Language - Place or pour concrete

[skeletron]

For the structural engineers and specification writers:
Which side of the fence do you stand on "place concrete" or "pour concrete" when using the phrase in your general notes and specifications?

Admittedly I have hovered, and still do hover, but if I had to take allegiance it would be to "place concrete". This is me being a bit oppositional to what I perceive as the majority saying "pour concrete", but it does seem that standards do reference this verb (e.g. "placing and finishing").

(posting this in the Structural forum instead of the language/grammar because it directly applies).

 

[dik]

How about cast concrete?

 

[skeletron]

Yes, I guess throw "cast" into the tumbler as well. Nice one Dik!

 

[OldDawgNewTricks]

I use ACI, so I follow their use of "place" rather than "pour" in drawing and specifications. Most of the concrete on my projects is pumped rather than poured, so I guess it's not really accurate to say pour. But in informal conversations, I often say pour.

 

[Tomfh]

Typically “place” in specifications and the like but in less formal usage “pour”.

 

[JAE]

If you can pour concrete it's too wet....unless it is purposely designed to be low slump concrete.

 

[dik]

Nice one Dik!

...was for humour.

 

[human909]

IMO the active word shouldn't matter. Surely there is enough regulation and expertise requirements that are in place that such wording doesn't matter?

Place is generally the preferred wording for specifications in my locality. It doesn't directly specify an action like pour does. As engineers we generally specify outcomes not methods. EG the outcome it concrete "placed" in a location. I don't care whether it is spooned, poured, pumped, shovelled or trowelled into place.

On site. Pour is generally the word used to imply the supply of concrete at least around here. The truck comes on site and "pours" the concrete. The means and methods used to get it in its final intended place is not important as far as describing that a truck is arriving today with concrete and leaving without concrete.

 

[HTURKAK]

Which side of the fence do you stand on "place concrete" or "pour concrete" when using the phrase in your general notes and specifications..

It depends on the conditions . AFAIK , ACI uses ' place concrete' but not pour concrete .

- We don't say prepour or preplaced but we say Precast or cast in place,
- We don't say place the grout but say pour the grout ,
- We say pour strip but not place strip.

My opinion.. but English is not my first language.

 

[Enable]

On the other hand we don't say "we have a big concrete placement on Friday"

I think this is getting a bit far into the weeds, even for the lawyers who might look at our stuff later! I'd probably go with concrete placement in a specification though, since that does seem to be the most common that I see as a contractor / CSA A23.3.

 

[271828]

Whenever I hear the insistence on using "place," I remember one of my old steel professors would say "then why do you call it a pour stop?" LOL

 

[PlinkoEng]

I use place if its pre-cast and pour if if its wet cast in place.

 

[KootK]

I'm sure it doesn't matter 99.9% of the time but, for the sake of specs etc that will be reused, I prefer "place". I suspect that terminology came about because one time, on Saturn, back in 1412, somebody interpreted the use of "pour" to mean that they couldn't use alternate placing methods and thus some extra $$$ were expended needlessly.

 

[JAE]

then why do you call it a pour stop?

Because the dang foreman had them add a bunch of water...

 

[Lomarandil]

Because the dang foreman had them add a bunch of water...

 

[BAretired]

Of all the things to be concerned about, this must be near the bottom of the list.

 

[Tomfh]

It generates strong feelings in some people. We had an old lecturer who would absolutely lose it if you ever said “pour.”

“CONCRETE IS NOT POURED; IT IS PLACED!!! ”

 

[PlinkoEng]

It generates strong feelings in some people. We had an old lecturer who would absolutely lose it if you ever said “pour.”

“CONCRETE IS NOT POURED; IT IS PLACED!!! ”

Does this apply to a #2 in the porta Jon? Seems about the same to me.