# Sonotubes and cold weather



## Lsjunky76 (Feb 2, 2016)

Hello, Some clients in the pacific northwest hired me to build a dock, on piers.. Long story short.. Water started rising quickly and was hurried into the pier pour.. Poured yesterday at 40 degrees.. Our weather in the area for the next week is going to be between 29 and 40 degrees.. 12-12" sonotubes ranging from 2' above ground surface to 6'.. All atop 28" Bigfoots.. It was poured on a sunday so used secrete with no cold weather additives.. 

So the question??? Is they're anything I can do to these pours to ensure a proper curing and ready to frame on a week from now?? After the last one was poured all I did was put bags over the tops.. Thanks..


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

You mixed that much sacrete?!?

You might try to blanket wrap the tubes. Average temp above freezing and the heat generated should help the cure.


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## Lsjunky76 (Feb 2, 2016)

168 bags.. Good times..


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Blankets would work however,pile straw about a foot thick around them and cover the straw with poly (to keep it dry) . That will work even better.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

fjn said:


> Blankets would work however,pile straw about a foot thick around them and cover the straw with poly (to keep it dry) . That will work even better.


That's a lot of straw.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Straw is cheap in the midwest


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Straw is cheap here in the Midwest. A bale of straw goes a long ways.


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## pizalm (Mar 27, 2009)

We'd wrap them with insulated tarps. They would be fine if it's only a few degrees below freezing. 


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> Straw is cheap here in the Midwest. A bale of straw goes a long ways.


Stacking up a 6' pile and then packing it away is a lot of work even if the straw is free.


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

Ouch.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Golden view said:


> Stacking up a 6' pile and then packing it away is a lot of work even if the straw is free.


It's not that bad. 

I have strawed numerous 3k to 5k sqft slabs before. 

Put it down, pull it off, put it down, pull it off, etc. 

Straw is light and fluffy once you bust a bale open.

Not sure which is worse, straw or blankets.


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## Lsjunky76 (Feb 2, 2016)

Thanks everyone,

I ended up buying some r13 and wrapped them top to bottom, then covered the insulation with plastic.. Called on concrete blankets, everyone around here only had the 6'x25' blankets..


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

Lsjunky76 said:


> Thanks everyone,
> 
> I ended up buying some r13 and wrapped them top to bottom, then covered the insulation with plastic.. Called on concrete blankets, everyone around here only had the 6'x25' blankets..


Well that sounds like a great idea. Also sounds like a lot less work than stacking hay around it.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

I'm all about the hay solution, just not for a tube sticking 6' above grade.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Golden view said:


> Stacking up a 6' pile and then packing it away is a lot of work even if the straw is free.








On the 6 ' ones I probably would not even break the bales open. I'd just stand them on end around the tube. Two bales high is 6 ' and lash them together with cord,then I'd have solid bales for the next time.:thumbsup:


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## da franklinator (Dec 18, 2015)

I had to pour on -20*c ( not sure what that is in Fahrenheit) we ended up using heated blankets over the top of the slab, or a tarp with a small heater depending on the shape and size of the pour. 
Though the straw is an idea I will most definitely hang onto.


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