Had the worst pour of my life last Tuesday, but it changed how I handle joints

We were doing a 30x40 shop slab, about 5 inches thick, out near Springfield. Everything was going smooth until the pump guy started having issues and we got a cold joint right down the middle. I was so frustrated I almost just troweled over it and hoped for the best. But my foreman stopped me and made me saw cut and seal it properly right then. Took forever but the owner came by yesterday and said he couldn't even find the joint. Has anyone else had a bad pour that actually taught them something you still use?

2 comments

2 Comments

miamitchell1mo ago

Build on that idea about getting humbled. It's wild how a bad day on the job can straight up rewire your whole process. Now I do a full walk around before every pour to catch any potential issues the crew might miss, saved my butt more than a few times.

oscarw831mo ago

Man, I feel your pain. I once had a pour go so bad on a patio that the finishers started calling it "Lake Oscar" because the low spot held water for three days. I was ready to just pack it in and call it a day, but the old timer working with me made me rip out a whole corner and redo it. Now I always double check my grade before I even let the truck back up. Funny how getting humbled by concrete sticks with you longer than the easy wins.