The TRUTH About Dry Pour vs Wet Pour Concrete!! Strength Test - You WON'T Believe the results!!

[@andymeyer8635]

Geotechnical engineer here, my last job was in airport pavements. We test both new and existing pavements when performing construction and evaluations. There are some less industrialized countries that will dry pour patches, I’ve cored and performed split tensile tests on tens of thousands of samples, the dry pours were always laughably poor quality.

[@ChrisLoew]

brilliant comment thanks

[@ravenrock541]

Is it possible that the issue is that dry pours require watering throughout the curing process, and that the curing process is extended to a much longer period of time? Just thinking out loud

[@chriskelvin248]

I can’t wait until this silly dry pour fad passes. Imagine with all the structural and chemical engineers for hundreds of years busting their pencil points and and asses trying to develop the best methods to make concrete, that weekend warriors armed with a trunk full of Sakrete finally cracked the code. It must be a conspiracy by the shovel and hoe industry lying to the public all these years.😊

[@bbrahbboul2748]

I think someone should experiment with the time and the misting process for it to cure properly. There is got to be a sweet spot where it can give better results. And when we reach that optimal result , we can decide if it worth it for certain applications

[@kenhellman9596]

Glad I saw this, my forms are in place for a pad for a shed. I was going to dry pour, don't think so now.

[@textualchocolate201]

This video has proven to me that I need a shop press machine for my wife’s cornbread!

[@dan2304k]

😂

[@BillSmith-fx7xx]

Make sure she is properly controlling the hydration for optimal results !

[@BillSmith-fx7xx]

I am getting ready to pour a slab, can she make a batch for 4,000 dozen. :-)

[@jamesmchugo9422]

😂😂😂 sounds like her cornbread is stronger than the dry pour concrete. 😂😂😂

[@ginotremblay5629]

😂

[@vaughnmilburn6966]

I am a concrete engineer. No matter what, dry cure concrete will always be considerably weaker for many reasons; however, you can increase the strength by keeping the slab flooded with water and covered for at least a week. It would be better to flood and cover for thirty days. No matter what you do, it will not ever reach even half the strength of wet pour concrete!

[@btpearce]

I agree , The water in the mix is needed to start the hydration process, as long as moisture is present in the mix it will gain strength ( slowly) , If you only sprayed the dry mix sparingly the hydration process probably stopped as the slab dried out, The Myth that concrete dries is just that, a myth, Concrete hardens because of a chemical process known as hydration . Hydration is a reaction between the water and any ad mixtures added to the mix and the chemicals makeup of the cement powder. Typically more water is added to the mix than is needed for hydration but the excess is needed for workability ( handling/placing and finishing) Its also a good idea to tap on the forms or vibrate the mix to remove excess air voids . Next time do your dry slab by misting the surface and after it reaches an initial set ( maybe 24 hrs) move it into a tub of water or other location where moisture is sufficient to saturate the slab so it can have enough water to hydrate the cement in the mix, . Also after each time you mist it cover it with plastic to trap the moisture in the mix so it doesn't dry out. . Happy Easter :-) Ps cure your slabs 28 days for optimum curing time.

[@Carl_Jr]

​@@btpearce WOW! You must write for Bob Villa!

[@btpearce]

@@Carl_Jr No, But I take that as a complement. I worked for the Materials and Testing Division of NC DOT for 35 years, I use to teach the Concrete Certifications Classes . I had to know a lot of in-depth concrete information to be able to do my job.

[@Sjwolosz321]

Add three bags of calcium only on hot days

[@NoName-ml5yk]

That's the problem with engineers. What you don't understand is that the point of dry pour is not strength. The point is the youtube algorithm.

[@jonsiccardi8601]

Most people don't know how concrete even works. It's a chemical reaction and it must be mixed wet. It's DESIGNED to be wet mixed. I don't want to mix concrete either, but dry pour is not even close to a solution. It's laziness and or ignorance to how concrete works. Great video sir. You saved a bunch of people from wasting time and money!

[@terricochran2181]

It depends on how thick, how much water you use and where you want it

[@joshriver75]

​@@terricochran2181Still doesn't make sense to do it imho. The fact you have to keep coming back to mist, mist, more mist, spray and flood is certainly not saving any time. And no matter how you approach it, I don't see how you could ever achieve a consistent cure to the bottom and middle of the slab by only adding water from the outside of a form. Any benefit to dry pour is extremely negligible for much worse results.

[@terricochran2181]

@@joshriver75 I agree to some of what you are saying but it depends on how deep and and what you want. Many have had success IF you do it correctly. A lot of people want things done quickly but sometimes people have to slow down and do things the right way. That's all!

[@terricochran2181]

@@joshriver75 I agree if doing it in a big area where heavy traffic will be.

[@Luke-sj7du]

How do you know what it was designed for? It has been used since 200BC by Roman's and I don't think they left instruction manuals, else Europe probably wouldn't have fallen into the dark ages.

[@berserkerusmc7613]

On the side of my garage, I dry poured a slab that was 12' x 24' and 6" deep. With a wire mesh. There's a couple out there that have quite a few videos on how to do a dry pour. I can't recall the name of their KZbin channel. The process they use and what I did was the following. After finishing the pour, I misted the slab once every hour for a total of 3 times. Waited an hour after the last misting. Then a long soak every hour for each inch of depth... in my case that was 6 long soaks. The hose nozzle was wide open. I then let it cure for 4 weeks. That was almost 2 years ago. I park my 2005 dodge ram 1500 4x4 quad cab on it. Last month, on that slab, I had it up on 4 jack stands, with no damage to the slab. It took me about three days to do a complete brake rebuild, and all of the weight of my truck was on those stands. I'm not disputing that wet pour is stronger, but I think that you made an error by only misting and not doing the long soaks. I think your results would be better if you were to do that.

[@fretworkpeddler]

100% correct

[@UgH_309]

Correct! Cajun Country Livin’ is the couple’s KZbin channel. I’ve used their method for a concrete paver-style walkway, with 4- 4’x2’ slabs for our side gate where our city trash/recycling cans go. It has been 2 years without cracking or chipping.

[@ελευθερία-ε2ο]

Truck is barely 1 ton divided by 4 jack stands = 1250lbs per stand. Not alot of weight. 6" concrete should be able to handle an 18 wheeler, large tractor, or large RV. Curious to see how it would handle under those conditions 🤔

[@berserkerusmc7613]

@user-dq3jk9py4q IDK, it would be interesting to see a proper experiment to see how it would do. I wonder if someone will ever come up with a specialized concrete mixture specifically designed for dry pour applications? All I know for sure is that my dry pour slab is holding up quite well. I did a dry pour because that area is unreachable by a cement truck, and I had no desire to wheelbarrow wet concrete all that distance and into a tight spot. Mixing it myself would've posed other issues. So I thought it'd be worth the try.

[@millerhighlife5173]

Thanks

[@Poppageno]

In the 80's we would use drypour for building decks and fences, it saved time. Then in 86 I got a job in the local cement plant and at one point worked in the lab. Cement is made by cooking limestone/marble, iron, shale together into clinker. Clinker is then cooled somewhat and ground down into a powder finer than face powder, at that point it is called cement. When you mix cement with sand and aggregates(rocks) it is concrete mix, add water and it becomes hard and is concrete. What happens when you add water is the cement powder crystalizes. This fills tiny spaces between rocks and sand and other crystals, bonding and putting pressure in all directions and during this phase change emits heat. Once the phase change(curing) has gone thru 3 days some 80% of the strength is there, some 3 weeks later and it is at 90%. It never stops curing. HTH

[@vidxs]

Your doing the dry pour incorrectly. Dry pour still requires water, it takes 28 days for concrete to cure. Concrete will set under water and actually will be stronger. You will get excellent results with your dry pour if you keep it wet. The water must completely soak the entire pour, take your steel trowel and run it over the concrete and water will be brought to the surface if it does not then you havent applied enough water. Dry pour ? It's just not what I would do even for a fence post.

[@chuckmiller5763]

110% correct.

