One of those days

[nututhugame]

Worked 13hrs today on a hell-pour. The pour itself took about 6.5 hrs when it should've taken about 3. Shouldn't have been bad. We pumped 230 yds of crete into a wall that is 29' tall x 30" thick on three sides and 18' tall x 30" on the fourth side (picture a rectangle from birds eye view). We were supposed to get a mix with 2% accelerator at a 4" slump which would eliminate the need for boiler plates where the pour steps down if you pour it right. Alas the trucks came out with more like a 7" slump 1% mix. We poured the first 140 yds of that piss without a hitch and were supposed to start getting the 4" mix after that, once we caught on and were able to get the trucks on the road with the right mix. 140yds got us right about 18' up in the whole pour (top of the form on the one side). Now, picture filling a glass to the top with root beer and then dropping in a big scoop of ice cream. That's what happened to the 18' section when we started pumping into the 29' section. Not an actual blowout per se, but a few cubic yds of crete ended up on the ground below.

 

[TrickyPutt]

And amazingly it's the form builders fault...

 

[limpalong]

Where was your QC person??!!!!?? Was a maximum slump spec'd? Our documents require nothing more than a 3" slump. For pumping, or other higher slump requirements, an admixture called 'super plasticizer' may be added on site. One of my recent projects had about 7,000 CY concrete. I rejected a little over 300 yards before the batch plant decided they could no longer afford to sent "homebuilder" concrete to my project!
We do not allow CaCl as an accelerator. SuperP will assist in a quicker set. With using SuperP to gain slump in lieu of water, concrete does not crack. My basins have to hold water... and do.
Architects are horrendously famous for allowing higher slump concrete. Engineers building treatment plants facilities or DOT work are much more strict as to the quality of concrete utilized in the construction process.

 

[nututhugame]

I work for a ragtag company who don't have the power nor the balls to reject anything. They think getting a pump or adding something like superp is too expensive. One of these days they'll learn that labor, rework, and losing 5 yds on the ground is more expensive... I hope. Phuckin turds. I don't know everything about concrete, but I know this ain't how you do it. Ridiculous.

 

[warbirdlover]

I hate working with concrete. nut. I think your company must build the highways that put down the cheapest crap they can find and then have holes and cracks in it the first winter.