Slab for evap. to sit on

[dano2840]

i didnt put my sugar house on a cement slab, but plan to put the evaporator on one, there is snow in the sugar house that got packed down that im currently in the process of digging up, but my question is this, do i need to thaw out my river gravel floor before i poor the cement? theres a good foot of river gravel. should i wait for a day above freezing? or can i do it when its below freezing?

[3% Solution]

DanO,
If it was me, I'd wait to pour any crete till summer.
You don't want any frost under that when you pour it.
You don't want the crete to freze either!!!!
Just my thoughts.

Dave

[brookledge]

If you have any frost in the ground and then you pour it ontop of it, it will crack and settle when the frost comes out of the gravel.
What exactly is your river gravel? Is it like washed stone with no fines?
Or is it gravel like a gravel road?
If it is lose stone then you will probably be ok to pour it, You may want to spray some water on the stone to warm it up a bit first.
Another option I've seen contractors do with frozen ground is build a temporary shelter with a tarp over the area you want to pour and put a propane or kerosine heater under it.
Keith

[dano2840]

when they put an addition onto my old house they put the addition on the previosly poored footings and put a keroseen heater to it then poored the slab and kept the heater going for 4 days, i was told to build a fire or heater and thaw the ground out and pour the slab,
the river gravel is has about 1/2 fines to 1/2 misc. rock, mostly rock thats been smoothed to round shape by the water and is any where from 1"-5" in size along with all the little pebles, and real small pebles mixed with the fine sand grit

[The Maple Men]

if you have a way off heating run the heater for a few days if you can hang a fan that points down run that 2 it usally takes us about 1.5 days to un thaw a basment to pour a floor. if your shack was built before frost(provided you shack is completely enclosed) i would bet you don't have much frost to worry about but run the heater just to be safe.

[gmcooper]

Run some heat to get the frost out. It shouldn't be hard to tell what is frozen and what is not. Check deep enough as new gravel the frost can go deep quickly as the cold penatrates faster. PLan to thaw and keep thawed a larger area than you need for the slab. Be carefull not to burn the building down getting ready to pour concrete. If the area is not huge and the frost not more than 4-6" I have seen our guys use a propane torch (the big weed burner type) with 20-30 lb tank to take the frost out. Have to keep poking around with a bar to be sure it is thawed. Keep the area from refreezing by covering with a good layer of hay or straw and a few layers of tarps or poly.

[TapME]

dano; go get some patio blocks and put them down and just keep leveling the evap this winter. Poor the slab in the summer.

[mapleack]

dano; go get some patio blocks and put them down and just keep leveling the evap this winter. Poor the slab in the summer.

I agree, make do with patio blocks and regular leveling, then poor a footer for the evap in the summer, and make it big enough to accomodate the largest arch you're ever going to put in that sugarhouse.

[dano2840]

ok so i talked to my moms boy friend and he changed plans and is going to poor a slab wall to wall

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

That is the best thing to do, pour a complete slab floor and you will never regret it. Worth the extra money but I would agree to wait until summer and do it when it is warm.

[Haynes Forest Products]

My roads into my cabin and sugar shack get pounded flat all summer and fall and then they sit with snow on them all winter and when I drive in come spring time I sink in 4". I think if you thawed it out dried it out and compacted it you would be ok. Remember Concrete hardens and then drys so keep it warm and mist it with water for a few days then ROCK AND ROLL