[@MrAnderson5157]

@@vidxs Which leaves everyone to question how tf is having to keep a dry pour wet less work and or time spent as opposed to following the gd instructions on the gd bag? Morons...

[@sawdust3537]

W/C ratio. Concrete requires a specified water/cement ratio. Hydration is the chemical reaction that occurs once water is added to the cement batch. Simply misting the top surface of the dry batch does not give enough water. If no water is present, hydration does not occur. To dry pour, I agree, you must add the required water in the forms and mix it it place. There is no way I would allow a dry pour on any project of mine (civil).

[@Sjwolosz321]

Well Hoover Dam !!

[@mikelouis9389]

This is why the teaching of basic science is still so critical.

[@jimmiller5600]

1 outta 6 American's believe the Earth may be flat. Sleep well.

[@jarjar-gw7xe]

This comment is true.

[@christianfritz6333]

Science is exactly the answer.

[@myahsoodinim8570]

I loved this video as a learning tool, and I agree that basing knowledge on science is critical, but he would have learned more, more quickly, and more reliably by researching the subject on line than testing it himself.

[@Georgggg]

This is not basic science, its ongoing research.

[@mikeazeka1753]

I'm a civil engineer. We learned 40 years ago that dry pour concrete will always be very weak compared to a cured wet pour concrete mix. The difference can be 10 times stronger for wet pour, and the dry pour will have many pockets of weakness, the wet pour will be uniformly strong. Not a surprising outcome.

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Yep. But I feel like we learned this 2,040 years ago. Then again, I don't know exactly what you meant by we. We humans We the people We civil engineers (not me) We jolly good few We dastardly do-gooders (this is me!) We-irdos (also me)

[@kennethfisher7013]

Love the spelling

[@yadda333]

Isn't civil engineering for all of the engineering student who couldn't do math?

[@dnomyarnostaw]

​@@yadda333 aren't comments like this from people who have an educational deficit?

[@spudth]

Hmmm, I graduated from college 40 years ago. For some reason, I think those lowly civil engineers (I was in the mechanical eng program) knew the correct way to mix concrete then.

[@chrisb1029384]

Thank you for this. I instinctively knew “dry pouring” wasn’t good but you have proved it without a doubt.

[@robertm1672]

Nope. He only proved he did an incorrect test. It was wrong on so many levels.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

It's also very often more than good enough

[@Doomzdayxx]

@@robertm1672 Not wrong. "dry mixing" is lazy and produces an inferior end product. It's a "hack". Anybody with 2 brain cells to rub together understand this, there's no comparison. However, in the case of say, a fence post, probably not a big deal to pour in dry.

[@BackyardBunkerBuilder]

Spot on Chris dry pour is trash. Only unskilled diy knobs do dry pour. They are the same ones that swear by it because they have no idea.

[@chadmills5400]

It's fine if you do it right. This guy did not.

[@tastx3142]

Several decades ago we had several bags of concrete left in our garage for several years that we didn’t need for our project. They were in unopened original bags and were not exposed to any moisture. We finally decided to use them and when we opened them found they had been solidified. They were the usual grey color and decided to use them along a fence where one of our dogs had been escaping. We just dropped it down and it has remained ever since and is still in its original state. We had a few fence posts that were becoming loose that was installed 33 years ago. We dug around the existing concrete, added dry concrete and misted it once. It’s solid and the reinforced the existing concrete so that the fence post no longer moves. I think that pouring concrete mixing according to the recommended amount of water, you have consistency. By dry pour, misting often, you don’t know how much water you use or how much rain affects it before it’s solidified. Since we were in a drought, we didn’t have to worry about excessive water. Those old bags that solidified have not changed after 8 years of exposure to the elements. No corners to chip off but the dogs can’t move it. Not pretty, but definitely effective.

[@phillhuddleston9445]

There's a reason no professional concrete finishers do dry pour, you wouldn't want mortar or grout that had moisture in it, if it cures at different times as in some parts were exposed to moisture in the bag and were lumpy while other parts were dry powder they would not bond right. You are essentially drying it in layers that will not bond together correctly and the first layer will somewhat properly cure while shielding the center section and bottom from getting enough water to properly cure.

[@goofyjumper]

I work in the cement manufacturing business. There is a lot of science and engineering that goes into the process from extraction at the mine all the way through to the finish cement product that is all based on the product being used in a wet pour. Concrete which is 17% cement is also designed specifically for a wet pour to maximize strength. Cement and concrete could be designed for a dry pour by changing its chemical composition and ingredients, but almost all big projects are easier to build using the wet pour/pumping process. Only small projects benefit from the dry process.

[@christaylor9095]

​@@goofyjumperthat's an interesting take, if accurate; and, as I'm less than a layman, I have no foundation (cement joke) to argue counter. But, it does seem that if what you're saying about the benefit being only for "small" projects, then virtually all bags could be mixed for dry pours as they are almost certainly all used in "small" projects.

[@jurban7998]

Maybe someone should market an additive to mix in with a standard concrete bag to adjust it for dry pour method

[@Hammer.J.Helmer]

@@jurban7998or maybe you follow the manufacturer instructions and stop trying to cut corners 😂

[@richardmccann4815]

​@@jurban7998 The reduction in strength was HUGE, the dry pour doesn't have 1/4 the strength of the wet pour. If you mix the concrete more than the minimum, you will increase the strength even more due to evaporation of ( a slight) excess water, and more thorough distribution of the water and chemicals in the mix, causing a more complete setting of the mix.

[@joerios1964]

Was really considering a dry pour for my shed build but after your video I'm sticking to the wet pour. Thank you it was a very educational video.

[@HB-600]

I wouldn’t chance that either

[@actionanimations4879]

I was thinking the same thing just now

[@nixnox4852]

Look into the addition of basalt fibers in addition to rebar if you want to turbocharge crack resistance.

[@chichidouglas5078]

​@actionanimations4879 Rebar doesn't prevent cracks, it adds strength. Concrete always cracks that's what control joints are for.

[@zoso1123]

What time and labor do people think they are saving by dry pouring?

[@BussinJohnson]

I’m in concrete many years and definitely knew the results even though I have never done what you did to test it, I have my definite instincts that it would be crumbly by what happens to a bag of concrete after it gets rained on. But you are the man! For making a video and doing the test. Bravo 👏

[@Bob_Adkins]

Dry pour fills the gap between dirt and concrete. It's great for fence and pole barn posts if not stressed for a week or 2 and you pour water in the holes.

[@BussinJohnson]

@@Bob_Adkins hey Bob, I found putting concrete around wood or metal poles tends to rot, even treated, so I soak it in used motor oil first and it’s been keeping them solid.

[@Bob_Adkins]

@@BussinJohnson Yep, done that, seems to work. Lately though, I put a handful of copper sulphate in each hole, it acts as a strong algicide/fungicide and also discourages roots and termites.

[@timfuscaldo3024]

@@Bob_Adkins sure its great to have week posts.

[@ramosel]

@@BussinJohnson 55 gallon drum half full of creosote does the trick. Let your posts soak for a week then dry for a week. They'll outlast you.

[@michelleg5420]

My boyfriend and I are building an outhouse/hand washing station on our farm which is what lead me to finding your video. I know very little about construction so I REALLY appreciate the information and your delivery of it. Thanks so much!

[@jcschwarb]

When dry pouring, the method I employed got the concrete wet until it became firm to walk on. The water was added over a 2-hour period then added again every morning on top for three days with visquine under the pour. Not a single stress crack in a 12'x12' pad. While I agree that its compressive strength may not be to full spec, it is good enough for my horse tack room.

[@marcesto9431]

I dry poured a spillway for a farm pod. I was a bit skeptical but it has worked well and looks good. It doesn’t carry a heavy load just provides a water channel and prevents erosion

[@afternoonfarmer5110]

The fact that it regularly has water running over it probably helped it to fully cure and be stronger

[@paulherbert5548]

I made 3 foot long by 1 foot wide back splashes for my gutter downspouts. After 8 years of service, no errosion. I wish the poured concrete driveway provided by my builder weathered as well. My project was a wet pour.

