Things to Consider While Mixing Fast Setting Concrete
Fast setting concrete hardens at a rapid pace compared to normal concrete. It sets in just an hour, whereas normal concrete can take up to two days to settle. It makes working with rapid setting concrete incredibly easy during a construction project. However, if you have never used this construction material before, mixing it can be a daunting task. For your help, we have mentioned the things you should consider while mixing fast setting concrete. Let’s have a look:
Tips To Mix Fast Setting Concrete in a Proper Way
Mix The Dry Raw Material
Most people commit the mistake of directly adding water and other aggregates to the pre-mix. It can facilitate lump formation, which not only disturbs the material’s uniform consistency but also degrades its strength levels. Therefore, you should give the dry material a good mix using a tool like a concrete spreader.
Make sure there are no remaining crystals in the container. When the pre-mix is free from chunks the chances of lump formation, later on, are minimised. In short, the key to preparing a good rapid set concrete mix is keeping the dry raw material as fine as possible.
Avoid Using Hot Water While Mixing
The hardening time of fast setting concrete is already very less. If you add hot water to the dry pre-mix, the concrete settling process is further boosted. It leaves no time to compact or arrange the construction material as per the requirement. To avoid this, always add cold water while mixing rapid setting concrete.
Moreover, scoop out some construction material from the container. Pour water into this space. This way, even the bottom of rapid-set concrete comes in contact with water. It helps to mix the concrete easily without any extra effort and also prevents lump formation.
Gradually Add Water in Small Amount
An effective way to achieve the best consistency in construction material is gradually adding small quantities of water. If you added more water in a single go, there are chances of the mixture becoming too thin. Also, once the water is added, you can’t reverse the process. Therefore, cold water should be gradually added while checking the material consistency after each addition.
An ideal rapid-setting concrete mix has a thick consistency. However, if you poured more water by mistake, don’t worry. Just add more dry pre-mix to counterbalance the water-material ratio. After water addition, proper mixing of the constituents is also essential. For this reason, it is preferred to use dedicated equipment like a concrete mixing bit for the best results.
Make The Mixture More Wet To Delay Settling
Fast-setting concrete, as the name suggests, sets very rapidly. If you are working with these types of concrete mixes for the first time, it is advised to keep the water percentage high. It slows down the concrete settling process, giving you more time to compact it and perform various related construction tasks. However, don’t overdo it as it can cause thinning of the rapid set concrete mix.
Throw The Hardened Concrete Mixture
Even after following the above approaches, if some amount of concrete gets hardened in between the pouring process, immediately throw it out. Most people follow the wrong approach of adding fresh material batches to the hardened concrete. It will cause the formation of a cold joint leading to concrete cracking later on. The material which is already set will not combine with fresh concrete properly. So, it is better to throw out the hard concrete and pour a fresh batch.
Conclusion
After going through the above tips, you can effectively mix fast-setting concrete and use it in various construction-related tasks. It is natural to be unfamiliar with the mixing process in the beginning, but you will eventually get hold of it when you prepare a few batches. However, if you want to eliminate all the hassle related to concrete mixing, you can order rapid setting concrete from The Thames Concrete. We provide the best quality fast-setting concrete at competitive prices as per your requirements.
