Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

On 12 Apr 2007 14:13:24 -0700, "
wrote:

Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?

Depends.

b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?

What does your friend say?

c) How much should you put in?

See b); or add all of it?

d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just forget what the instructions call for. Be a Rebel!


Just hoping for some verification or denial.

I cannot attest to the veracity of the report..


Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.
--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

On Apr 12, 6:07 pm, Oren wrote:
On 12 Apr 2007 14:13:24 -0700, "

wrote:
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?

Depends.

b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?

What does your friend say?

c) How much should you put in?

See b); or add all of it?

d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just forget what the instructions call for. Be a Rebel!



Just hoping for some verification or denial.

I cannot attest to the veracity of the report..



Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"


Dear Oren,

Your response was useless. Please consider a career with Verizon
technical support.

Thanks anyway,
William Deans

On 12 Apr 2007 15:16:27 -0700, "
wrote:

On Apr 12, 6:07 pm, Oren wrote:
On 12 Apr 2007 14:13:24 -0700, "

wrote:
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?

Depends.

b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?

What does your friend say?

c) How much should you put in?

See b); or add all of it?

d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just forget what the instructions call for. Be a Rebel!



Just hoping for some verification or denial.

I cannot attest to the veracity of the report..



Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"


Dear Oren,

Your response was useless. Please consider a career with Verizon
technical support.

Thanks anyway,
William Deans

It was honest, since I cannot say yeah or nay to your post.

What does your research indicate? You know uselessness.


--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

wrote:
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

Somehow I get the feeling this is a poor idea. I don't think anyone
will be able to answer authoritatively as I doubt if anyone has, or will,
try it.

BTW the amount of water in the mix is not, or should not, be dependent
on desired workability, There are specific ratios and messing with them
will reduce the strength of the final product. Water becomes part of the
concrete. With a proper mix very little evaporates.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 19:05:28 -0400, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:
BTW the amount of water in the mix is not, or should not, be dependent
on desired workability, There are specific ratios and messing with them
will reduce the strength of the final product. Water becomes part of the
concrete. With a proper mix very little evaporates.

Might be the Discovery Channel showing the bridge pour below the
Hoover Dam. Said to be the largest single pour; ever?

Trucks lined up and up. One person's job to check the mix on every
truck. They even moved trucks up ahead of the line, timing travel,
sitting time, etc. Great show.

--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:49:59 -0700, Oren wrote:

Might be the Discovery Channel showing the bridge pour below the
Hoover Dam. Said to be the largest single pour; ever?

The bridge will be to the right of the dam face - see aerial.

http://www.hooverdambypass.org/default.htm
--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
Somehow I get the feeling this is a poor idea. I don't think anyone
will be able to answer authoritatively as I doubt if anyone has, or will,
try it.

BTW the amount of water in the mix is not, or should not, be dependent
on desired workability, There are specific ratios and messing with them
will reduce the strength of the final product. Water becomes part of the
concrete. With a proper mix very little evaporates.

Detergents contain surfactants so, in theory, the water would mix easier
with the cement and aggregate. Would I try it? No.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
Somehow I get the feeling this is a poor idea. I don't think anyone
will be able to answer authoritatively as I doubt if anyone has, or will,
try it.

BTW the amount of water in the mix is not, or should not, be dependent
on desired workability, There are specific ratios and messing with them
will reduce the strength of the final product. Water becomes part of the
concrete. With a proper mix very little evaporates.

Detergents contain surfactants so, in theory, the water would mix easier
with the cement and aggregate. Would I try it? No.


I'd try some Dawn or Palmolive on at least one step to see if it made it
step softer.

Steve

" wrote in
oups.com:

On Apr 12, 6:07 pm, Oren wrote:
On 12 Apr 2007 14:13:24 -0700, "

wrote:
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it
more workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?

Depends.

b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?

What does your friend say?

c) How much should you put in?

See b); or add all of it?

d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just forget what the instructions call for. Be a Rebel!



Just hoping for some verification or denial.

I cannot attest to the veracity of the report..



Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good
ideas!"


Dear Oren,

Your response was useless. Please consider a career with Verizon
technical support.

Thanks anyway,
William Deans



LMAO. Can ya hear me now?

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:36:45 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
.. .

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
Somehow I get the feeling this is a poor idea. I don't think anyone
will be able to answer authoritatively as I doubt if anyone has, or will,
try it.

BTW the amount of water in the mix is not, or should not, be dependent
on desired workability, There are specific ratios and messing with them
will reduce the strength of the final product. Water becomes part of the
concrete. With a proper mix very little evaporates.

Detergents contain surfactants so, in theory, the water would mix easier
with the cement and aggregate. Would I try it? No.


I'd try some Dawn or Palmolive on at least one step to see if it made it
step softer.

Steve


You insist on keeping from chipping your nails; don't you?

--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:36:45 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
.. .

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
Somehow I get the feeling this is a poor idea. I don't think anyone
will be able to answer authoritatively as I doubt if anyone has, or will,
try it.

BTW the amount of water in the mix is not, or should not, be dependent
on desired workability, There are specific ratios and messing with them
will reduce the strength of the final product. Water becomes part of the
concrete. With a proper mix very little evaporates.

Detergents contain surfactants so, in theory, the water would mix easier
with the cement and aggregate. Would I try it? No.


I'd try some Dawn or Palmolive on at least one step to see if it made it
step softer.

It's easier just to buy SoftCrete.

Steve

On Apr 12, 4:13 pm, " wrote:
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

Pray tell me how some people come up with such hair brain ideas?