[@JeffyJeff01]

Thanks for doing this. I've responded to some of these DIY dry pour videos. Concrete curing is a chemical reaction that is dependent on the proper ratios of concrete mix and water. The chemical reaction bonds the concrete particles and stones together by generating heat that is uniform throughout the slab (as long as the correct ratio of water is MIXED in) and is critical to the slab reaching its potential PSI rating. Dry pour, even under the best circumstances, will only ever reach a small fraction of the mixes rated PSI.

[@trevorturk7473]

He used 4000psi mix and the test went over 2 tons. Sounds like they all exceeded their PSI ratings

[@kromanaut]

@@trevorturk7473 yeah except the force was distributed over an area greater than 1 sq inch. It was distributed over the surface area of the ram. I am not sure what the ram diameter is on his press, but if it is 2" diameter ram, then it's area would be 4*pi, which is over 12 sq inches.

[@johnd4348]

I have poured a few slabs in my 60 years and without any doubt wet cement is superiour to dry. Concrete was made to be poured wet.

[@nuyork77]

In case anyone is curious about how dry-pour holds up in lightweight applications, we did a dry-pour sidewalk area to enlarge our concrete entryway, and it has held up very well over the last 6+ months. Like he said in the video, I would not choose a dry-pour to use in anything structural or weight critical (such as a driveway area), but to support a lightweight structure like a chicken-coop or a shed, the dry-pour could work - it just depends on the weight.

[@LisaJohnson1967]

I'm so glad you did this & showed it! I was thinking of doing this for a couple of projects, & now there's no way in hell I'd use a dry pour for anything important. Thank you; very much appreciated!!👍

[@sgsax]

I'm glad to see the experiment completed, but can't see how anyone would have predicted a different outcome. The strength of the concrete comes from the cement and water being mixed in and helping everything stick together. There's a reason why you don't see manufacturers recommending it. Dry pour concrete is like baking a cake without mixing the ingredients together. You get similar undesirable results. Thanks for demonstrating what a bad idea this is.

[@JBeans7711]

Great analogy to baking a cake

[@PaxHeadroom]

There was some home improvement dude on youtube a few months ago that was insisting it's fine to dry pour for walkways and stuff, kept doubling down

[@jimmaag4274]

My woman makes a "dump cake" that's made kinda like dry pour. It's genuinely delicious

[@bellyacres7846]

like a traditional scone, yuck, unless you like to chew powder, un done bits. I like scones that have been "ruined' with proper mixing then baking.

[@Joe-xy3vy]

And yet, Hoover Dam was entirely done as dry pour. When the engineering is right, it works.

[@greenspiraldragon]

This is exactly the test I have been telling people they need to do to see the real strength difference. Thanks.

[@Alolan.Vulpix.Getting.Railed]

@@greenspiraldragon Nobody is applying a 6 by 6 inch 8 ton press to their dry pour at home this test is useless and its purpose is to scare diy'ers away from doing their own projects

[@chikungster]

I’ve been waiting for a pressure test on dry pour. Thanks!

[@placidscene]

Thank you for testing this! I was considering dry pouring my well shed slab to save n some labor. NEVERMIND! I will put in a little extra labor and mix the concrete the correct way.

[@josephosorio5718]

Thanks for this video. I was planning on doing a dry pour for my new shed. Now I will be doing a wet pour. You possibly saved me some future grief. Thank You

[@davedunn4285]

I used dry pour on a post for a pergola several years ago and had to take it down for a bigger project and it was crumbly underneath so lesson learnt

[@michaelmccotter4293]

But of course you mean, "learned".

[@bobbarbarin4201]

I was told by an individual who worked in concrete for his whole life, he said that the hardest walls in a building was the cistern. A room which held water for the house hold to use. He said that cement will cure for 50 years and an abundance of water on the cement will strengthen it. Always amazed me, whether it true or not, can’t say.

[@queenlip6152]

Yup. Damns continue to cure over their lifetime.

[@tealkerberus748]

I didn't have any plans to use dry pour, but thank you for providing me with armour against anyone trying to persuade me that it's a good idea.

[@rotaryperfection]

So you gonna let one test persuade you? Do you even realize that not every brand of concrete reacts the same to the dry pour method? Of course you don't because you saw ONE TEST on one brand of concrete and think this is the definitive TEST.

[@bigdaddy4691]

@@rotaryperfection what about the comments from all the experts, and engineers in the thread who have done decades of testing.

[@rotaryperfection]

@bigdaddy4691 You ever think of the possibility of them being AGAINST this due to them potentially loosing buisness? That's why you DIY to test yourself. Everyone keeps doing the dry pour the same way as the original creators. I did a compacted version and its strong and NOT brittle. I poured a 4x4 to mount a manuel tire changer and the anchor bolts haven't budged in the year since I've done that pad. That changer outs a HUGE load on those bolts while changing tires. I also didn't just sprinkle water on the surface the way everyone else is doing. I MEASURED the correct amount from all the bags I used to insure the correct ratio. Dry pour can be done in many ways so EXPERTS cant claim anything against it until all methods used to dry pour are exhausted.

[@bigdaddy4691]

@@rotaryperfection hahaha, yeah, it's a conspiracy....backed by science. Do you create a solution that will crystalize when you dry pour? No. Do you create a solution that will crystalize together when you wet pour? Yes. I have done both. I still use dry pour for fence posts or other things I know will eventually need to be replaced because the dry pour will be easier to break. You also used a method covered by a concrete engineer 2 comments below.

[@rotaryperfection]

@bigdaddy4691 Do you know this concrete engineer PERSONALLY? Didn't think so. Are you the type to believe any anonomous poster on YT who isn't brave enough to show their face? Didn't see that coming did you? See, on YT, you can be whatever you want to be. I know what results I personally got, and my anchors are FULLY secured. Why aren't my anchors pulling out if the method is supposed to be so brittle? I find it funny how you 100% IGNORED my personal results to focus on conspiracy and some so called ENGINEER 2 post down. That could be a freaking YT post BOT for all we know.

[@mherrmann81687]

Air pockets can be avoided if you vibrate the concrete... it appears to get great results from what I have seen. I haven't tried it yet myself, but have considered it to settle concrete/cement into hard to access pockets and crevices when pouring different forms. Seems to work especially well if you are making cement molds for stepping stones, pedestals or bowls/flower pots.

[@DontUBaDiva]

Glad you're doing it again with a completely cured bit of the dry built.

[@scottyellis3442]

I'll admit I've done dry pour many times around post (never nothing structural) but after watching this I'll never do another dry pour again, on anything. Thanks for sharing the video, you answered one of the age old questions.👍🏻👍🏻

[@eskimofo9i6]

Awesome video and you got yourself a new subscriber! I was going to do a dry pour for my backyard slab due to all the KZbin videos on dry pour. Thanks for saving me

[@AlAmantea]

It looked to me like the dry pour did not get enough moisture in the initial wetting to cure cohesively. From what I've seen in the dry pour videos, they mist once or twice to bind the top layer, then begin flooding it several times to wet the entire slab at once for full curing. Perhaps it was so weak due to the method of wetting done during the dry pour. It certainly did look like the slab was not completely cured due to lack of wetting, hence the color and crumbliness of the mix.

[@trevorturk7473]

Finally someone who realizes the error.

[@harrisorourke6926]

AlAmantea, It seems that your are a dry pour apologist. Excusing dry pour weakness because of inadequate "wetting" is nonscence. What exactly is adequate "wetting" of a dry pour? Are there some secret directions somewhere? Face it, the dry pour process is clearly inferior--it will never have "adequate wetting" and is the reason dry pour will always be weaker than a wet pour. Somehow the dry pour advocates don't believe in the properties of concrete and fail to comprehend how the correct chemical process is essential to concrete strength. How can you even call "dry pour" a "pour"; it is more like a dump and spread followed by an undetermined amount of "wetting". "Dry dump and pour will never obtain "adequate wetting"--it is clearly a feature of the dry process. "Dry dump and pour" may be "easier" than wet pour in the first steps, but it then requires wetting every hour or so for days and days and days so it enables the chemical reaction and begins the curing cycle. With wet pour there isn't any issues with curing as the concrete mixture obtains the necessary water prior to pouring it. Hence with the concrete correctly mixed with water and cures it is real concrete. The "Dry dump and spread" will never produce actual concrete, it will just be crumbly sand, rocks, and Portland cement. And finally, the appearance of "Dry dump and spread" will never equal the finish of wet pour. The lazy "dry dump and spread" will always reflect pour workpersonship.

