mx842
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2011
- Messages
- 853
- Location
- Richmond Va
- Tractor
- Kubota L3301, PowerKing 2414, John Deere 316, Gravely ZT HD 52
I was thinking the same thing. I went to the plant where the concrete came from but no one was there. I sat there for over an hour but nobody ever showed up. I'm going to run back over there this afternoon to see what I can find out.What the OP describes sounds to me to be a case of bad concrete batch and not necessarily the installer. The concrete company can screw you rather quickly by shorting the amount of Portland cement used or by not using a correct sand aggregate mix. Too much water or not enough is also a cause for cracking and unusual settling during cure.
Commercial work always requires slump tests and lab analysis for strength during a large pour.
Your problem might have been the contractor but it might also be the concrete itself.
Stop....I just called the batch plant and finally got someone to answer the phone. He pulled up my order and we talked for about 45 minutes. Of-course there was a little cover your azz talk, but once he figured out that I did have a little knowledge about concrete that kind of talk evened out. He said the cracking was probably due to the concrete drying to fast. When I told him I had covered it with poly as soon as they finished to help to keep it from drying to fast, he then said that could be part of the problem you want to let the concrete give up the moisture quickly so it could cure faster. Then I asked him, what....do you want to dry fast or slow? He didn't have an answer for that, and he moved on to well the concrete probably was poured too wet. I wasn't happy with any of his answers and kind of let him know, then he said he would send someone out to look at it and give their opinion. I don't know where this will go but at least it's a start.