Are you planning to pour a concrete slab within your home? Do you wish to conduct the entire project without involving a concrete professional? Read on and discover some things that you can do to ensure that your project is a success.
Use the Right Technique to Pour the Concrete
Some homeowners think that they can use the concrete vibrating equipment to move the concrete laterally. They pour the concrete at one point in the form, and then insert the vibrator into the side of the concrete so that the energy from the vibrator forces the concrete to move to the other sections of the form. This practice is wrong because it can cause the concrete to segregate (separate into the different elements that make it up, such as aggregate and sand). Avoid this segregation by using another way to pour the concrete uniformly within the form. For example, you can use a wheelbarrow to pour heaps of concrete in different parts of the form.
Keep the Vibrator Cool
Some concrete vibrators seize up because they have overheated. This overheating may be caused by using a larger vibrator than is needed for the thickness of the slab that you have poured. How can you tell that the slab is thick enough for the vibrating equipment you have? Insert the vibrator fully into the concrete. If it can be immersed to the recommended depth, then that slab is thick enough for that vibrator. In case the slab is thin, avoid lifting the vibrator out of the concrete as you move it from one zone to another. Instead, drag it slowly through the concrete. This will keep the vibrator cool since it will not be removed from the moist concrete. This step is recommended if the vibrator could not be fully immersed in the thin slab of concrete.
Know How to Deal with Mounds
What do you do when you realise that there is a concrete mound as you vibrate the slab? As already stated, it is wrong to make the concrete move laterally by putting the vibrator into the side of the concrete mound. Instead, place the vibrator in the middle of the mound. This will force the concrete sideways and it will not segregate since the force of the vibration will be spread out to all parts of the mound equally.
Your concrete pouring and vibration job will go smoothly if you implement the tips above. In case you have any other concerns, contact a supplier of industrial vibrating equipment {like VSS - Vibration Systems & Solutions (Australia) } for advice.
