Lakes and streams in the sense of using the concrete to form a "bowl" for the lake and to channel the water for the stream? I'd need to check into how the latest versions act in that application but I know for a fact that there are other variations for water containment. Most likely you will need to drain it and keep it dry for about a week at least for the best results. have you considered using rubber sheeting that is used for fish ponds? That would depend on your desired look though. Having a black bottom would give the illusion of great depth.
I'll see what I can come up with.
Do you have an approximate idea of the surface area to be sealed in your lakes and streams and also the surface area of your arches? I'd recommend NOT sealing the feet of the arch. This will allow moisture transfer out of the arch at a natural rate.
I emailed one of my contacts about 20 minutes ago to get a point of contact for you in or near Manassas. I need to do some digging for the other contacts since it has been a few years since I dealt with them.
Additional thought.....after you pour your concrete and finish to your liking cover the mold with a sheet of plastic, preferably not black. I've used those white kitchen trash bags more than once for this. This time of year (winter) the air is much drier than in the other seasons and since you moved production indoors this may increase the dryness. Covering the mold retains as much moisture as possible which helps the curing process. The following link (near the end) helps explain the reason for covering the concrete.
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1278635/ShowPost.aspx
The Captain brings up a valid point. 1 1/2" thick concrete in freezing conditions should be limited to about a 3'x3' area (sq ft) with a adequate sub base. Do you mean 10 square feet or 10 feet square? There is a difference. 10 feet square eqauls 100 square feet. If it is in the area of 10 square feet I would wait until springtime to see how it held up thru the freeze/thaw/freeze process. At
What type of sub base is under the concrete?
Is there any reinforcement in the concrete?
Do you have a "drain plug" that will keep the water from building up?
Has any of your lakes and streams seen their first winter?
Ken
Crums I have layed a whole 5" railway on concrete and never knew all these things on this forum .All I can say is we are so fortunate that these people are prepared to share their knowledge with us. Thank you gentlemen I feel totally humbled. Visit "brenthouse.co.uk" to see 25 years of concrete laying . after all these years on London clay movement has taken its toll and I have to keep the track level using plastic strips under the track. Do you use a vibrator of any description as I would use an electric motor with an offset weight to shake the mould!
Life is a throttle in the hand Hudrail
hudrail,
When it is a small pour for me I just use a Porter Cable sander which makes them bubbles come up. It is a more heavy duty sander thou, but it works.
Toad
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