[@fretworkpeddler]

I don't think he followed the proper procedure. I've seen many dry pour videos that show great results. It's not as strong as wet mix, but not everyone needs that much strength.

[@4copyrightonly]

Finally a good rational comment in a sea of baby out with bathwater irrationals

[@xavil6341]

I poured a thin layer of dry concrete in an area of my backyard where I mounted a gazebo. I did it just to prevent weeds with the intention of pouring an actual concrete slab afterwards. after spreading a thin layer, I compacted it with a lawn roller, then sprayed water a few times. It's still there. I think the error here was that a dry pour has to be way thinner or water it a lot more than just 4 times like this guy did.

[@xavil6341]

and it has not even a single crack, by the way.

[@vincenthedges520]

The videos I've watched, they water 2 times per inch of thickness, so 4" should have been watered 8 times.

[@softwaredeveloper6791]

Online someone said, “The general rule of thumb for [dry pour] concrete drying is 28 days to dry for every 1 inch of slab thickness.” Hence your four inch concrete should be cured for 120 days.

[@8ballphilc]

Thank you for definitively proving for us what I had always suspected. Great video.

[@nornironlad8472]

I worked as the QC in a precast concrete factory many years ago and later studied civil engineering. I literally had no idea anyone would 'dry pour' even a basic concrete slab due to the inherent weaknesses highlighted in this video. Thank you for the video.

[@hunderliggur]

I dry pour for coops and such on the farm. I do soak it very well though. Mist the surface to get that set (maybe 3 or 4 times over a few hours) then flood every few hours for a few days. I’ll have to make my own test to compare the two (wet versus flooded dry). For my use, I’m not putting a 5 ton point load on the surface so the plate test is more representative of the usage. Fine for compression but may be weak on sheer. We’ll see.

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Yes it's weaker. Dry pouring does not meet building code. In commercial construction. Your concrete gets core sampled by a soil technician. This is your concrete inspection. If it doesn't pass, it gets demolished and replaced. You also get yelled at by the general contractor for holding up the entire jobsite. I asked the general on a Costco job what's the fastest one has gone in. 92 days! WTF! The soil tech is also in charge of testing soil compaction anywhere people dig. Sewer, water, gas tanks, storm water tanks, etc.

[@ronniekeates3349]

I'd really like to see your test results - I think most of these "dry pours" take the term dry too literally. I definitely think a flooding stage is necessary to even give these a chance.

[@brandonhoffman4712]

@ronniekeates3349 I'm not a soil tech. I just get inspected by them for soil compaction, so I talk to them regularly. I have seen him hauling off a box of core samples. I asked him what he was doing. He was taking the core samples to be tested. The concrete came in on mixing trucks.

[@brandonhoffman4712]

The fact is dry pouring is outside manufacturer recommended specifications in America because the specific concrete blends they create are made to be mixed wet to achieve the strength rating listed on the bag and called for by specification. I talked with someone who works in the industry and he said dry pour concrete is done in 3rd world countries, but they blend a concrete made to do so and achieve the strength they are looking for.

[@pault151]

@@brandonhoffman4712 Yup, at the building I worked at the shop floor was found to have major problems both due to poor soil compaction and then a bad concrete pour. Our next building on the site, the next contractor (years later) got feet held to the fire for both soil compaction (two to three re-do's to get the contract compaction number) and concrete strength. Fool me once.... How do I know? I was working in a trailer across the driveway waiting for the new building, so had to listen to the machinery going back and forth for the compaction, over and over for hours of backup beepers every day.... 😖

[@Jim-the-woodworker-guy]

That is pretty much what I thought would happen. I've poured a lot of cement, for a guy who is a builder but has never done concrete for a living. I have a small slab to pour next week. I have not even been tempted to do a dry pour, because it just never made sense to me. I am glad someone put it to the test.

[@Loyalwhiteknight]

If done correctly, it's great for a shed slab, walkways etc. I've seen people do it for a home slab but there's a formula for doing a dry pour and it makes a huge difference when done correctly versus incorrectly when it comes to watering.

[@BluegrassStoic]

wow thank you for taking the time to fill the internet with real information! priceless

[@chadmills5400]

Except it's really inaccurate. He used dry concrete that he misted! Who does that? Concrete no matter the kind needs water to cure. That is just common sense. I guess common sense just ain't that common anymore. If the water does not penetrate to the core within 15 minutes, then the water will never reach and therefore the core will not cure.

[@RyshusMojo1]

Of course you know, all of those who've done dry pours for slabs in a shop, garage or whatever will be losing sleep after seeing this video. Good info.

[@closertothetruth9209]

LOL

[@redmist6131]

And that there is why I've never dry poured concrete

[@H43339]

Anyone who did a shop floor or garage slab with dry pour deserves to not sleep, this is just a ridiculous debate, I have been in construction all my life and never seen anyone use dry pour.

[@closertothetruth9209]

@@H43339 LOL me neither , probably became a thing due to people's laziness and impatience

[@RyshusMojo1]

@@H43339 Lmao. The only use I could see for it was if one needed a light-duty, temporary slab for whatever. It could be easily broken up at a later time.

[@johnschiffermuller4930]

We used to sort of mix in place, pouring the concrete around poles, wetting it, then packing it in with a 2x4, then adding more concrete, wetting it, packing it, in lifts of about 2 inches. We'd finish to the top of the square form we used around the pole tops, then strike off, wet, and float. It looked good and we never had any failure issues, but I'm now the lab qualification manager for a state road department and I have learned a LOT more about concrete from out stuctures engineers, our lab managers and technicians, and I'm qualified for C39 which is the concrete compression test. It's fascinating how much strength varies with the % of water used in the mix and proper curing.

[@freda1078]

Done the same on setting fence post at the ranch. Hole, dry pour, wet, dry pour wet and set.

[@heavymetalmadness666]

my thought of a dry pour would have been what you described, not just trying to mist water on the top and hope it soaks through the whole thing.

[@StevePickeringIsHere]

Thanks for doing this experiment. The results certainly spoke for themselves. Will definitely be wet-pouring my future projects!

[@tonyl3461]

For fence posts, a dry pour is good enough. Maybe even better when it comes time to take that fence post out.

[@petezny4343]

I've been doing a hybrid of these two methods for decades, it's easy and it gives results that look and apparently perform like wet pour. I mix in place. Just fill the form with premix, wet it well with just about as much water that you would use for mixing and use a shovel in a vertical chopping motion for just a few minutes to mix then finish the top. Works great, is faster, a lot easier and has less cleanup than a wet pour. I have slabs that I have made with this method that I've driven fully loaded pickup trucks over and they've held up perfectly.

[@bellyacres7846]

short cuts. . .

[@willb2664]

I think that the outcome will differ depending on how much water you use. With a wet mixture, there is more control.

[@otisarmyalso]

Yes he should test your method

[@rodconner9079]

Yeppers! Not too much water though! Consolidation and even distribution! Smart! : ) Be Safe

[@robertgarrett7007]

Would you drive an 80,000 simi truck over it like a wet poured slab.

[@JBeans7711]

Gotta love data, it doesn’t lie! After watching this, I don’t know if I would ever do a dry pour for anything, not even a stepping stone. There is just not enough integrity ! Thanks for doing this test and sharing! Kinda like a myth-buster episode, without the explosions! 😮

[@TimGallant]

I've seen other tests that would disagree. But the methodology and material differed. That said, I wouldn't vouch that it's as strong as a wet pour.

