I'm going to cast a staircase on Wednesday, 750 mm high at the top step, 1000 mm wide, and the staircase will be about 1400 long. How long do you think the drying time will be before the staircase can be loaded? Planning to cast everything in concrete, supplied by a concrete industry, it will be adapted to the weather conditions. But does anyone know or has someone made a staircase themselves?
If it's an open staircase, you should use S3 concrete (easy-flow in construction language) meaning a concrete consistency that is sticky and doesn't run. If you choose 8-16 concrete, it should be reduced to be easy to work with. You must also have a vibrating rod. A good concrete recipe for an exposed outdoor construction in November is: C 28/35 0-8 air S3 (slump 120 - 140) adapted heating.
If it's above freezing on the casting day, call the concrete station before they mix your batch and ask them to change to: "no heat in the load." Also ask them to double-check that the driver has superplasticizer with them, so that the consistency of the load can be adjusted on site.
When you pour, start with the bottom step and fill it until it's 5 cm short, then fill the next step and vibrate until the bottom step is full - and do the same with all steps all the way up. Then screed all the steps.
Afterwards, just protect the concrete with plastic, when it has set so that you can walk on it without leaving marks (same evening or early the next morning) you can feel with a finger. Make sure the concrete is soaking wet for at least 10 days.
Then after 10 days, just remove the form and admire the masterpiece!
If it's above freezing on the casting day, call the concrete station before they mix your batch and ask them to change to: "no heat in the load." Also ask them to double-check that the driver has superplasticizer with them, so that the consistency of the load can be adjusted on site.
When you pour, start with the bottom step and fill it until it's 5 cm short, then fill the next step and vibrate until the bottom step is full - and do the same with all steps all the way up. Then screed all the steps.
Afterwards, just protect the concrete with plastic, when it has set so that you can walk on it without leaving marks (same evening or early the next morning) you can feel with a finger. Make sure the concrete is soaking wet for at least 10 days.
Then after 10 days, just remove the form and admire the masterpiece!
okay, but I need to pick up a trailer at the station, feels excessive to take a car for that little. but you can't get away without a vibro stick then? I'll be casting late on Wednesday, and they've promised around zero then. so I'll see what they say. but thank you very much for the somewhat overly knowledgeable answer =)
The concrete for your stairs will weigh about 1200 - 1300 kg because it will require about 0.5 - 0.6 m3. I would advise against picking up the concrete with a trailer because how do you think your car will look if you have to suddenly brake for someone in traffic? How do you think the trailer will look after all the concrete mess that hardens? And how do you think the trailer's axle will fare with such a load? What will you do if the consistency is too stiff during pouring, without a concrete mixer to mix in plasticizer?
Follow my advice and avoid a casting disaster by renting a vibrator and having the concrete delivered with a concrete truck. After the pour, you will understand what I mean and that the extra hundreds of kronor are worth spending. With the consistency of the concrete you need, you must have a vibrator! Don't be foolishly frugal, trust my experience, I do this periodically 16 hours a day, 5 - 6 days a week.
If it's 0 degrees, order +20 - 22 degree concrete.
Follow my advice and avoid a casting disaster by renting a vibrator and having the concrete delivered with a concrete truck. After the pour, you will understand what I mean and that the extra hundreds of kronor are worth spending. With the consistency of the concrete you need, you must have a vibrator! Don't be foolishly frugal, trust my experience, I do this periodically 16 hours a day, 5 - 6 days a week.
If it's 0 degrees, order +20 - 22 degree concrete.
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