February 2017 was an extraordinarily hot month for southern Queensland and New South Wales. With records broken from 1890's it was a shock leaving Holland and arriving to New South Wales and the 40+ degree weather. Our thermometers exceeded past 40 degrees on many days on site while in New South Wales constructing a 2.5 Hectare tomato greenhouse foundation for Van Der Hoeven. The hottest day we clocked was 47 degrees : taking the title of the global hot spot.
According to a report by the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Transport, major heatwaves are Australia’s deadliest natural hazards, particularly for cities. Major heatwaves have caused more deaths since 1890 than bushfires, cyclones, earthquakes, floods and severe storms combined.
Aside from the precarious work conditions when one works outside for even short periods in extreme heat, weather above 24 degrees Celsius provides an obvious complication to constructing with concrete. During hot weather conditions a number of factors can work against deriving perfect numbers for concrete foundations. Without centimeters to spare, and even with tight deadlines to be made, most will not pour in extreme weather. However, provided your concrete producer supplies concrete made with sound, well-graded and high quality aggregates, with the precise water content needed, there should be few problems in placing and finishing if reasonable care is taken.
Experience and skill is required in these conditions to deliver the quality product RoRo stands behind, avoiding the main problems arising during summer concreting :
1. Preventing the early loss of water from concrete,
2. Preventing early setting because of too-rapid drying.
If these problems are not anticipated, there will most likely be cracking, shrinkage and extreme difficulties in finishing. After 3 weeks in NSW, RoRo completed the flawless foundation in Cobbitty and continued down south to the province of Victoria for another project for Gakon of 5.5 Hectares. Standing behind our promise of on time and on budget, with one more week to go on this leg of our Australia tour, it may be cooling off for this country, but it is just heating up in 2017 for RoRo Greenhouses.
Many Thanks,
Ronald and Robert