https://www.apwa.

net/Resources/Reporter/Articles/2007/10/Concrete-answersfor-the-cold-weather-quandary
Concrete answers for the cold weather quandary
Kent D. Dvorak, P.E.
Manager, Construction Services Department
Terracon
Lenexa, Kansas
The need to place concrete for public works projects does not end with the onset of winter.
Whether for repairs or to finish the last project of the year there are always concrete placements
that occur in less than ideal conditions. Placement of concrete in cold weather conditions has
become a routine construction activity. This has been possible by new practices and material
developments by private and public research. State transportation departments, the Army Corps
of Engineers, and Scandinavian counties in Europe are leaders in cold weather concrete
placement practices.
Low temperatures have traditionally restricted the placement of concrete in seasonally colder
areas, such as the northern United States. As temperatures drop and heat is lost, freshly placed
concrete sets more slowly, gains strength less rapidly, and can take as much as one or two
additional hours to finish. When temperatures drop below zero, the final product can be severely
damaged and compromised due to the freezing of the mix water.
The placement of concrete in cold weather is addressed in American Concrete Institute (ACI)
306, Cold Weather Concreting, and this document is routinely cited in project specifications.
According to the standard, concrete can resist a freezing event when it has attained a
compressive strength of 3447.4 kPa (500 psi). During the summer, when air temperatures are in
the 21 C to 32 C range, this compressive strength can be attained in as little as 12 hours.
When concrete freezes before the mixture reaches the minimum strength of 500psi, the matrix of
the Portland cement concrete may experience irreparable internal fracturing; this reduces the
strength of the mixture. When concrete is placed in late fall or winter, it must reach an even
greater compressive strength (24131.7 kPa [3500 psi] per ACI 306) to protect itself from the
damage caused by multiple freeze-thaw cycles.
The placement of Portland cement concrete in subfreezing temperatures has significantly
increased in all areas of construction. Methods of concrete placement and curing to compete with
areas having more favorable weather have been developed. The end result is that accelerating
admixtures are more attractive; their high cost no longer an impediment to their use.
Portland cement hardens by the process of hydration, a reaction driven by both ambient and
internally generated heat. The higher the ambient temperature, the faster the reaction takes place.
Therefore, when concrete is to be placed during cold weather it is vital to protect the mixture in
the structure until the desired strength and durability characteristics are achieved.

ACI 306 defines cold weather as a three-day period where the following conditions exist:
1. The average daily air temperature is less than 4.4 C (40 F); and
2. The air temperature is not greater than 10 C (50 F) for more than 50 percent of any 24hour period.
The goal in placing concrete in cold weather conditions is to maintain an adequate mix
temperature so the hydration process continues until the desired compressive strength is attained.
When the concrete's temperature falls below 10 C, the hydration process slows to the point that
strength gain may adversely affect construction schedules.
ACI 306 provides minimum temperatures at which the concrete must be delivered to the job site
(Table 1). The traditional approach has been to maintain the required temperatures until the
desired compressive strength is attained through either insulation blankets or heated enclosures.
Since they typically require the least amount of manpower and equipment needs, insulated
blankets are commonly used when temperatures are near or above freezing during the day.
During periods of extended subfreezing weather, heated enclosures may be constructed, but this
can be a costly procedure,
requiring significantly more
labor and materials. Both of these
methods are not practical for
pavement placements.
In addition to this traditional
approach, accelerating
admixtures and alternate strength
estimating techniques such as the
maturity method are being used
to speed cement hydration and
evaluate compressive strength.
Admixture suppliers have
developed non-chloride
accelerating admixtures that
allow fresh concrete to develop
acceptable strength when cured
in cold environments. These antifreeze admixtures are able to work at temperatures below the
freezing point of water. Using a combination of accelerating admixtures and winter protection
procedures, concrete can be placed at any temperature.
For many years, calcium chloride was the admixture of choice for accelerating concrete strength
gains. Where non-reinforced concrete is being placed, it is still the most cost-effective material
available. However, it also comes with certain disadvantages. In exposed concrete structures that
also contain reinforcing steel, the chlorides introduced into the mixture accelerate the metal's
corrosion. Concrete mixtures containing calcium chloride are also susceptible to flash set,

present a false set to flat work finishers, and cause discoloration of the concrete. For these
reasons, calcium chloride's use is disallowed by most public works agencies.
Non-chloride accelerating admixtures are gaining in popularity. These admixtures typically
contain high nitrates, which accelerate the cement's hydration. This acceleration increases the
heat produced by the reaction, thus maintaining the temperature within the concrete mass.
Although the cost of the admixture is high, the savings in labor and construction time offset the
additional cost of the non-chloride accelerator. However, even with the use of these accelerators,
adequate protection from the weather is still important. In the winter, plastic shrinkage cracking
can be a concern when low water/cement (W/C) ratio concrete mixtures are exposed to rapid
drying in low humidity and high wind environments.
Much of the research in cold weather concrete placement in the United States is
being promoted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) through the Cold
Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL). Commercialization of this
technology has been hindered by a lack of industry-wide standards, but the Civil
Engineering Research Foundation (CERF) has spearheaded an effort to develop
national standards for cold weather admixtures.

Available
technology,
used with an
appropriate
cold weather
concreting
plan and
budget, make
keeping
projects on
schedule
possible
despite the
cold front.

In most commercial construction projects, protecting the concrete from freezing is

only part of meeting a placement schedule. This requires knowledge of the material's
place strength, which dictates the placing of concrete for the next floor or for pulling
forms. Slow strength development can cause significant delays in the established
pour schedule. Research has shown there is a relationship between concrete strength
and temperature history of the mix, and there is commercially available equipment
that continuously records temperatures of the material using thermal couplers placed
in the concrete and then calculates a 'maturity factor. A relationship between the
maturity factor and concrete strength can be developed using standard test cylinders.
Using the maturity method, the mix performance and protection procedures can be
evaluated, while the materials and practices are fine-tuned to meet the desired
schedule.
This sort of careful planning must be discussed by all members of the
design/construction team. Thanks to the proper use of available technologies, cold
weather concreting can be done efficiently while keeping projects on schedule and
budget. However, different concrete placement situations require different
approaches in cold weatherconsideration must be given to whether the concrete
will be poured below, on, or above grade. Additionally, an appropriate cold weather
concrete plan and budget should be considered as part of a pre-placement meeting,
rather than a last-minute decision made when the cold front moves in.

Kent D. Dvorak, P.E., has worked in the construction materials field for over 25
years and was recently named Engineer of the Year by the Kansas Society of
Professional Engineers. A graduate of Iowa State University, he is currently the
Construction Services Department Manager for the Lenexa, Kansas, office of Terracon, a

consulting engineering firm providing geotechnical, environmental, and construction materials

engineering services. Dvorak can be contacted via e-mail at kddvorak@terracon.com.

Tips for Cold Weather Concreting

1. Never place concrete on frozen subgrade.
2. Remove snow and ice from concrete forms before any concrete is poured.
3. Concrete containing fly ash has a slower set and requires a longer protection time from
freezing and for curing.
4. Edges and corners are exposed from two directions and therefore should be given extra
protection.
5. Temperature protection should be provided throughout the curing process.
6. Final finishing operations in cold weather should not begin when bleed water is present.
7. Wind chill can get below freezing even when the actual outside temperature is not. Proper
protection such as a heated enclosure must be employed for above-grade structural
concrete.
8. Place and protect concrete soon after it arrives and its temperature is verified.