Skip to main content

Managing Cold Weather Construction

2015 began with a cold snap shutting down numerous construction projects across the area and the nation. While the Southeast region may not see heavy snow, the cold winds, frozen ground, and freezing temperatures still present their own challenges to construction projects and tradesmen. So, if your construction project occurs during some of the winter months, you should be aware of the potential for additional costs and time delays due to weather.

For instance, did you know:

  •  With cold temperatures comes decreased daylight, which affects on the job productivity. Not only are there less daylight hours for construction crews to work, you also lose the time needed to properly warm up equipment, as well as the time and effort required to set up temporary heating or even lighting equipment.
  •  For concrete and masonry to cure properly, it needs to maintain a moderate temperature. Freezing conditions require additives and even blankets to ensure the correct temperature is maintained.  Frost, freezing actions, and low temperatures can often cause physical damage or reduced strength in concrete.  In fact, concrete cannot be placed on frozen surfaces or subgrade containing frozen material.  
  •  In masonry construction, it is necessary to heat the water used in mixing grout and mortar, and in some cases the masonry components themselves have to be heated.Once masonry is laid, it may be necessary to cover walls with insulated blankets or weather-resistant membranes.
  • Asphalt requires certain temperatures for proper adhesion and in order to achieve desired compaction. However, different temperatures often regulate when you can install base courses, tack coats, and surface courses.  It is very important to monitor all temperatures (ambient, base, and hot mix asphalt) and wind velocity during the paving process.
  •  The site in general is harder to keep properly maintained.  Freezing temperatures repeatedly keeps moisture from evaporating and increased precipitation during the winter months often leave the ground saturated.  Construction equipment activity tends to exacerbate the situation creating a muddy and unsafe environment.
  • Winter also calls for heightened safety precautions due to the increased chance of frostbite, dehydration, and slipping hazards. 


Remaining safe on construction sites in winter means understanding the hazards and issues that specific weather presents and being proactive about potential problems. At RKR we take steps to anticipate weather complications and make every effort to ensure our sites are safe for everyone involved. 



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dr. John Zauner - Executive Director for the Georgia School Superintendents Association

We recently spent some time with Dr. Zauner to learn more about his current role, as well as to hear stories about his days on the Secret Service detail for former President George H.W. Bush. Q: Let’s begin with you sharing a little about your background and your interests. A: I was involved in my early days in athletics in high school and college and enjoyed that experience. It taught me a lot about teamwork and working with others. I moved into the education realm after graduating college and started out as a teacher of special needs students. I worked my way through the education system to three different school systems and ultimately became superintendent of the Carroll County School System in 2003. As far as my passions, I love to bird hunt and raise bird dogs, as well as love anything with a motor and wheels; which includes motorcycles and cars. I also enjoy the beach and boats, so I have a wide variety of interests. Q:   What was your role prior to your current posit

Laura Richards | Founder & Chair of the Friends of Carrollton GreenBelt, LLC

Share with us your background that led to you founding Carrollton GreenBelt. I am from Carrollton, but left in 1990 to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Then I moved back in 2009. While I was away, I biked across the United States and then led as a European guide for Vermont Bicycle Touring. That’s when it clicked for me regarding trails. I first rode with guests on trails separated from roads in the Netherlands. There I saw people holding hands while they biked and carrying pets and their groceries to the extent that it became more than a trail, but a really busy public space. Our Greenbelt serves that role as one of Carrollton's newest parks and showcases local natural wonders. It’s a great way to enjoy the great outdoors. What’s the most rewarding part of what you do/have done at GreenBelt? To see the city of Carrollton submit its application to be a bike friendly community was the most rewarding part to me. That designation is through the League of

R.K. Redding Construction Receives Prestigious CNA Leadership in Safety Award

Bremen, GA – R. K. Redding Construction (RKR), a full service, multi-disciplinary construction management and general construction contracting firm, announced today that it has received a national Leadership in Safety Award from CNA, the seventh largest U.S. commercial insurance carrier.  “We strongly believe in the importance of accident prevention and creating a safe work environment, both for our customers and employees,” said Randall Redding, President and CEO of RKR. “It’s an honor to have our efforts recognized by CNA.”  Bob Cauthen, CNA Risk Control, Commercial Underwriting, said, “R.K. Redding Construction has taken a proactive approach to a safer work environment and product safety issues by educating themselves about common risks in their industry, identifying problem areas in advance and then implementing the necessary steps to help prevent an accident or business disruption from occurring. We consider R.K. Redding Construction to be an industry role model with regard to

Roopville Road Baptist Church Raises Funds to Build its New Home of Worship

Go to RKRedding.com to view all project photos Roopville Road Baptist Church was blessed that its congregation was growing at a rapid rate. However, that meant that they needed to build a new sanctuary to house their entire membership and keep that positive "energy" by continuing to worship in one service. Roopville Road's Minister of Music and Administration Bryan Turner was given the daunting task of overseeing the expansion project. While the Church committee was torn between R.K. Redding Construction and another construction company, one of the committee members said that he could serve as the project superintendent, if the Church leadership selected his construction company. That's when the RKR philosophy made a difference. According to Turner, "Randall Redding of RKR was the only firm of 10 we interviewed to call after the bidding process. In fact, Randall left me a voicemail and said he supported our decision 100% and that he hoped to work with

RKR Planning Services

North Paulding School Cluster How can public school systems make informed decisions regarding the best use of their facilities? At RKR, our Planning Services team has been working to successfully answer this question by taking into account multiple factors such as census data, surrounding school districts, county birth data, home sales, etc, to create custom-designed solutions that meet the specific needs of each school district. For example, with the Polk School District we evaluated individual school enrollment history with anticipated area changes so that a correlation was developed that placed students in their zoned school. The final documents contained easy to read graphs so the data could be interpreted. For the Paulding County School District, our Planning Services team provided projection data to support the staff allocation process, which also helped to develop long range planning opportunities. In addition, a facilities study that we produced for Decatur Ci