Placing concrete in cold weather presents a series of problems that need to be carefully addressed for successful results. These problems are compounded when placing mass concrete in cold weather.

When STRUXC-MC was hired to construct an equipment pad for a 250,000 lb machine we took on that challenge. The specifications required a maximum concrete temperature variance of 35 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 days after placement. We needed a thermal control plan and a way to monitor it.​

First, we built an enclosure over work site and insulated the slab perimeter. Next we brought in a portable heater, but we still had to check the temperature of the 3 ½ foot thick concrete slab. Wireless thermal monitors were the answer. Working closely with the structural engineer, WJE, we embedded the monitors at key locations throughout the slab at varying depths. The monitors transmit real time temperature data through Bluetooth to an app on your smartphone. We repeated similar steps for the pedestals.​

This approach allowed us to meet the Structural Engineer’s stringent specifications without wasting additional fuel heating the enclosure and unnecessary resources in the field.