[@Cheepchipsable]

Unless you are walking elephants on the stepping stones, dry pour would probably suffice.

[@anthonydilugi4672]

Perhaps you were viewing fraudulent videos. ​@@TimGallant

[@M.L.Knotts]

What data? He didn't give a number for the final test

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

You call this flimsy test.... Data?

[@BrewMiester]

Finally somebody to verify what I have believed all along. I've seen so many videos proclaiming dry pour is just as good as wet pour they almost had me thinking maybe my thought process is not correct.

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Ya I don't trust youtubers at all. Though I do pick up tricks from them. They crowd source people for the next hot trick, I crowd source youtubers, so my next hot tricks are curated. I use youtubers similar to a coffee filter! There's tons of bad info out there though. As a professional in the industry, I can often spot issues. One cool trick I've found recently is the superglue and activator trick. I use it for so much now! No more nailing cleats for my hardwood or using hot glue. I can glue tabs on transition pieces to keep the surface of floor transitions perfectly flush. Same for stair treds. Today I used it to temporarily glue a straight edge perfectly level setup at the height I want to make the perfect cut in the perimeter of a deck. (I'm changing the elevation/slope to meet code) My newest tool is the stabila tech 196 dl digital level. $356. It's a dream to use. I was able to establish my perfect 2 degree slope, get my perimeter flushed to level, and set another slope off that slope @ 90 degrees to keep a staircase step level across the top. I'm going to install some venetian tile flush with the perimeter.

[@pepsilove6306]

most us rednecks never claim its "just as good" we slap the "it will do" label on it, cause it was less work and will do what we wanted it to do.

[@thelowercase]

THank you!!! this is a much needed video to prove to these people that are trying to build a house slab or driveway, that dry pour is weaker.

[@CrispyCircuits]

Thanks. I would never do a dry slab. But many folks have suggested that I do dry pours on fence posts. The idea never set well with me. I know how concrete cures. Your test was really helpfull. We did a fence "reset" in an area near a creek that is famous for the ground moving downhill towards the creek pretty fast. Pulled off the fence panels. Pulled up the fence posts. They were about 5"-9" out of level at the top. The fence was almost a year and a half old. Just put the same posts back in. Still new posts. Crazy.

[@MyMy-tv7fd]

try them with a moisture meter - they look like their mositure retention is way different - setting on the mortar scale should work OK

[@robertprice9052]

I’ve done dry pours and similar applications most of my life. The videos I’ve seen miss a few key steps. And yes, dry pours is never as strong as wet pours. As a kid we lived on the lake. We built a dry stack retaining wall about 16-18 bags high. This is how we did it, and it’s still there 50 years later. We put bag concrete in a wheelbarrow with a few scoops of sand. Mixed then shoveled into sandbags. The green plastic weave bags. We dug a footing down to the clay and then saturated the area while laying in the bags. We continued soaking each row until we were complete. We put an old fashion sprinkler on it and kept it web overnight. The next weekend we backfilled the eroded area and put grass seeds out. We kept it wet for several days. Today the concrete wall is still there and perfectly intact, except the plastic sandbags are gone. It looks like uniform stones stacked. If you go to the lake you will see walls like this all over. We have done the same process where we have a driveway over culvert to stop washout, and in high erosion areas. Of course there’s no real load bearing in these applications, but I wouldn’t put more than a dog kennel or storage building on a dry pour.

[@shane250]

But the wall you made proves it can take weight. The bottom bag, under the 15 other bags, doesn't crack under the load of 15 concrete bags plus the water weight you used, so about 70lbsX15 bags=1050lbs. Not a whole lot, but enough for most applications. Stairs, sidewalks, sheds, etc.

[@kevineyesix2257]

You're doing the internet community of DIYers a great service! I hope this gets in front of as many eyes as possible before they venture down the road of doing a dry pour. If you come across any of those hyped-up dry pour videos, it sure makes you think it’s viable. This proves in a way a layperson can understand, it’s not the way to go. Thank you!

[@RandomGuyDan]

I think the application matters. If you are building a pad for your AC unit like he did in the earlier videos the dry pour is more than strong enough. Similarly, if you are making a small concrete patio outside your home a dry pour (with some hogwire mesh) is again going to be plenty strong. Neither slab will ever experience a couple thousand pounds PSI of pressure.

[@pepsilove6306]

@@RandomGuyDan yep, I dry poured a big slab to park my lawncare truck on so the city stopped screaming at me for parking in my grass/backyard. its held up well and I didnt give one lick if it looked good/pretty, it had one job, keep the city off my butt.

[@oliver90owner]

@@RandomGuyDan I wouldn’t. Any vibration from the AC later in its life (yes, it can happen) could soon cause crumbling in that sub-standard base.

[@89G]

I'm glad I watched this, thank you. I'll probably continue dry pour for fence posts, but mix for anything that "shows".

[@ryanyoder7573]

Exactly

[@TJTinerella]

That is exactly what I thought would happen. There is a short going around of a guy trying to prove it's just as good and even in his video you can see it crumbling ..the only thing I used dry pour for was rainwater diversion. throwing full 80lb bags in the bar ditch and watering them in place to slow the rushing water down

[@Raul28153]

buddy~!! the aggregate in concrete is loaded with silica and you are liberating a ton of it. You gotta protect your lungs. In my business (law) There is an expression: "Silica; the next Asbestos." The stuff gets in the lings and doesn't come out so the damage is compounded with each dose.

[@johndorian4078]

So what you're saying is, keep breathing it in because it will be your future retirement plan when the class actions start?

[@Raul28153]

@@johndorian4078 I don't think that's the correct take away

[@jesse11111]

​@@johndorian4078if you were to meet the requirement for a class action about silica dust, you won't be alive for it.

[@jfruser]

Yeah, what Raul wrote.

[@jeffrey1312]

You got that backwards. Silica and silicosis was the main killer of people who worked with stone since ancient Egypt. It was only after silicosis was brought under control between the world wars that people realized that asbestos was also bad.

[@jasonc6250]

I knew it was too good to be true. Thanks for pointing out the flaw before I poured a dry slab.

[@herrba]

It’s fine for none structural load bearing.

[@podunk_woman]

Glad to see the mixer i bought last fall won't go to waste

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Definetly not. Speaking of which, need a new friend? I can help you keep the lube dispersed in those bearings! Seriously, I don't mind at all... I'm good at dispersing other lubes too! 😉

[@rbf1racing141]

I never used dry pour concrete, always wet, however I have a shed that needs a new floor. I started looking into the dry pour concrete method for this particular job. One aspect of the dry pour concrete method, is the procedure of adding water. I think this is very important step when using the dry pour concrete method. The first misting of the dry pour i believe to enough to set the top and finish of the mix, and let dry. I believe the next misting should actually be soaking of the dry pour concrete , continuously until the dry pour is flooded with water to ensure water has soaked throughout the mix. The method of misting, stop , misting, stop , misting, stop just creates a layer on top of the dry pour mix , to never get the water it needs,. Like to hear peoples comments, if what i say, makes sense. I don't expect dry pour concrete to be 100% equal to the wet pour, but thought there would be better results with the dry pour if soaked with a different method.

[@bazoozoo1186]

Fair point I would be also curious to see if adding fiber adds enough to the strength, making it as strong as regular wet concrete. And what will happen if you put basalt or granite tiles on top? It should improve strength due to weight distribution and prevent wearing it off.

[@John-4649]

@@bazoozoo1186that would be something that would be interesting to test!

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

Great video! I watched a few of the dry pour videos and figured it was the easy way to do an inferior job. BTW, please wear a respirator while cutting concrete. The powder causes major problems to your lungs over time.

[@RonaldOliver-fx1bp]

Yes, please! I was thinking the same thing as I watched the growing cloud of silica-bearing dust. Or better yet, wet saw it and still wear a respirator.

[@Iwasnevergivenaname-b9m]

Thank you, even the holding your breath method doesn't work. And we are talking respirator too, not a useless dust mask.

[@danrose3233]

Use a wet saw.

