[TheForge] OT: My floor is poured: the saga

[jerry Frost]

It shouldn't have started setting up even if they just let it sit half an
hour after pumping. That sounds like they added an accelerant at the batch
plant alright. Take a sample to the State Materials lab for analysis, the
concrete co. is picking up the bill. Have your lawyer charge it back.

High humidity weather can allow steam because it's already near the dew
point but the basement shouldn't have been appreciably hotter than ambient.
Did you try touching the slab or pile setting up in the driveway? I'm almost
betting a letter of intent from a lawyer will start getting  offers to
settle out of court. Don't forget to add emotional distress, etc. etc. It
SHOULD cost them to keep you quiet. Suckers MUST pay.

Jer
-----Original Message-----
From: TheForge [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Andrew
Vida
Sent: Saturday, September 6, 2014 7:52 AM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] OT: My floor is poured: the saga


On 9/5/14, 3:13 PM, jerry Frost wrote:
> It is if he stopped for coffee or lunch. Once concrete starts to set 
> it sets pretty quickly. A concrete company that screws up a pour like 
> this will have people blaming others, it's the guy in the mixing 
> tower, the guy in the truck, the finishers, etc.
Well, the one person they cannot blame is me.  The pumpers and finishers
were also blameless.  The mix appeared normal until about 1/2 hour in, after
about 5 or so yards were put down.  All of a sudden it started hardening up
very quickly and the finisher was not happy.  I didn't realize how bad it
was until a while later.

These bastards are going to tell me to go scratch and then I will have to
take up my iron bars - there's the smithing content. :)
>
> When you say it got hot, how hot?
The 7 yards remaining in the truck was putting off very visible vapors in
90*+, 90%+ humidity.  It was not hot in the basement, so they cannot claim
that we should have known.  Everything seemed perfect until the very sudden
and rapid change in the character of the mix.  Prior to that, I was
shoveling concrete up into the low spots because it was flowing well.

>   Concrete should get warm as it sets but even a 24" footing should be 
> too cool for a bath. If a slab is getting hot, say steaming on a cool 
> day it's a hot mix, either WAY past pour time or a hot mix from the 
> batch plant.
>
> How'd your footings come out?

Sagged slab - integral footing.  3 runs of #5 rebar all four sides about
2-3 inches from the bottom, right where it belonged.  Engineer friend said
one would have sufficed and that three makes for a very strong footing.
Footings average about 16" deep x 24 wide.  Floor is about 5" 
average with a few thinner areas, perhaps 3.5"... still plenty, especially
with the mesh in it.

My only concern now is whether it is too far out of level for a mason to lay
block, if I choose to go that route, which at this point I may because the
forms are now up to about $5K and there is no possible way.  
I'd planned on $500-$600, using the clay as the outer form, but the
imbeciles at Marco scotched that big time.