Project Showcase: Waterside Concrete Curing Time
November 24th, 2009 | From the Field, Lets Get Technical!, Project Showcase, Unique Applications | cold weather concreting, Condo, parks ICF, TN, waterside
As a followup to the previous post I wanted to highlight some additional in the field research Parks ICF Wall Systems was able to do to verify the notion that insulated concrete cures faster than exposed concrete with freezing cold temperatures outside.
During the Waterside Towers project, Parks ICF participated in a study that helped scientifically prove that concrete curing times are greatly accelerated in cold weather when placed in ICF forms versus when left exposed. The field tests showed the concrete reached the required 2,000 psi compressive strength in just 2 days versus 4-5 days with exposed concrete. Mr. Petersburg of Shield Engineering worked hand-in-hand with us on the project as a third-party engineering representative as we continued with sample testing on each floor before the flooring system was placed. Through this testing, Parks ICF was able to accelerate the project schedule by 10 to 15 days and help keep the other crews continuing with minimal down time.
“The incredible thing about working with ICF wall systems was its workability in cold temperatures and inclement weather. Working through what turned out to be one of the coldest and wettest winters in recent memory, we’ve experienced minimal lost days versus a potential of several weeks or months with traditional construction methods.” -Ted Kuerschen, Project Manager, Waterside Condos
“One of the great benefits we found working with ICF, especially in the winter, is that weather does not slow down construction as it does on standard job sites. Rain and snow did not affect placement of ICF block or of concrete. Being insulated with the foam, the concrete was able to retain its temperature even on the coldest of days of placement. Both laboratory and field cured cylinders were cast during the construction process. It was found that standard field cured cylinders broke considerably lower than core samples obtained from the poured wall. The strength of ICF cured test cylinders, giving a more realistic indication of on-site conditions, were more closely correlated to the laboratory cured specimens.” -Nathan Petersburg, Shield Engineering