[@johnlangtry7736]

Thank you I’ve always wondered about those been interested in the results. Very informative thank you.

[@edstimator1]

I (poured) a slab in a shed with just class 3 cmb road base (crushed miscellaneous base) (asphalt and concrete recycled) for those who don't know. No cement at all. Several years later I upgraded to a poured slab but I had a buggar of a time busting through that cmb slab that had cured into a pretty hard block. I have a pretty good sized skid steer and really had a tough time of it. Time to cure is the key? Many wet cycles in that example I gave.

[@RigepFroggit]

Time to cure is hugely important. Nearly all modern concretes are mixed for a very fluid pour and relatively fast cure to reduce labor. Labor costs money. But if you are willing to spend more time and effort on labor, low slump mixes that can't just be poured and have to be hand-packed and frequently vibrated to reduce voids. Those mixes end up stronger. And the longer the cure time the stronger the concrete ends up being. Turns out the reason roman concrete has lasted so long as a combination of it not being reinforced with metals so it lacks the problem of internal corrosion expansion and cracking. A low slump mixture that started out with just enough moisture to cure. And a curing time that could last years. Parts of the pantheon apparently took nearly a decade to fully cure deep inside the thickest parts of the structure.

[@VenturaIT]

he didn't follow the instructions that worked for others, he said that he did the initial misting with too much water, there are instructons that work and if you don't follow them you get this kind of result where there was no bonding formed between the CSH...

[@timfuscaldo3024]

@@VenturaIT u will get that result regardless

[@VenturaIT]

@@timfuscaldo3024 nope, others have poured entire slabs that stand up to heavy use... it's the people who intentionally don't do the process correctly that have these results... concrete is concrete... doesn't matter how you mix it just so the amount of water is right, people have been setting dry post foundations and other dry uses for concrete forever... but if you half-way wet it then wait too long or it's too cold then it won't work... concrete has to be poured above 45F-65F or it wont work

[@timfuscaldo3024]

@@VenturaIT Sure others do, good for them, love how people like to take the short cuts and believe folks like you. It is a free country and folks are free to be ignorant.

[@joustingdude]

I'm in the NE US and I dry-pour for wooden fence posts around my pastures. It pulls a ton of moisture from the ground and the posts always seem to hold really well.

[@softenerguy]

Morning show DJ here for many years... keyboard warriors disappear when something is proven opposite of what they think it would be. Even I knew what the outcome would be. Great video!

[@frez777]

pro concrete man here....

[@xdrm24]

Announcing that you were a morning show DJ was unnecessary.

[@maryannprice2575]

People who are using dry pour aren't using it where that much pressure would be applied and not that much weight will be on it. Such as a walking path. totally useless test for me.

[@billmeans4438]

It makes sense. There is no way for water to fully seep down into the bottom of the pour, so it doesn’t get wet enough.

[@DragonsinGenesisPodcast]

It doesn’t get wet enough because he barely added any water.

[@neilmclennan1112]

Thank you very much. I certainly won't be living in a high-rise apartment building that used dry pour.

[@doctorsatansrobot]

I'd never even heard of 'dry pour' concrete until a few weeks ago. I guess this video explains why in my 48 years in the UK I've never seen it done.

[@krg038]

Great test and video. I like the professionals commenting. You stated for a basic step, ac pad or chicken coup. Not driving a car or an airplane runway. 😂 I used a dry pour for my small patio. Not supporting anything but my bbq. I wet the ground first and misted every hour. California sun. Waited a week before using. I made stepping stones vs paying $8 each. Did a basic 7ft shed pad. No cracks after a year.

[@thatbigblackguychannel2576]

The first couple of waterings should be light mist. After that, drench it with water. It needs to absorb about a gallon of water per bag used.

[@tomtillman]

Yep, he didn't do this. not enough water.

[@blythdunlap8408]

I quit watching the video... he sounded to bias at the beginning of the video. I didn't see the pressure gauge on camera when he went to the dry pour, so I stopped watching..... thought there might be a reason he wasn't showing it. Maybe he did later, but I also don't think he did the dry pour method right, either.

[@VenturaIT]

@@blythdunlap8408 he said he did the misting too heavy... people having been doing dry pour for fence posts forever and making retaining walls out of bags forever... I left some mortar mix intended to be used for a shower pan in the bag, not even concrete, left out in the driveway for years and it's as hard as a rock and is now used to weight down our portable basketball hoop, never even watered it, it just got rained on during rainy season in socal... hard as stone

[@Majerly_Annoyed]

@@blythdunlap8408 I don't have a side in this ongoing debate but there certainly did seem to be a bias out of the gate and the test was anything but scientific when he admits to not using the correct amount of water at the start. What's the point of bothering to test if you didn't do it right in the first place?

[@fretworkpeddler]

@@Majerly_Annoyed This!

[@josephgraham1065]

You validated my thoughts... Who has 6 months to wait for a slab to cure?

[@GreyhairedOldman]

Concrete cures for years typically even wet pour is only at 75 to 80 percent of strength in 28 days that's why most concrete contractors tell you know heavy traffic for at least 30 days

[@revtoyota]

Over the years I have done a few dry pours and it takes months if not years for them to fully cure. Dry pours also heavily rely on absorbing moisture from the ground. It will never be as strong but these are weaker then they should be.

[@brandonm9359]

So we should wait longer than 30 days for full strength? To me that seems a little excessive vs standard concrete. But everyone can do what they want.

[@revtoyota]

@@brandonm9359there's a reason people usually only do dry pours with fence posts. I had no choice when I did the few pours I did.

[@roscoeshepard]

​@@revtoyotaI don't understand why anybody would think dry pour is as strong. If you ever seen concrete get wet in the bag and then harden would know.

[@Tito1984]

@@roscoeshepard Check that same bag after 5 years outside.

[@ShasCho]

I appreciate evidence over opinion. Thanks for this definitive demonstration.

[@hs9917]

I have done three dry pour slabs on my property the largest of 15 x 8 and the smaller of 3×5. All of them have held up exceptionally well I use sand mix on the top and then screen to that to a beautiful sandpaper like finish on the top I've had no problems with them and they've been in existence for several years now no cracks or breaking off of edges anything like that I strongly believe that if you're pouring a slab to be walked on or a small shed it is definitely the way to go if you're going to be doing a driveway or anything that needs to be bearing weight you should probably stick with the wet pour

[@seankrake4776]

I was planning on using dry pour concrete for some stepping stones in my yard. I suspect that that would be a decent use case since they won’t ever be under more load than a person’s weight.

[@andycanable5076]

What so hard about mixing concrete? Use the right tool (a hoe) No not her! And don't try to mix it all at once.

[@zoso1123]

Why? Do you really think your saving any time or labor?

[@seankrake4776]

@@zoso1123 I think so. It may not be true, but my mental walkthrough has made it seem like less labor for a part of a project that needs my attention elsewhere

[@zoso1123]

@seankrake4776 The hardest part is carrying the bags. Still gottacarry open and pour whether u mix or not. If you worried about working hard, buy your stepping stones pre made. Then you save time and money.

[@YSLRD]

Dry pour stepping stones are FINE. Perspective, people. It can work in higher stress areas, but it's kinda luck of the draw. Are you in a wet climate? Can it draw from the ground? I've done dry pour posts for years. They are still solid more than a decade later.

[@TimGallant]

Interesting. But, well ... all the dry pour recommendations I've seen are to do it with quick set. Is that what you used? I suspect that would make a significant difference. There are also methodological issues. Some concrete manufacturers do recommend dry pours for fence posts with quick set. But in that instance, there is a lot of moisture absorbing from the surrounding soil. I don't think a dry pour misting only the surface in a dry box is ever going to work well. FWIW, I dry poured my swing set posts, and it's rock solid, even though it has no angled supports, just vertical posts.

[@DanielRichards644]

No, trust me it's not, I did a dry pour to set my mail box post years ago, when the post rotted out I pulled out the concrete and it broke into several pieces, the reason dry pour works for fence posts is because it's a mass and surface friction to the dirt that keeps things solid, not the quality of the mix, you aren't relying on the compressive strength of concrete to hold your posts up.

