Typically, a height of six feet is sufficient. Windbreaks could be taller or shorter depending on anticipated wind velocities, ambient temperatures, relative humidity, and concrete placement temperatures. Heated enclosures are very effective for protecting concrete in cold weather, but are probably the most expensive option.
Enclosures can be made of wood, canvas tarpaulins, or polyethylene. Prefabricated rigid-plastic enclosures are also available. Three types of heaters are used in cold-weather concrete construction: direct fired, indirect fired, and hydronic systems. To avoid carbonation of fresh concrete surfaces, indirect-fired heaters should be used. If the concrete is not exposed to the heater or exhaust directly, then a direct-fired heater is suitable.
Caution should be taken to ensure that workers are not overexposed to carbon monoxide anytime a heater is used inside an enclosure. Typical applications for hydronic systems include thawing and preheating subgrades and heating areas that are too large to be practical for an enclosure. When supplying ready mix concrete in London you can never be sure of the weather, the rain may pour, the sun may shine, and in the winter months your construction site may get hit with cold temperatures.
Over the last few years the coldest months have tended toward January and February. Freezing temperatures can have a big negative impact on freshly laid concrete, so now is as good a time as ever to read our top tips to help you correctly pour concrete in cold weather.
In London the weather usually reaches these temperature ranges at any time between October and February. Concrete in cold weather absolutely does need to be cured—the surface can dry out even faster than in warm weather, if the concrete is warmer than the air. When finishing concrete in cold weather, you still need to wait for all the bleed water to evaporate.
Bleed water is basically the concrete particles settling like mud in a stirred up pond and squeezing out all the extra water. If you finish that water into the surface, you increase the water-cement ratio and get weak surface concrete. Since the concrete is setting more slowly in the cold, bleeding starts later, lasts longer, and you can get more bleed water.
You can try getting it off with squeegees or vacuums--or you can wait. Cure concrete in cold weather without additional water; adding water will keep the concrete saturated so that freezing will damage it even after it reaches psi compressive strength. Learn more about curing concrete. Concrete additives, like a non-chloride accelerator, may reduce or elimante the need for protection and heating of concrete in cold climates.
Need concrete poured? Get quotes from concrete contractors near me. For flatwork, the traditional, and still the best way, to protect concrete from the cold is to cover it with blankets after it's been finished.
Heated water is available from selected ready-mixed concrete plants. If heated water is not available it is advisable to delay concreting until the ambient temperature has risen.
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