What You Need to Know About Quick Dry Cement

Posted by Daria King on January 16th, 2020

When it comes to bonding agents, nothing quite says "time is money" more than quick-dry cement. Because of its distinct property, many construction problems, like tight schedules or immediate repairs, are solved almost as fast as it's detected. If you're interested in using it, here's some information that might come in handy:

How Quick Does It Set?

Quick-dry cement really does set quickly, with 10 minutes the earliest and 90 minutes at the latest. While there are other considerations like the rapid set concrete, mix price, heat, water, and weather, the average time for most brands with fast-setting options is around 30 minutes. This duration is comparatively much faster than its regular Portland cement counterpart, which takes about 20-48 hours to set fully.

The Science Behind the Speed

The aluminum sulfate that's ground along with the cement is one of the reasons for its speed. This compound acts as the catalyst to increase the rate of hydration of the tricalcium silicate and tricalcium aluminate in the original ingredient. This reaction activates the heat evolution and strength development much earlier when compared to setting it without the reactant.

Another reason is the large portion of cement in each bag. Having more of this bonding agent causes other ingredients to bind better and faster. This speed is ideal for installing fences, repairing concrete walls and staircases, and other small jobs where there's little to no movement.

Setting Up Tips

Even though its drying time is already fast, there can be times when quick-setting concrete needs to set quicker for increasing efficiency, hitting deadlines, or avoiding emergencies. To help you out, here are 3 tips to speed up the process.

1. Set in Warm Environments - For the fastest dry time, pour the mix during sunny weather. The heat helps the ingredients to not only bond better, but also quicker. You can also position a heater near the drying mixture if the climate isn't favorable during your setup.

2. Use Accelerating Compounds - While pouring, add calcium carbonate into the wet mixture. This compound is commonly found in rocks and other minerals and acts effectively as an accelerant that helps concrete dry faster.

3. Trap Moisture - Avoid water from escaping by covering the concrete with a plastic sheet. The moisture is important for curing the mixture, and trapping it accelerates the process.

Quick-dry cement is the solution for construction problems where time is of the essence. If you're interested to learn more about using the mixture, like what's the best rapid set concrete mix ratio for your project, talking with a contractor can help.