[@anthonydilugi4672]

And, I would add, I would never use a dry set for anything structural or anything necessary to keep people safe let alone my children. But, I also would never use dry set period. Only a few occasions where we put fence posts in using quick set material which has polymers designed to decrease set time and increase binding.. Current UCC code in almost all states does not even allow the setting of posts in concrete because of corrosion affects and water sitting in bottom of hole created by post allowing for puddled water to do what it does best: erode things over time including concrete. Code requires all concrete piers to be a minimum of 2-3" above grade with structural post brackets set into concrete while wet.

[@VenturaIT]

i left a mortar bag out in the driveway for years, just forgot about it... it was for a shower pan, but then didn't go that direction... now it's as hard as stone, it's not even concrete and this was years ago, now it's used to weight down our portable basketball hoop, probably the first winter it got a lot of rain on it that saturated it... once the concrete is set (misting) you can't use too much water... but you can ruin it by misting it with not enough water, then waiting too long so half or a portion of the CSH bonds set then watering it and then waiting too long, you see he made up his own instructions with 45 minute intervals and those aren't the instructions that work... I watched the Cajun County Livin channel again, their instructions that work for them are light mist wait 1 hour another light mist wait 1 hour then do heavy watering once per hour for as many hours as 2x the inch thickness so you water 8 times for a 4 inch slab... theirs turned out grey like concrete, not dirt color which makes me think the guy in this video added too much sand to his concrete

[@Rj-nh1df]

Nice follow up from the original video, thx 😊

[@johnstone9396]

There was never any question on dry vs wet, 20 years ago my neighbor talked me into setting deck post in dry cement, after the first winter my deck was warped from the post rising and lowering, I had to temp brace everything and reset new post one at a time in wet cement.

[@briceebudman3481]

Didn't go below frost line!

[@takagienterprises]

I dry poured a slab for our shed with 4000 lb mix and it is doing great. Not a single crack.

[@JB-jr2hs]

Awesome. Thank you. Btw .. when you breathe in concrete dust it turns back into concrete, you're dry pouring your lungs and your sinus cavity. 🤣 Mask up, brother!

[@SuperWiz666]

You breath in cement dust not concrete, so it turns into what is basically limestone in any body fluids.

[@MrLawandorderman]

Doesn’t work quite that way but appreciate the sentiment.

[@reasonwarrior]

My uncle worked in concrete for years and didn't wear a mask. He ended up needing a lung transplant. Mask up is right.

[@pault151]

Just look up Silicosis.

[@foulweatherworks7831]

i was yelling during the clip of him cutting them and once all thr dust cleared you could see his bare face 😳

[@nevisstkitts8264]

1:51 the key issue with dry pour is the lack of publically available standards and process instructions. Proper hydration is essential for strength and integrity of concrete. Without proper hydration, "curing" is partial at best. IMO, "misting" of dry pour slab is only the preliminary step for hydration and serves primarily to stabilize the free surface against erosion during high flow wetting. If the dry pour doesn't have a ponding step, there's a high likelihood of insufficient hydration.

[@VenturaIT]

yes, wet curing/ponding for up to around 30 days will make any concrete stronger, mist once, wait 1 hour, mist lightly again as to not to disturb the surface preparation, then wait 1 more hour, then water heavily but no so heavily that you disturb the material, water 2 times for every inch of your dry concrete, so a 4 inch dry slab will get 8 waterings separated by 1 hour... another thing is that you can't do this in freezing or cold weather... it has to be probably 45F or warm to hot... but not too hot... i've seen it fail in dry and arid locations... the Cajun Country Livin people have rain that is a natural wet curing process after they do their process, which actually gives it more strength...

[@nevisstkitts8264]

@@VenturaIT Cajun country has the advantage of continual wicking of moisture from the ground ...

[@andrewfyakim525]

I've always wet-poured slabs, and pilings and post holes. And because I do, I've been ridiculed by some of my buddies who swear by the dry-pour method.... I can't wait to forward your video to them. I think a big issue with the dry pour is that the ingredients are not properly mixed as well, and that the proper amount of water doesn't get where it needs to go for the proper chemical reaction.

[@TheBrothergreen]

Well, for post holes, they're still correct. You don't need 2 tons of structure for a fence post. The ground will give before the concrete, whatever the method, and nobody will care if the edges get a little crumbly.

[@andrewfyakim525]

Depends on the soil conditions. It's not about 2 tons of structure; it's about lateral sway/weakness. In our soft, zero-rock, weak, sandy and/or muck soil, when using the weak dry-pour you can manually push the post (4X4's, 4X6's, 6X6'x 8X83s side-to-side, breaking the concrete, months after the cement is 'cured'. It requires large diameter, and deep holes for any type of post/piling. I will still use wet-pour.@@TheBrothergreen

[@rupe53]

got news for ya... it's not the water getting to where it's needed, it's the fine powdered cement and the larger particles of sand / gravel separating into layers during shipping. If everything is not evenly distributed, then it becomes weaker.

[@stevenmiller6725]

In my soil a 4in post will snap off before the dry pour breaks. Not really an intentional test, but just saying. I use a 36in deep hole 6in auger. Fairly rocky soil. A dry pour slab should be considered temporary though.

[@rodconner9079]

Yer on to something bud!!! On the "wet" ... you mentioned "mix" and proper amount of "water" and "chemical reaction". There's a lot going on with what you say!!! Dry-pours can be made if conditions allow and dependent on application but not favorable. Most dry-pours are incorrectly done but suffice due to application (think buried with little or no-load or sheer) and containment; regardless, some sort of mixing should happen (rodding), working out any large air-pockets and consolidation (*for even distribution). Soil types play a big role in containment, think hard-packed (density) and ability to retain moisture. Stop the chemical reaction (hydration) in any part, it's done - it won't restart! 2thumbs up! : )

[@christinedaugherty]

When doing a dry pour you should only fill the form halfway first then soak it with water then fill the rest of the form and soak it. If it gets pits from soaking it you can screed it with it wet. If you want a nicer finish you can mix up a then coat of Portland cement and pour it on and finish it like it was a wet pour. This will insure more water penetration. I don't know if it is as strong as a wet pour but it will be much stronger than just misting it from the top. Works great on steep grades when you can't use a truck.

[@downrightdisturbed]

With the dry pour, each time you watered the slab you added moisture to the wood. This would impact the amount of moisture being absorbed from the concrete into the wood, and also add more moisture to the sides of the slab touching the sides. Also, there may not have been enough water for the dry slab. That being said, Wet is always going to be better because of the uniformity of the mixture, and you don't need to do a lot of guessing compared to the dry pours.

[@weeverob]

The problem is the dry pour is just not getting enough water to complete the chemical transformation

[@GS-zv3qn]

Seems like top is curing and sealing off the center from proper amount of water, if doing a dry pour I would put an inch to 1.5 layer of Crete then add recommended amount of water then repeat till form is full, should be wet all the way thru slab and be almost same as a wet pour, only difference would be wet pour is getting particles moved around and mixed up, but 80 pound bags are mixed so they just need water all the way thru

[@jfftck]

The biggest reason the wet pour is stronger is the mixing that’s involved, it is ensuring that all of the concrete mix has the correct amount of water on every tiny particulate matter in it. This is the same as making a cake, you wouldn’t skip mixing the dry ingredients with the wet ones. The only way a dry pour is going to have a chance at being strong is to have an additional form above to hold water and let it slowly drip down into the mix. It is very clear that the dry isn’t meeting the ratio required for the concrete mix.

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Once concrete begins interlocking its crystal structure, it will shed more water than it will allow through. Simply dripping water on top is not enough. Maybe if you had a system of sloped baffles, similar to those self mixing epoxy tips. And sprayed a heavy dose of water as you dropped concrete in there it might do something. But I bet it still wouldn't pass a soil techs core sampling and testing procedures.

