"shedmeister" wrote in message
om...
The basement floor and walls of my new house (in Indianapolis) were
poured with a 3500 lb mix = 5.5 bag mix. This sounds normal. So my
question is, what could cause this concrete to be harder and more
brittle than any other concrete I have ever drilled? Moisture starved
while curing? Curing in the winter? Here are 2 phenomena that did
not occur in my last 3 homes:

1) When I drill and install standard wall anchors, and screw in
standard zinc-plated screws, about 40% of the screws break.

2) When I drop something hard and heavy on the concrete, it chips out
a significant chunk.

Thanks,
Jim

This is Turtle.

I'm not a Concrete wizard but all the slab people will tell you that when it is
brittle it did not cure right. It being cured right can amount to most anything
that you do to pour the concrete. If a concrete company pours your slab and it
turns out brittle. Most will replace the slab for nothing. In this part of the
country they will pay to have it removed and poured again.

TURTLE