Dominican *Concrete*

May 29, 2006
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Watching a build going on a half block away. They're pouring the slab on the second floor:

Each batch is:

5 gallons water
1 wheelbarrow sand
1 wheelbarrow dirt
1 bag (94lbs) mortar

No aggregate at all.

I wonder what the rebar schedule is...

This is why I want to shop very carefully for a maestro...
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
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Dirt? I knew it was poor but never imagined dirt in the mix. : the filtration leaks we suffer from in most homes, is it caused by the mix not being shook for uniformity? Always wondered. Is tar paper the best way to seal the roof from filtration? It seems to be a never ending problem.
 
May 29, 2006
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I could use it in my garden..

The walls are out of plumb an inch for walls ten blocks high. They just do it by eye; no level, no strings. Sure as hell no $20 laser!
 
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May 29, 2006
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windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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I have never seen the "dirt" component when mixing concrete here. That is a good one. It is bad enough when salty sand is used in the mix.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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The important thing about cement curing, it should be kept wet for at least 7 days to help avoid filtration.

Cement Curing

What the means is that the concrete has to be kept wet using water constantly for 7 days. I have never seen this done here.

If the water being applied is not constant for 7 days straight, don't bother to water it at all because the proper curing reaction cannot be restarted once it has stopped.. .
 
May 29, 2006
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I've seen dirt on a couple builds now, but usually for the perimeter that they lay the first run on. I've only seen real aggregate once in an expensive neighborhood.

I often wonder if the floors are intentionally laid a half bubble off plumb so they drain when mopped. They do it by eye and it shows..
 

Derfish

Gold
Jan 7, 2016
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What the means is that the concrete has to be kept wet using water constantly for 7 days. I have never seen this done here.

If the water being applied is not constant for 7 days straight, don't bother to water it at all because the proper curing reaction cannot be restarted once it has stopped.. .

I've never seen it done anywhere and I worked on concrete for decades. A 12,000 sq ft flooris poured and within 24 hours there are plumbers and electricians working to put in their part of the building. A building that size goes up one floor every week and if the concrete was maintained wet for the first week it would take twice that long.
Der Fish
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
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South Coast
We've built two additions to our house and had the cement redone on the main section of the house, all within the past 4-5 years. We were told each time to be sure we kept the cement wet for a week. We used a hose and we've not had any filtration problems.
 
May 29, 2006
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There are dozens of cinder blocks that were only buttered top and bottom. My sister in law just had her walls smoothed over and I think they used half sifted sand, half mortar mix. I've got a wall I want done and he quoted me $RD 800 for labor not incl materials for around 150 blocks. I'm guessing that's 500 for him and 300 for his helper for a day's work, but no idea what the materials will cost.
 
May 29, 2006
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In the US they have additives to concrete to improve/retard the curing process. I've been told that rebar helps dissipate the heat while curing along with adding tensile strength. My dad always added in special fiberglass to his pours, not much, less than a cup per bag.

I've seen a few builds here with precast concrete trusses, but that's not gonna happen on four unit apt buildings, esp when they don't even use aggregate.
 

bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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Watching a build going on a half block away. They're pouring the slab on the second floor:

Each batch is:

5 gallons water
1 wheelbarrow sand
1 wheelbarrow dirt
1 bag (94lbs) mortar

No aggregate at all.

I wonder what the rebar schedule is...

This is why I want to shop very carefully for a maestro...

I have watched numerous building being built here in Jarabacoa, including my own house and our new school. Sand, and crushed rock- no dirt. Most of the bigger jobs are done by a cement truck- ready mix.
 

bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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Not earthquake proof in the slightest

That is true in many builds but there are Earthquake standards and Dominican engineers know what they are and if you have a house or building designed by an architect and the project supervised by an engineer you'll get a house or building that is built to withstand earthquakes.
 

bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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dr1.com
We've built two additions to our house and had the cement redone on the main section of the house, all within the past 4-5 years. We were told each time to be sure we kept the cement wet for a week. We used a hose and we've not had any filtration problems.

yes cement has to cure.
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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I learned about the "curing" effect the hard way.

Unfortunately I was not here when the roof was poured on my house.
After the fact I remembered seeing the floors of office buildings being built watered each day/night at construction sites in Baltimore.

When my neighbor did his house, I advised him of the curing effect.
He then had the only house in this small compound of houses that DOES NOT have a filtration problem. (Circa late 1990's)