HOT WEATHER CONCRETING

Hot weather is any combination of special conditions that tends to impair the quality of fresh
mixed or hardened concrete by accelerating the rate of moisture loss and rate of cement
hydration.
These conditions include:
▪ High ambient temperature
▪ High concrete temperature
▪ Low relative humidity
▪ High wind speed
Effects of hot weather conditions
The properties of concrete that may be affected by hot weather conditions include:
❖ Setting Time:
As the concrete temperature increases, the setting time, and thus the time to place, compact and
finish the concrete is reduced.
❖ Workability and Slump:
Higher temperatures reduce the workability or slump of the concrete more rapidly with time.
Adding more water to improve the workability of the mix decreases the strength and increases
the permeability, and ultimately affects the durability of the concrete
❖ Reduced Compressive Strength:
Higher water demand and higher concrete temperature could lead to reduced 28-day strengths.
If more water is added to the concrete mix at higher temperatures to maintain or restore
workability, the water/cement ratio will be increased, resulting in a loss of both potential
strength and durability. This may also increase the drying shrinkage of the hardened concrete.
Where water is not added, the reduced setting time and workability increase the potential for
inadequate compaction (again reduction in concrete strength) resulting in formation of cold
joints and poor finishes.
❖ Concrete Temperature:
In large sections thermal gradients through the element may cause thermal cracking.
Laboratory tests show that sustained higher temperatures significantly influence the
compressive strength gain of hardened concrete. While increased concrete temperatures may
result in an increase in the early rate of strength gain, but in the longer term, concrete cured at
lower temperatures will achieve higher ultimate strength.
❖ Poor Surface Appearance:
With the increased rate of evaporation, the surface of the concrete will dry out and stiffen. In
the case of flatwork this may lead to premature finishing of the surface, trapping an amount
of bleed water within the mix. The compacted surface layer may cause the rising bleed water
to be trapped below the surface, resulting in de-bonding of the surface layer and subsequent

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flaking. Also, color differences on the surface may result from different rates of hydration
and cooling effects.
❖ Plastic Shrinkage Cracking:
Hot weather conditions accelerate the loss of moisture from the surface. If the rate of
evaporation is greater than the rate of bleeding, surface drying will occur, resulting in shrinkage
of the concrete. When the shrinkage stresses exceed the tensile capacity of the concrete,
cracking will occur.
❖ Thermal Cracking:
Concrete is at risk of thermal cracking when it is first placed, and the heat of hydration raises
the temperature of the interior of the concrete. Rapid changes in the temperature of the external
concrete surface, such as when concrete slabs, walls or pavements are placed on a hot day
followed by a cool night, lead to thermal gradients between the warm/hot interior and the colder
external surface. The warmer interior provides a restraint to the colder external surface, which
wants to contract as a result of which thermal cracking may occur.
Precautions in Hot Weather Conditions:
If the temperature at the time of concrete placement will exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit, a plan
should be developed to negate the effects of high temperatures.
Following guidelines may be adopted while concreting in hot weather:
➢ Moisten subgrade, steel reinforcement, and form work prior to concrete placement.
➢ Erect temporary wind breaks to limit wind velocities and sunshades to reduce concrete
surface temperatures.
➢ Cool aggregates and mixing water should be added to the concrete mixture to reduce
its initial temperature.
➢ Use a concrete consistency that allows rapid placement and consolidation.
➢ Protect the concrete surface during placement with plastic sheeting or evaporation
retarders to maintain the initial moisture in the concrete mixture.
➢ Provide sufficient labor to minimize the time required to place and finish the concrete,
as hot weather conditions will affect the initial and final setting times.
➢ Provide appropriate curing methods as soon as possible after the concrete finishing
processes have been completed.
➢ In extreme conditions consider adjusting the time of concrete placement to take
advantage of cooler temperatures, such as early morning or night time placement.
➢ Specify the maximum acceptable delivery temperature of the concrete so that the
supplier can plan to cool the materials as needed.
➢ Provide spacing of contraction (control) joints at slightly smaller intervals than when
concreting at lower temperatures.
➢ Delay construction of indoor slabs on grade until the walls are up and the roof is on.

