Rained hard right after concrete pouring 2

[6080c0ay]

Hi,

I am building a house, and yesterday the contractor poured concrete on the 2nd floor slab. Just about 5-10 minutes after the process was completed, it rained very hard for around 30 minutes. The areas were not covered on time, and some of slabs were soaked with water. I want to ask this:

According to the contractor, as long as the pouring is finished, it is okay if it rains because water will not penetrate the concrete as long as it doesn't happen during the process. Is this true? Because I saw water on top of the concrete, but there is no way to find out if it never penetrated the concrete.

So is it true that it is okay to rain right after (just 5 mins after pouring it rained) pouring, and that it won't penetrate the concrete?

Will this compromise the strength of the structure esp since this is a 2nd floor?

thanks

 

[msquared48]

In that it is good, in general, to keep concrete wet while it is curing, if should not hurt the strength.

However, did this not ruin any smooth finish that was there prior to the rain? Or does that matter?

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[6080c0ay]

I am aware that it is good to keep concrete good, but is it the same if it rains rain after the pouring when the concrete is not yet dry? Contractor claims it is okay, because it won't penetrate concrete.

Smooth finish wiped off some of the surface. And when the men covered the area, they stepped on the concrete thus leaving footmarks. When the rain subsided, they removed the covered, and leveled the surface so the footmarks will be wiped away

 

[dik]

With a relatively mild rain, when concrete is rained on, it usually ends up with a 'sandy' type of finish. The cement is washed away leaving a 'pebbled' type of surface with loose sand on the surface.

Has the surface been damaged? and can you post a photo?

Dik

 

[emmgjld]

Excess water on the concrete surface. Maybe good - Maybe bad.

If the excess water is not worked into the concrete, probably no harm done to the concrete mass.
The flushed surface is a fault and that may be what the final dispute will be over.

 

[Ron]

If the concrete has been finished, the rain will not hurt it. If the concrete had not been finished (floating, troweling, etc.) then you can have some durability issues, mostly in the form of "map" cracking and dusting/scaling.

 

[scone38]

Agree with Ron but you can have water on the surface before finishing as long as you let it evaporate before finishing takes place. This is common in severe situations where rate of evaporation is greater than the concrete bleed rate (Silica Fume mixes come to mind)and fogging is required. What you want to avoid is diluting(weakening)the surface paste. Timing is everything!