[@SD-xs3py]

Really interesting and well thought out. I had always wondered, because dry pour would be so much easier! I look forward to you doing the other blocks and seeing if it just takes longer to cure. Thanks for doing this.

[@jamescolton1085]

In my opinion it is appropriate to flood or at least generously wet dry pour after the first few mist treatments over the first few hours. That will not make it even close to as strong as wet pour, but it will make it a lot stronger than what you did.

[@theleefamily6446]

The company that put up my fence would pour concrete bags in the hole and then I'm not sure they even put water in there. He said oh it will make it better when it rains. I told my husband there was no way that was doing anything. I appreciate this video.

[@VanillaIceCoffee]

I did a sidewalk repair with dry pour, direct to dirt, so it cured by bringing up all the moisture from the ground every night, trucks go on it no problem. The difference was about spraying the concrete at each 80lb bag, not just the top. It also depends of the aggregate quality, most pre mix have round and smooth pebbles like marbles even the cement doesn't stick to, when they get mixed for 10+ minutes they sorta get sand blasted for a better adhesion, another advantage for wet pour. A bag of premix in your area might be completely different in another town or state, the aggregate is sourced locally.

[@VanillaIceCoffee]

also during testing by concrete labs, each block is cut to perfection on both side, extremely parallel, that's the only way to have accurate load distribution

[@kevin8360]

A dry pour may be sufficient for your needs, but it will never be near the rated strength and never as strong as a wet mix. Percolation kills the mix… segregates the different ingredients, causing a sub-par mix.

[@brock8199]

@@VanillaIceCoffee No they aren't, they are put into test cylinders.

[@VanillaIceCoffee]

@@brock8199 for the ones you get at the truck yes, not always tho, only one side is flat. core samples and other blocks are polished, the lab I deal with doesn’t trust the cylinders, they polish them anyways it’s super quick

[@RouteACG]

Curious if you only misted the dry pour or if you did the soaking that I've seen as required after the top surface has cured? It looks like not enough water was used. I'd expect the dry pour to be weaker than traditional concrete, but not as extreme as what your test showed, so trying to fully understand your dry pour process. Thanks for an interesting video!

[@anthonydilugi4672]

If you set concrete dry, and you soak it without then intermixing aggregate thoroughly, you will create a separation effect. Also, if you add to much water you create an integrity issue for same reason. You literally wash the aggregate away from each other. An easy test would be to put dry mux in mixing box pour water over it and let it sit. The end result will be aggregates separating from each other and not combining.

[@VenturaIT]

he did it wrong, he said so at the start, hence why he got a sandy darker appearance, happens when people make up their own system and not follow instructions that have worked for others

[@nofearcavalier2729]

Great video! I have no idea why anyone was doing a dry pour in the first place. Pretty soon they'll probably be eating raw chicken because cooking it is too much work.

[@phillhuddleston9445]

That is the raw foods diet and has been around for a while and yes it includes raw meat though many on it are vegetarians.

[@dupre7416]

Why do anything hard? Tightening all the bolts on my car's wheels is too much work. I only finger tighten them. Look at all the time/effort I have saved. Who's the jammy bastard now?

[@rnordquest]

We were served raw chicken in Osaka, Japan. We didn’t eat that course, but the locals did.

[@johndorian4078]

They are doing it because in most cases that's all the strength you need. and it's a lot cheaper. and easier to remove for temporary uses.

[@phillhuddleston9445]

@@johndorian4078 it will fall apart a lot sooner so that's a huge disadvantage, I do agree about temporary uses but I have never heard of someone using concrete for a temporary purpose nor can I think of a situation where it would be used for one.

[@supersonicgamerguru]

the dry pour is pretty consistent with what I observed happened to a whole bag of concrete that was left out in the rain. It didn't really hold together very well at all.

[@jkiker7918]

the advantage of a dry pour is no limit on the time to place materials and no need for a cerement mixer or truck and crew. You can get the same benefit by doing smaller wet pours that are of a size and mass you can handle, instead of a monolithic pour. I didn't want a truck or to use a mixer, so I just poured my sidewalk in 4 foot sections. I could mix those 6-8 60lb bags quickly enough by in my wheel barrow to fill in my forms. All of my concrete sections have a dry edge touching each other, and years later no chipping. I did put a wire mesh in my section with the it sticking out of one pour into the next.

[@Friedbrain11]

I like the look of the dry pour myself.

[@michaelmankowski5092]

I have poured/done both types. Depending on how you wet the dry, it does make a difference. For looks, though, if trying to match color to an existing sidewalk. The dry pour when done matched the older existing sidewalk, not only in color but that weathered look. Several people I showed the dry version to asked where the new sidewalk was. I have even driven one side of my 2500 pickup on it. Yes, it's not 8 tons. But it looks natural. What most people don't know is that air entrainment and mixing are the key to good cement. Plus, a solid base. Dry pour should be used mainly were you can't get a cement truck in and don't want an extra cost for yard repairs. Nothing super heavy.

[@davidmiller6010]

I used to take care of a building of retirees. One of my tenants was a former materials tester for construction projects. One thing he told me forever sticks in my head, and that is concrete gets continually harder for the 1st 28 Y E A R S of its life! Then it turns around and goes the other way.

[@damnhandy]

Except that Roman concrete mixed 3000 years ago is still holding up the aqueducts it was mixed for.

[@RigepFroggit]

@@damnhandy that's down to a combination of being unreinforced so no internal corrosion. Use of pozallano ash in the mix. Use of a low-slump hand-laying technique that's too labor intensive for modern large scale construction but leaves far fewer internal voids. And using a mix that cures very slowly at relatively low temperatures. As in literally orders of magnitude slower than the cure on most modern concrete mixes.

[@artnull13]

@@damnhandyapparently we lost the exact Roman concrete formula

[@damnhandy]

@artnull13 A pity. All I know about making concrete, which is considerable, is that the least amount of water imaginable will create the hardest concrete imaginable.

[@albertostashek5876]

Thank you for making this video. Anyone who works with concrete professionally will tell you that this silly dry pour trend on social media produces nothing but substandard, barely usable concrete. For concrete to cure properly, the water needs to fully and consistently hydrate the cement particles which then forms a paste that coats the aggregate particles to make a strong bond. There is simply no way that can possibly happen in dry poured concrete. There is no way that dry poured concrete will ever have the same quality as wet poured, no matter how long it sits, it will never, ever achieve an equivalent strength.

[@1dayUwillfearGod]

What I've learned is that to dry pour or wet pour depends upon one's structural and financial needs. For example, dry pour seems perfectly fine if one just need slabs for around the home projects that don't require heavy loads such as for small sheds, HVACs, chicken coups, low use walkways...etc. and the need to save money. As he states, he wouldn't use a dry pour for anything structural needing major strength. I'm certainly glad I've learned about dry pouring for low stress projects around the home and with mankind's ingenuity, will someday see someone invent a way to make dry pouring just as structurally sound as a wet pour.

[@Alolan.Vulpix.Getting.Railed]

@@1dayUwillfearGod You think a dry pour walkway is going to crack under at most a 400 lb person when it took this 8 ton of pressure in a 6 inch radius to get cracks to show? lmfao ok

[@catsplitter]

line the box with plastic and fill with water and then pour the dry cement into the water filled box until the water is all washed out. misting the outside does not get it all saturated with water, so by pouring into a water filled container it should all get wet. i think it would be as strong as the wet pour, but without mixing first.

[@HB-600]

This method seems impossible for anything larger than a 12x12 inch square then…

[@kevin8360]

Water isn’t the issue. It’s the segregation of the ingredients due to percolation. Your concrete mix… is much less mixed. The wet mixing remixes it.

[@SuperVstech]

Anybody who has had bags get wet in storage knows how “strong” a dry pour can be. But, no… nothing structural should ever consider a dry pour. For post holes? Sure… for a quick barrier? Maybe… support for anything? Not me..

[@Frank-sf1wh]

I built a patio with pavers, and left the normal spacing between each one, and poured my cement dry. Then sprayed water on top. It worked fabulously. ,that was 10 years ago, it’s still unbroken.