01-04-2019, 08:09 AM
mattkime wrote:
I'm highly skeptical of claims that salt ruins concrete. proof - all paved surfaces in wisconsin.
Properly mixed, poured, finished and cured concrete will not be damaged by salt. But proper curing can take months, so concrete installed too close in time to the beginning of ice and salt season can be damaged. There are additives to the mix that can make the effect of salt on the concrete much worse or cause it too have less effect. Finally the methods used to install and finish the concrete can make it much more susceptible to damage by salt, even negating additives that would otherwise help.
As an example, I can point to many concrete walks poured on the university campus where I work with salt damage. Some were poured in late Fall to early Winter. Others either the mix was off or finishing was done improperly, damaged sections are right next to ones with barely any damage. They were poured alternate days within the same week. As for finishing issues, I work with a guy who has done concrete work in the past. He says he sees signs of over-troweling and mixes that were too wet.
