ryanh56•2mo agoMost Upvoted

Am I the only one who swaps some cement with fly ash to help the environment?

I've been using fly ash in my mixes for a few months now, and it cuts down on cement use a lot. It makes the concrete work just as well, and it even gets stronger with time if you cure it right. You just have to add a bit more water to keep it easy to finish. From what I've seen, this small change can really add up on bigger jobs.

3 comments

3 Comments

leej522mo ago

Oh, that water thing is tricky. My buddy had a batch turn out way too wet because he didn't adjust for the fly ash like @david_mason57 said. It really shows you have to know your specific mix. He learned that lesson the hard way.

king.andrew2mo ago

Remember seeing a contractor mix fly ash into a foundation pour last year. He said it set slower but ended up with fewer cracks over time. We had to adjust the schedule because it took longer to cure properly. It made me think about how small changes can affect the whole project.

david_mason572mo ago

Wait, you're adding more water with fly ash? That seems backwards since it usually makes the mix wetter on its own. I always end up using less water to hit the same slump.