Fresh Pad - Flaking

[joshgn]

Fresh Pad - Flaking***Grind -> Seal

This pad was poured Jan 15th 2014. I noticed the issue sometime last week.

The concrete is exposed as the building has not been put up yet.

The total pour is 40x80. The problem spots so far are mostly contained to a 40x40 area, but I believe its gonna get worse before it gets better.

3500 psi Fibermesh mud.

What exactly is it doing? And why is it doing it?

 

[ADSR]

Looks like the cream was overworked and then it got cold.

 

[bygasper]

Looks like the cream was overworked and then it got cold.

Yep. I second that.


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[joshgn]

They machine troweled it twice, then hand trowel finished the whole thing...

 

[kd3pc]

scaling due to temp change during or just after the pour

 

[mygarageone]

I have the same problem and had a feeling I was going to have issues. The contractor was over booked and had my concrete delivered at the last minute like about 6pm on a cold Oct eve. He worked that stuff until about 12 midnight , I again ask him about it .
His comment , if there's any problems , I'll take care of it , sure enough I have some and sure enough he blamed the concrete supplier , not enough of this or that. Thank goodness it's a drive approach to the garage or I would sue his behind.
He used me for a reference a couple of times , then called me a jerk for telling the truth .

 

[joshgn]

We just had some ice and snow, so I have it covered up. Trying to keep water from getting in the bad spots and freezing, thus making it worse.

I was going to use legacy's HD6600 sealer on the floor, but now I'm going to have to do something else.

So, will this get worse before it gets better? What are my options to 'fix' it?

 

[EOC_Jason]

Quickrete does make some patching products, if it's just a small area you could probably just do that if you want the floor to be smooth.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

We just had some ice and snow, so I have it covered up. Trying to keep water from getting in the bad spots and freezing, thus making it worse.

I was going to use legacy's HD6600 sealer on the floor, but now I'm going to have to do something else.

So, will this get worse before it gets better? What are my options to 'fix' it?

There is weakness evident. Rent a grinder and grind until you have exposed all the weakness. Once complete you will be ready for an epoxy or related product.

Patching the exposed areas will not cover you for the weakness that has not presented itself, yet.

 

[07Gsxr]

Like said before, there is a good chance it was over worked and a chance the temp difference shocked the slab. Over working the concrete brings a lot of moisture to the top, which can weaken spots where excessive moisture gets trapped just below the surface. Also it should have been covered ( with an insulated " blanket " ) for at least a week to let it generate it's heat and slowely dissapate it. It will likely happen across the entire slab regardless if you can keep the weather off it from here on out. Depending on how bad it gets and your overal plans for the new garage, it could be a costly repair. I believe grinding the surface down will be your best option to repair it. When you go to repair any area it will be best to do it when it is covered to keep the weather off and the temperature more controllable if you go to resurface it with a grout or like material.

I work for a large scale concrete construction company so I will ask around as to what would be the best way to fix it and get back to you. I am no expert by any means and the info above is solely based on my experiences working with concrete over the years.
Chris

 

[joshgn]

Building is up and finished....hired a crew to come in and grind this mess...they start tomorrow.

Now time to pick a sealer. I do not want an epoxy. I just want a clear sealer, something that will withstand oil/gas/brake cleaner.

Contractor suggested Sherwin Williams Rexthane....Opinions?

I also have a store local that sells SS Specialties, Arizona Polymer Flooring and Chemical Products Inc. I'm going to see what they suggest tomorrow.

 

[Shea]

Contractor suggested Sherwin Williams Rexthane....Opinions?

According to SW it still requires an epoxy primer to be applied first.

I just want a clear sealer, something that will withstand oil/gas/brake cleaner.

You aren't going to find anything that doesn't require the same effort as epoxy to apply if you want a sealer that resists brake fluid.

 

[benwah]

This, to me, looks like a moisture issue without knowing anything about it. I am unsure of the conditions of where you live, but you should DEFINITELY perform a moisture vapor test. Moisture vapor transmission should not exceed three lbs per 1,000 sq ft in a 24 hour period. (Reference ASTM F 1869 Standard Test Method for Measuring Moisture Vapor Emission Rate of Concrete Subfloor Using Anhydrous Calcium Chloride.")

Here is a video on how to do exactly that. You have approx. 3200 sq ft. I suggest you perform 3 of these tests simultaneously in 3 different areas of your floor. This weekend would be a perfect time to do it..

If you do not want to perform these tests, I would not recommend coating the floor. It *could* be something else, but with that large of a floor moisture vapor issues can cause catastrophic failures.

"Sealer" is a generic term, like "paint". There are many types of sealers out there. If you are looking for something that will resist those chemicles I'd suggest an epoxy/urethane system. Arizona Polymer Flooring makes a good product from what I've heard. Personally I'd go with them over SW, that's just from personal experience though. A customer of mine uses AZ polymer exclusively and has a few systems here http://qualityepoxy.com/floorsystems.php that you can take a look at.

If your moisture vapors exceed 3LBS per 1,000 sq. ft. in a 24 hour period I would suggest a Polyurethane Modified Concrete like Tnemec series 241, which is a double broadcast aggregate or quartz or flake system. Let's not go there yet, perform a vapor test and see where you stand.

 

[joshgn]

Floor is ground to 150 grit...

I'm going to get it cleaned/washed up and let it have plenty of time to dry out.

I 'think' I've found the product I'm going to use. Its LithSealSC by SpecChem

http://www.specchemllc.com/WebServiceData/ViewFile.aspx?id=1541&rnd=2009287108

 

[kwfloors]

I just got a notice today about a new sherwood williams product called Loxon you might check out.