How Water Affects Your Concrete Mixture

If you are working at building a structure, and you are going to be laying a large concrete slab as the foundation of your building, the water you use to construct it can make a huge difference in its sturdiness. Using too much water or adding water of inadequate quality can affect the way your concrete thickens and hardens, making an impact on your finished project. Here are some ways water alters the consistency of concrete. Use this info to help you keep your water input at the right quantity and quality when you use it for your own building project.

Too Much Water

Many people add too much water to dried cement when preparing it. This will cause the finished product to be less durable or sturdy than it would be without extra moisture. When this moisture dries completely, the concrete you are left with with has several voids throughout the composition, making it weaker as a result. These voids are caused because the coarse aggregate tends to separate from the cement paste within the concrete, settling toward the bottom of the concrete slab you are laying.

The top portion of your concrete slab would have more water within its composition. When this water evaporates, several voids are left behind. This in turn will make the concrete weaker as a result, possibly being to brittle for your structural needs. Always figure out the proper cement to water ratio before laying your cement to avoid having a weakened structure.

Poor Quality Water

Using water that has not been tested beforehand can have detrimental consequences to your project. Chemicals and impurities can react with the composition of the sand and aggregates within the concrete compound, changing the consistency of the material. This can make the concrete less sturdy and prone to cracking or crumbling. Salt in a water supply can weaken the composition of concrete as well as cause corrosion to the material due to the minerals the water has within. Tannic acid or iron within water can lead to staining of the concrete after it has cured.

It is a good idea to have a water test conducted before undertaking a concrete project if you plan on using a water supply already present on the property. The best way to avoid structural problems within your concrete is to have a water supplier bring fresh water to your construction site so you are always using high-quality liquid when mixing your compound. You may want to consider administering a slump test of your concrete before utilizing it as well. Schedule your water delivery, such as from The Waterman Bulk water delivery, once you have these concerns figured out.