Why You Should Consider Concrete Accelerator This Winter

When time is of the essence or impending weather is on the horizon, there are options to keep your concrete pouring jobs on track. Jumpstart the set time of a batch of concrete with a concrete accelerator. Concrete accelerators or admixtures can improve concrete quality, manageability, acceleration, or retardation of setting time, among other properties that could be altered to achieve specific results.

Accelerators can be used to increase either the rate of stiffening or setting of the concrete. At the same time, they promote strength development, so it happens earlier in the set time of a slab. If a contractor is using an accelerator, the odds are good that the weather is wintry. Accelerators counteract the influence of cold weather, which slows down the curing and setting process of the job. Concrete admixtures with air entrained concrete can help increase the freeze-thaw durability (improves resistance of concrete to severe frost action) and increase the degree of workability. Other concrete admixtures can reduce maintenance costs by slowing down corrosion in reinforced steel used in concrete.

But accelerators aren’t just for cold weather; contractors can use one anytime the curing process needs a jump. The admixture may allow a concrete worker to remove forms earlier, step onto a concrete surface for finishing in a shorter time frame, or even put loads on it sooner such as when diverting foot traffic to do patching. Because accelerators cut set time, they can also reduce labor costs.

Don’t let fall or winter deter you from starting your concrete pouring jobs. Call Team Cam today; we can answer complex questions about concrete techniques and different accelerators and provide a free estimate for your commercial concrete project in the Baltimore or D.C. area.