What could be causes of detoriation of concrete top in newly constructed road

Sumit Civil

Well-Known Member
I was reading news of owner complaining of detoriation of concrete road top surface.

Can anyone tell me what could be problem with that concrete road.

Pasting the story below.

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Four days after Denver7 first reported on crumbling driveways in the Candelas and Leyden Rock neighborhoods, more Broomfield esidents are coming forward with similar claims, in other subdivisions.

"It's badly crumbling," said Kelly Nelson, referring to the driveway in front of her home, in Broomfield's Flatiron Meadows neighborhood.

The top layer of concrete, at the foot of her driveway, resembles loose, gray sand.

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She said she loves the home, which was purchased in November of 2017, but she's not happy with the concrete in front.

Nelson said she questions whether the crumbling is weather-related, as Lennar Homes Colorado claims, for two reasons.

She said the sidewalk, along the street, is in good shape and is subject to the same freeze-thaw cycle as her driveway, both between the sidewalk and curb, and between the sidewalk and her garage.

"So, it's crumbling driveway, pristine sidewalk, crumbling driveway," she said.

The other reason she questions the weather claim is because she owns two homes in the same subdivision.

One was built earlier than the other.

"The concrete at that house is in great shape," Nelson said. "We don't have any problems with that concrete at all. It's the concrete at our new house, that was closed on November of 2017, where we're experiencing that problem."

Shawn Hymes said his driveway is crumbling too.

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"A year after we got in here, it started flaking off all through here," he said, pointing to the middle of the driveway in front of his Meritage built home in the Leyden Rock neighborhood.

He said work crews had to replace one section that was damaged during construction.

"You can see the difference," he said, indicating toward two sections with slightly different coloring.

He said the difference in coloring was to be expected, since the sections were poured at different times.

What wasn't expected, however, was the quick deterioration.

"The new concrete is actually flaking off, but also the old is flaking off too," he said. "So, both times they poured, it is doing pretty much the same thing."

Hymes said the warranty on his concrete only lasted a year and has already expired.

Denver7 reached out to both Lennar and Meritage to ask about the homeowners' concerns.

Meritage has not yet responded to a request for comment.

A spokeswoman at Lennar Homes Colorado sent the following statement: "As with all customer care items, we are always willing to meet with homeowners to inspect their exterior flatwork and review their individual concerns. Should a customer have an inquiry, we urge them to follow our standard customer care procedures to submit their customer care claim."

Denver7 also reached out to an attorney who specializes in construction defects cases.

Dan Coombe of Coombe Curry Rich & Jarvis said the warranty is a contract that is up to the homeowner to negotiate.

He said the contract has nothing to do with construction defect action.

Colorado has a two-year statute of limitations regarding construction defect lawsuits, Coombe said. So, homeowners have two years to file suit from the date they first notice something is wrong.

Coombe said Colorado also has a statute of repose, which bars any action after six years.

Source of News

 
Guys, this one is easy: The concrete mix itself is fine - That's not the issue here - This problem is in the finish.

I would bet a day's paycheck that, if this woman could turn the clock back and be able to see the concrete contractor installing her driveway, that she would see finishers "baptizing" the driveway with water - LOTS OF WATER!! "Baptizing" is a term that we use to describe taking a finishing brush, dipping it in a bucket of water, and then casting it out on the concrete to make the finishers' work easier for floating & closing the surface. Excess water in the top skin of the mix destroys its durability. Look at the remaining particles in the pictures - They are not aggregate, it's flaking mix. You can see in the first picture the sound concrete in the base: Concrete/aggregate interlock is there, it's the skin that's failing. What she has on the top surface of her driveway is more like a mortar than it is a concrete: It's the product of a lot of water being introduced to the concrete on its surface - The aggregate interlock is lost, all you are left with is a soupy creamy skin that has no structural value since it is not connected to the mass base concrete below it. A couple of Denver winters, with freeze thaw conditions, moisture permeating the surface - It's a simple recipe for failure.

Here's the Action Item for construction engineers & inspectors - This is what happens when concrete finishers add too much water to the surface to close it. It makes their work easier since it's easier to float soupy concrete than stiff concrete. But this is what you end up with: A failed concrete and an upset owner. DON'T LET THE CONCRETE FINISHERS RAIN ON THE CONCRETE!!!! They'll tell you it's going to be OK, I've heard it a million times. Keep this woman's driveway in your mind's eye - You don't want to be part of a poor installation. A light mist with a Hudson sprayer applied sporadically and only when necessary is typically allowed by specifications. But if you see a finisher with a finishing brush and a bucket of water throwing water on the surface, this is what you can expect.