[AT] another new shop

[Cecil E Monson]

> Cecil,
> Charlies right. Concrete will crack and no amount of rebar or wire mesh will
> stop it.
> The control joints he's referring to should be no more than 20' apart, or no
> more than 400 sf per floor panel (the square or rectangular sections created
> by the joints).  After the concrete has cured a good joint sealant used to
> fill the sawcuts will last a long time. I would use #4 rebar placed at 16"
> on center held in the center section of the slab as reinforcement which will
> give you all the flexural strength you will ever need and will control the
> errant crack size



	This, from Dave Ernst, pretty well sums up the crack problem. FWIW,
with the steel I had them put in mine, all I got were cracks but none of them
spread or opened up at all. So the steel is doing it's job. They did not raise
unevenly either - just thin but noticeable cracks.

	I would have been well advised to have them score the pad so any
cracks came where it was scored instead of going diagonally across the floor.

	I think another thing I would do differently is to wait for decent
weather instead of trying to pour in 20 above weather during a sharp freeze.
If I had waited, I could have used a hose to keep the concrete wet for a week
or two or three and I think a slow cure would have been better. I know what they
added to the mix to keep it from freezing was calcium chloride and I doubt it
does the strength of the concrete any good. Even with the two coats of sealer
I put on soon after the pour (the instructions said 2 full coats withing 24
hours), both the sealer and water would have been better than the sealer and
heat to keep it from freezing.

	Thanks for all the posts, guys, I appreciate it.

Cecil

-- 
The nicest thing about telling the truth is you never have to wonder
what you said.

Cecil E Monson
Lucille Hand-Monson
Mountainville, New York   Just a little east of the North Pole

Allis Chalmers tractors and equipment

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