan's plan is the only way it works here, you fight for every minute of open time you can get.

ryanm6011d ago

Brutal lesson learned the hard way. My go-to is to start the pour at absolute first light, even if it means a 4am setup. I wet everything down the night before, the subgrade, the forms, even pile sandbags on the poly to keep it damp. On the truck, I ask for a mid-range slump, nothing crazy, and have a guy with a hose on mist setting just to knock the edge off the heat. The accelerator stays in the truck unless it's an emergency.