The Role Concrete Plays in Floor Slab Moisture


Concrete is one of the most versatile building materials in the world and can produce floor slabs that provide an excellent platform for floor coverings and coatings. Water is an essential component of every concrete mixture.  Without it, concrete is not workable and finishable. If water is not used, the cement in the mixture cannot hydrate and gain the required strength.  However, once placement, finishing, and curing is complete, remaining moisture in the concrete can adversely affect the installation of flooring materials and the behavior of the slab itself. This webinar will discuss the importance of water in a concrete mixture and review a few concrete problems that water can cause, such as shrinkage, curling, ASR, delamination, dusting, and scaling. In addition, attendees will learn the design and construction considerations that can be used to minimize the potentially adverse effects of moisture in concrete.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Learn how much water is in concrete, why excess water is necessary to begin with, and the duration that water is needed (curing period).
  2. Understand how moisture loss from a slab can affect slab tolerances and what slab curling (warping) and reverse curl are.
  3. Learn how slab mixtures can adversely affect slab drying and performance.
  4. Learn strategies to minimize or avoid moisture-related issues.