Muddy Mess

[lilbill]

My shop building project has come to a muddy screeching halt. We got the retaining and foundation walls up and the back fill all done. The slab guys were scheduled to come in and do the final grade prep, the plumber was ready to do the stub ins and the concrete plant was ready to pour the slab. Everything was going great and ahead of schedule AND THEN IT STARTED RAINING. It has rained steadily here in central Arkansas for three weeks straight with almost no let up. It will rain for 3 days then sunshine for three days. Just when the mud is starting to dry out, bam, 3 days of rain. Does anyone here work for the weather service or have a crystal ball that knows what the January weather forecast is for the mid-south ?
Or does anyone have any tips for pouring a slab on mud ?

 

[TheEquineFencer]

My shop building project has come to a muddy screeching halt. We got the retaining and foundation walls up and the back fill all done. The slab guys were scheduled to come in and do the final grade prep, the plumber was ready to do the stub ins and the concrete plant was ready to pour the slab. Everything was going great and ahead of schedule AND THEN IT STARTED RAINING. It has rained steadily here in central Arkansas for three weeks straight with almost no let up. It will rain for 3 days then sunshine for three days. Just when the mud is starting to dry out, bam, 3 days of rain. Does anyone here work for the weather service or have a crystal ball that knows what the January weather forecast is for the mid-south ?
Or does anyone have any tips for pouring a slab on mud ?

Yep, I know what the forecast is! There's a 50% chance of early morning daylight followed by a 50% chance of late afternoon darkness.
Don't feel like the Lone Ranger, it rained here everytime this shop was built...I'm on the third building on the same site!

 

[kd3pc]

Middle TN is on about the same rain schedule, except we get a day or two of somewhat sunlight, then 3 to 5 days of rain, some times an INCH in one day. Sure messes up the home projects.

Yesterday was a rare one, in the 50's and no rain. Hoping New Year's Day is the same as we are hoping to walk TN's "first hike" of the year.

 

[toplessHO]

dont feel bad my shop slab was poured in the middle of the "Storm of the Century",NO BS look it up.At least you havent started pouring and had it hit like what happened to me.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

Rain expected here for Monday, 100% chance from what I hear...it's going to be fun working in it for two days....I'll have to check my Weather Rope to verify it.

 

[xyster101]

I'm no concrete expert, but what about hauling in a bunch of gravel? I know on my build we covered a lot of the ground with 2" of gravel and it kept the mud at bay in those areas. Are you pouring on dirt or gravel? We spread out 3-5" of gravel, 2" of foam and poured on that. It helped to keep the mud out of the boots by doing that. Although I did not have as much rain as you so this might not work at all.

 

[Cyberbear]

I wouldn't take the expensive gamble with my newly poured slab, only to see the top surface washed out when the rains came. This happened to my cousin and it was not pretty or easy to fix properly. If you do decide to roll the dice, make sure you've got lots of tarps ready.

 

[drivesitfar]

Bill: it's part of the gamble of building during the winter months. any chance you might be able to post up a few pictures? if you can maybe some of us might be able to see a way to have the rain drain around and out of the area so a day or two of sunshine might be all you need to pour your cement.

i could like the gravel idea too, but a few pictures of your site would help decide if that might work.

i do like the forecast of one of our comedians calling for 50% light and 50% dark every day. seriously around here in the Pacific Northwest we wake up and look outside and sometimes the weather changes for better or worse in 5-10 minutes.

good luck

 

[lilbill]

I may be getting a break. Forecast calls for the next 4 days to be dry and cold then 1 day of rain then maybe 3-4 dry days again. My affected subs are putting their heads together and trying to come up with a plan to take advantage of it. I'll know more tomorrow (monday) but I think they will try letting it dry for a couple of days then bring in a layer of dry dirt, then dry fines and cover it all with plastic. Then after the 1 day of rain put in the rebar and wire and then pour the slab. 40 x 60 Here's some pics from today.

 

[drivesitfar]

Bill: from those two pictures it doesn't look too bad. at least it looks like you are building in a hole. of course all that dirt fill and rain would be hard to pour your cement on top of so here's what i might do.

i would rake or smooth it out a bit as you are able then put down some highway felt (not sure what it is called) so the dirt doesn't come up into the crushed gravel that i'd spread on top of the felt. i'd spend a few hundred dollars to have 10-20 yards of 5/8 minus crushed rock delivered from the local quarry. then your plastic and wire mesh or rebar on top to pour your new cement on.

i'm not a general contractor, but I've seen a poured a few yards of cement. i was a builder and developer's Realtor for about 30 years.

another option some of the guys up here in Seattle do if rain is only issue in winter is to build the walls and roof first and then pour the floor after it dries out and or warms up.

 

[machsnell]

a few questions but advice to whatever you do dont pour on wet or soft dirt. i am asphalt and concrete guy.

can you start framing and get under roof and then pour it? you want your slab to hold up. Rebar and fiber can only do so much. if you are turned down onto block you would want grade beams or piers throughout that would give some support if you get to solid ground. they dont have to be super deep just get to some supporting soil. you would need to be careful w control joints with either tho.

are the cells of the block on the retaining side filled? i cant tell from photo... i am sure they are but just in case.

The soil you have there at least seems to have a fair amount of rock in it which is good. Was the soil brought in and filled and compacted in lifts?

It seems from the picture that the top layer of dirt was spread but not compacted. If the dirt is compacted then you should only need to dry out the top layer.

I would tooth it every few hours or cut it out and fill with stone. Its not that big an area. You want solid dry and well compacted, especially if the fill was done from footing up on the back (high) side of block.

If fill material or process was uncontrolled it would be smart to back up and not just rush to pour. hard to go backwards or fix a problem after concrete is in.

 

[6768rogues]

That is why I built my building and then put the floor in.