Saw a crew using too much water in their mix yesterday

I was driving past a residential job off Highway 99 yesterday and noticed these guys had puddles forming on top of their slab before they even started finishing. In my experience that extra water just weakens the surface and leads to dusting down the road. I had to learn that the hard way about 5 years ago on a driveway in Fresno that looked great for 6 months then started flaking. Anyway I didn't say anything because it's not my gig but it got me thinking. Do you guys ever stop and mention it to crews you see doing it wrong or just keep driving?

2 comments

2 Comments

tylerr391mo ago

Saw puddles forming before finishing and had to do a double take. That's way too much water in the mix, the surface is guaranteed to be weak and dusty within a year. I would've wanted to say something but good call on keeping it moving, not your crew not your call.

wren_carr1mo ago

It's like you spot it everywhere once you know what to look for, @tylerr39. I see the same thing at coffee shops with baristas oversteaming milk till it's burnt, or landscapers laying sod on top of clay without breaking up the soil first. Everyone cuts corners till it bites them. I think some people just don't know any better, and the rest are trying to save 10 minutes now and pay for it later. You almost want to yell out the window, but it never lands well.