Concrete Curing?

[LarryBud]

The floor of my new barn is 8 days old.

It's 4" with fiber and rebar. We back the base with AB3 gravel. The concrete guys came and left without me ever seeing them ( they did a great job from what I can tell ). Anyway, I hear 7, 14 or 28 days before bringing in a truck / tractor.

Can anyone set me straight?

 

[85Hokie]

Concrete gets to 70% hardness after 7 days ............... and it never really gets to 100%
The weight of the truck/tractor should be the determining factor.
3-5 days for a car to park on it - depending on weather and cure temps

 

[GreensvilleJay]

usually they come back NEXT DAY to cut the 'joints' while it's 'soft', don't wait a week.
After a week most vehicles can be parked on it, but avoid big tractors and forklifts.....

 

[mikester]

I'd wait 30 days before loading the concrete and parking heavy stuff. You can do it now but it sucks if you get spalls and oil spots from grease drips on your brand new floor...especially if it's a polished finish.

Enjoy your new barn!

 

[fried1765]

The floor of my new barn is 8 days old.

It's 4" with fiber and rebar. We back the base with AB3 gravel. The concrete guys came and left without me ever seeing them ( they did a great job from what I can tell ). Anyway, I hear 7, 14 or 28 days before bringing in a truck / tractor.

Can anyone set me straight?

Spray on (as in garden sprayer) a good quality concrete sealer, before putting anything on the floor!
It will make it much easier to clean the floor from future stains etc.

 

[DaveFromMi]

My barn floor was concreted with fiber this morning. The company owner said wait 24 hours to walk on it, 7 days to park the tractor on it.

 

[Njtool]

I’ve poured garage and shed floors etc. 90% strength at 14 days, someone posted a graph.

If it were mine, I would wait until I could use epoxy on the floor, I think it has to cure 28 days.

If you wanted to go an easier route, you could find sodium silicate to seal the concrete

 

[Freeheeler]

Depends on the concrete. Did they spray a sealant to cure or are you spraying water several times a day or did they cover with plastic? Or did they just pour and walk away? My recent project I used the 5000 lb quickrete. It gets stronger quicker, but still says 28 days for curing. I went 10" deep so I'll be giving it the full 28 days, spraying with water 3 times a day for the first 7 days, no sealant, no plastic.
I didn't look to see what tractor you have of if the rears are filled or not, that could make a difference. Either way, I'd play it save and wait, not worth rushing it and having to deal with cracks later. Good luck with the project, sounds like it's coming along nicely.

 

[LarryBud]

usually they come back NEXT DAY to cut the 'joints' while it's 'soft', don't wait a week.
After a week most vehicles can be parked on it, but avoid big tractors and forklifts.....

That's exactly what they did. Thanks

 

[LarryBud]

Spray on (as in garden sprayer) a good quality concrete sealer, before putting anything on the floor!
It will make it much easier to clean the floor from future stains etc.

Suggestions for a good sealer?

 

[LarryBud]

Depends on the concrete. Did they spray a sealant to cure or are you spraying water several times a day or did they cover with plastic? Or did they just pour and walk away? My recent project I used the 5000 lb quickrete. It gets stronger quicker, but still says 28 days for curing. I went 10" deep so I'll be giving it the full 28 days, spraying with water 3 times a day for the first 7 days, no sealant, no plastic.
I didn't look to see what tractor you have of if the rears are filled or not, that could make a difference. Either way, I'd play it save and wait, not worth rushing it and having to deal with cracks later. Good luck with the project, sounds like it's coming along nicely.

I'll go with poured it, smoothed it out, cut joints the next day and that's it. It's still empty and I can do whatever is appropriate at this time. Lot's of work ( fun work ) ahead.

 

[fried1765]

Suggestions for a good sealer?

It has been years since I have done any concrete sealing.
If you research concrete sealers on Google, I am certain that you will come up with some good options.

 

[Magicman]

28 days. If you break a corner or edge off the regret will be for 28 years.

 

[Steamer Pete]

There's a lot of moisture coming off concrete as it cures. Caution as you park stuff in there more prone to rusting for a while. And keep the doors open to keep moisture from building up.

 

[DaveFromMi]

I used a sealer, probably the same as below 3 days after the concrete was poured. I read that using a sealer traps water in the concrete longer making it possible to achieve >100% strength over the course of a month.

Euclid Super Diamond Clear Solvent Based Curing and Sealing Compound 5 Gallon

SUPER DIAMOND CLEAR is a solvent based curing and sealing compound specially designed to cure new concrete, assuring proper cement hydration and strength gain, while providing a non-yellowing seal to protect and enhance the appearance of concrete. VOC Restrictions Apply.

www.emisupply.com

 

[D2Cat]

Tracktor is a heavy machine, so you better park it on it after two weeks of making the set. That way, you’ll be completely safe. I see no reason to wait until 28 days because you can do it much earlier.

It's been longer than that since the last post. Concrete is probably already set well enough for a tractor!

 

[GeoHorn]

I put a lawn water-sprinkler on my hangar-slab,for two weeks….timed to keep it wet for a week…and waited the full 28 days before constructing the hangar onto it.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CURE MY NEW CONCRETE SLAB? - Lifetime Enclosures

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CURE MY NEW CONCRETE SLAB?

www.lifetimeenclosures.com

 

[Oil pan 4]

Best way to cure it is cloth clovering, wet it and put a plastic cover over it. The longer you can do that the better. Problem is the surface likes to dry first, that causes it to stop curing, shrink and possibly crack while it's still soft. Secondary fiber reinforcement which is done with tiny fibers will wick water to the surface which works to keep the surface from drying out. It doesn't really do anything after the first 24hrs when the concrete gets hard.

 

[Ridger]

I had a concrete slab poured for my shop a little over a year ago. The concrete company told me to wait at least 28 days before putting anything heavy on it (truck, tractor, etc.). I sealed my concrete with penetrating sealers from the company below. So far, it has held up well.

Penetrating Concrete Sealers – Foundation Armor Industrial Penetrating Concrete Sealers Formulated for Longevity, Durability, and True to Finish

Industrial grade, long lasting penetrating concrete sealers - Silane-Siloxane, Silane-Acrylic, Siliconate, and Silicate based penetrating concrete sealers – Made with premium non-recycled resins for durability and performance

www.foundationarmor.com