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Just found out my local ready-mix plant changes their water content by up to 8 gallons per load depending on the weather

I was reading the batch ticket on a pour last Tuesday in Portland and noticed the water varied a ton between sunny and rainy days. Has anyone else checked their tickets closely or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathan_torres3419d ago

Pull the batch tickets on every single load and check the actual water vs what's on the mix design. I've been burned before where a plant tried to hide extra water as "moisture adjustment" on a humid day. Also ask the dispatcher what their target slump is for your specific job, not just the general spec. It's worth having your own slump cone on site and testing a load before you let them pump it. Plants will sneak in extra water to make the concrete flow easier, but you're the one stuck with the call if it loses strength.

derek_burns19d ago

Oh man, that "moisture adjustment" line you mentioned is EXACTLY what they pulled on me last summer. I had a job where the concrete was showing up wetter than hell and when I checked the tickets the water was way over. The plant manager tried to tell me it was just humidity compensation and I was like "dude I've been doing this for 12 years I know what water looks like." I started bringing my own slump cone after that and it saved my ass on a parking lot pour where they tried to sneak in an extra 5 gallons per load to make it pump easier. Now I check every ticket like it's a criminal investigation because once you let them slide on one load they'll do it to the whole job. You are 100% right about testing a load before pumping too I learned that the hard way when a wall pour started cracking because the slump was all over the place.