Concrete Mix for Hot Weather

Temperature changes have a big impact on the set time of concrete. "If a stamper doesn't have good knowledge of ways to modify slump and to control set time he's really fighting an uphill battle," says Bannister. In hot weather, concrete with fly ash or slag will set a bit slower. But using admixtures to control set and slump is more common and does not lower the quality of the concrete or change its color. In the July 2002 issue of Concrete Construction ("Stamping Concrete: Managing Initial Set Times"), Joe Nasvik wrote the definitive guide, advocating a procedure he calls "step retardation" to control set time. This method uses different amounts of retarder added on site to control the set so that you have time to get your stamping done. Bannister, Harris, and Nasvik all recommend Fritz-Pak admixtures for on-site adjustments. Fritz-Pak (www.fritzpak.com) manufactures retarders, accelerators, and water reducers (superplasticizer) in packets that can be added easily on site.

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