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On Demand

The Role Concrete Plays in Floor Slab Moisture


Total Credits: 1 PDH

Categories:
Webinar |  Moisture Series
Presenter:
Scott Michael Tarr
Duration:
1 hour
Format:
Audio and Video
License:
Access for 6 month(s) after purchase.


Description

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.

Handouts

Presenter

Scott Michael Tarr's Profile

Scott Michael Tarr Related Seminars and Products

President, Consulting Engineer

North S.Tarr Concrete Consulting, P.C.


Scott Tarr, PE, FACI, CCSMTT is a Consulting Engineer and President of North S.Tarr Concrete Consulting, P.C. based out of Dover, NH. He is a licensed engineer with nearly 30 years of experience in concrete floor slab design and floor covering issues. Scott has authored numerous articles and documents including the book Concrete Floors on Ground for the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and has written a new book Guide to the Design and Construction of Concrete Toppings for Buildings for the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) to be published soon.  He is the current chair of ACI 360 Design of Concrete Slabs on Ground and serves on ACI 301 Specifications for Structural Concrete and ACI 302 Concrete Floor and Slab Construction among other committees.  In addition to ACI, Scott is an active member of ASCC, ICRI, ASCE, ASTM, and ACPA. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire, specializing in Pavements and Constructed Systems. Scott was also recognized by Concrete Construction magazine as one of the Industry’s Most Influential People in 2020.