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➢ Keep an evaporative retarder (aliphatic alcohol) on site in case conditions require its
use.
➢ Shade stockpiles, sprinkle aggregates ahead of time for evaporative cooling, or cool
them by other means.
➢ Use ice as part of the mix water or cool the concrete with liquid nitrogen.
➢ Paint the mixer and storage bins white to minimize absorption of heat from the sun.
➢ Avoid prolonged mixing. Transit mixer trucks should be discharged as soon as possible
after the water has been added to the mix.
➢ For large projects, consider batching and mixing the materials using a job-site plant.
➢ Keep all equipment that touches the concrete cool (chutes, conveyors, pump lines,
tremies, reinforcement). Protecting equipment from the direct sun will assist. If it can’t
be kept continuously cool, spray-cool it as necessary with water.
➢ Protect the surface of concrete slabs at all stages against excessive evaporation and
premature drying out by using an evaporative retarder such as aliphatic alcohol.
➢ Curing should commence immediately after the slab has been finished, and is
particularly important during the first day after placement, and in hot or windy
conditions.
➢ When forms are removed, curing should be provided to the newly exposed surfaces.

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 COLD WEATHER CONCRETING
According to ACI, concrete will be exposed to cold weather when the following conditions
exist:
i. The average daily air temperature is less than 5°C (40°F)
ii. The air temperature is not greater than 10°C (50°F) for more than one-half of any 24-
hour period.
These conditions require special consideration when placing, finishing, curing and protecting
concrete against cold weather.
Effects of cold weather concreting
➢ In its plastic state, concrete will freeze if its temperature falls below -4 degree Celsius.
If plastic concrete freezes, its potential strength can be reduced by more than 50% and
its durability will be adversely affected.
➢ Concrete should be protected from freezing until it attains minimum of 3.5 MPa
strength which is about two days after placement for most concrete maintained at 10
degree Celsius.
➢ Low concrete temperature has a major effect on the rate of cement hydration, which
results in slower setting and rate of strength gain. A drop in concrete temperature by
10 degree Celsius will approximately double the setting time and this thing can
adversely affect our construction schedule.
➢ Newly placed concrete is saturated with water and should be protected from cycles of
freezing and thawing until it has attained a compressive strength of at least 24 MPa.
➢ Large temperature differences between the surface and the interior of the concrete
mass should be prevented as cracking may result when this difference exceeds about
20 degree Celsius
How to Place Concrete in Cold Weather?
➢ Recommended concrete temperatures at the time of placement are shown below. The
ready mixed concrete producer can control concrete temperature by heating and
mixing the water and/or the aggregates and furnish concrete in accordance with the
guidelines in ASTM C 94.
Section Size, Minimum Concrete Temperature as
Dimension (mm) Placed
Less than 300 13 Celsius
300 - 900 10 Celsius
900 - 1800 7 Celsius

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Guidelines for Pouring Concrete in Cold Weather
Follow these recommended steps to assure that concrete in cold weather will obtain the
required design strength.
➢ Prior to pouring of concrete, define the strategies that will be used including materials,
forms, testing, and other requirements.
➢ Schedule and determine the cold weather protection measurement of the concrete mix.
➢ Keep a well-defined temperature record chart including concrete temperature and
exterior temperature.
➢ Never pour concrete over frozen ground, snow, or ice. Use heaters to thaw the ground
before pouring concrete.
➢ If heated enclosures are going to be used when placing concrete in cold weather, be
sure to know that they must be windproof and weatherproof.
➢ If combustion heaters are used, vent outside to prevent carbonation.
➢ Cold weather concrete should have the correct amount of air entrained voids that will
resist freezing and thawing effects.
➢ Concrete in cold weather is recommended to have a low slump, and minimal water to
cement ratio, to reduce bleeding and decreases setting time
➢ Use concrete curing blankets to prevent freezing and keep the concrete at an optimal
curing temperature.
➢ Use insulation blankets or heated enclosures to maintain concrete temperatures above
50° degrees Fahrenheit for three to seven days.
➢ Do not begin final finishing operations while bleed water is present.
➢ Have a heated mix or add 100 lbs. of extra cement for each cubic yard of concrete. This
extra cement helps develop early strength.
➢ Maintain the concrete temperature above 40° degrees Fahrenheit for at least four more
days after the use of the insulation blankets or heated enclosures.
➢ Do not seal freshly placed concrete until it has bled and the setting process has begun.
➢ It is recommended to place concrete as soon as possible, if the batch plant is too far
from the concrete’s final destination, additional steps must be taken to reduce setting
problems.
➢ As lower temperature will increase the setting time. To reduce the setting time, we can
add different admixtures to accelerate the setting time. ASTM C 494 – Types C
(accelerating) and E (water-reducing and accelerating), are commonly used in the
winter time. Calcium chloride is a common and effective accelerating admixture, but
should not exceed a maximum dosage of 2% by weight of cement.

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➢ Materials and equipment should be in place to protect concrete, both during and after
placement, from early age freezing and to retain the heat generated by cement
hydration.
➢ Snow, ice and frost should be removed and the temperature of surfaces and metallic
embedment’s in contact with concrete should be above freezing.
➢ Limit rapid temperature changes when protective measures are removed.