Seasons of Setting: Adapting Concrete Work to Salt Lake City’s Climate
Seasons of Setting: Adapting Concrete Work to Salt Lake City’s Climate
While climate change is a global issue, many of its impacts are felt at a local community level. For example, high air temperatures can lead to heat related illnesses and increased demand on the energy grid for cooling.
Clothes and nature can hint at the season—leaves crunching underfoot or a light cotton shirt might indicate spring; bitter cold, ice and snow suggest winter.
Spring
A hot summer day in Salt Lake City might feel like it’s coming from every direction, but the heat doesn’t just come from direct sunlight. Commercial concrete needs to set at a certain temperature to have its best performance, and long term durability and resistance to deicing chemicals is enhanced when it is cured properly.
During the summer, workers must work fast to beat the heat and get the concrete to set before it evaporates too much. Exceeding the maximum amount of mixing water for a specific concrete mixture decreases its strength and other properties. Dosages of water-reducing and set-retarding admixtures also need to increase during high temperatures.
This summer, Salt Lake City residents will be able to look forward to a cooler, more comfortable …
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