I have never heard of this but I would be cautious of this kind of
experiment. I recall where a bridge had to me torn down when some one
spilled their coffee into a mixer truck the sugar caused an adverse reaction
that caused a failure of the concrete.

Seems to me that if simple dish soap was a good idea then it would be
something that the cement companies would advocate.

--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.


" wrote in message
oups.com...
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

I find it hard to imagine that 6 to 10 cubic yards of concrete would be
affected by a couple of spoonfuls of sugar. Worse things can be found in the
aggregate, especially if animals have been using it lately.

"Roger Shoaf" wrote in message
...
I have never heard of this but I would be cautious of this kind of
experiment. I recall where a bridge had to me torn down when some one
spilled their coffee into a mixer truck the sugar caused an adverse
reaction
that caused a failure of the concrete.

Seems to me that if simple dish soap was a good idea then it would be
something that the cement companies would advocate.

--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.


" wrote in message
oups.com...
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

" wrote in
oups.com:

Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.



An alleged drywall guy told me to use a small amout of Dawn in the last
coat of mud on tape to make it creamy. It indeed does make it creamy. But
I guess if I watered the **** out of it it would be creamy too.

What does that have to do with your question? Well, nothing.

It so happens that someone has tried this. Believe it or not the CIA.
Addition of even small amounts of liquid soap (I believe Ivory was
used in the test) to concrete does not seem to change the curing time
or what it looks like BUT the strength of the resultant concrete after
setting will be severely reduced. We did it as a form of sabotage.
Ex-CIA 25 years in the business.

On 12 Apr 2007 14:13:24 -0700, "
wrote:

Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

email response not expected but to respond remove .uk at end
TIA
Hank

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:29:03 -0400, "EXT"
wrote:

I find it hard to imagine that 6 to 10 cubic yards of concrete would be
affected by a couple of spoonfuls of sugar. Worse things can be found in the
aggregate, especially if animals have been using it lately.

But only diabetic animals excrete much sugar.

Just kidding. I have no idea if Roger's story is possible or not.

"Roger Shoaf" wrote in message
...
I have never heard of this but I would be cautious of this kind of
experiment. I recall where a bridge had to me torn down when some one
spilled their coffee into a mixer truck the sugar caused an adverse
reaction
that caused a failure of the concrete.

Seems to me that if simple dish soap was a good idea then it would be
something that the cement companies would advocate.

--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.


" wrote in message
oups.com...
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

On 12 Apr 2007 19:05:47 -0700, "Jack" wrote:

On Apr 12, 4:13 pm, " wrote:
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

Pray tell me how some people come up with such hair brain ideas?

I can tell you. Stick with me here; the OP has a friend!!

--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:34:45 -0400, Hank
wrote:

It so happens that someone has tried this. Believe it or not the CIA.
Addition of even small amounts of liquid soap (I believe Ivory was
used in the test) to concrete does not seem to change the curing time
or what it looks like BUT the strength of the resultant concrete after
setting will be severely reduced. We did it as a form of sabotage.
Ex-CIA 25 years in the business.

You should be former CIA; not Ex-CIA!

No Ivory soap in the major dam around here...

OP can benefit from you expertise., let loose.


On 12 Apr 2007 14:13:24 -0700, "
wrote:

Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

email response not expected but to respond remove .uk at end
TIA
Hank
--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

On Apr 12, 10:29 pm, "EXT" wrote:
I find it hard to imagine that 6 to 10 cubic yards of concrete would be
affected by a couple of spoonfuls of sugar. Worse things can be found in the
aggregate, especially if animals have been using it lately.

"Roger Shoaf" wrote in message

...

I have never heard of this but I would be cautious of this kind of
experiment. I recall where a bridge had to me torn down when some one
spilled their coffee into a mixer truck the sugar caused an adverse
reaction
that caused a failure of the concrete.

Seems to me that if simple dish soap was a good idea then it would be
something that the cement companies would advocate.

--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.

" wrote in message
roups.com...
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.


Greetings,

I also find the coffee story questionable. I thought that sugar,
although harmful when used to excess, was commonly used in small
amounts as an additive to increase workability time during long
difficult pours in hot weather, in much the same way as calcium
chloride is used to speed up the reaction in cold weather.

I looked in google but they have surprisingly little about this...
perhaps I just clicked the wrong responses.

Thanks again,
William

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
Somehow I get the feeling this is a poor idea. I don't think
anyone will be able to answer authoritatively as I doubt if anyone
has, or will, try it.

BTW the amount of water in the mix is not, or should not, be
dependent on desired workability, There are specific ratios and
messing with them will reduce the strength of the final product. Water
becomes part of the concrete. With a proper mix very little
evaporates.

Detergents contain surfactants so, in theory, the water would mix
easier with the cement and aggregate. Would I try it? No.

Or not. We don't know what other chemical or physical changes might be
made that could be detrimental. I don't know that there would be any
problems, but I sure would not try it on a critical job, or assume that if I
used it once and nothing bad happened that it would be always OK.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

EXT wrote:
I find it hard to imagine that 6 to 10 cubic yards of concrete would
be affected by a couple of spoonfuls of sugar. Worse things can be
found in the aggregate, especially if animals have been using it
lately.

http://media.www.thevarsity.ca/media...e-289961.shtml


"Roger Shoaf" wrote in message
...
I have never heard of this but I would be cautious of this kind of
experiment. I recall where a bridge had to me torn down when some
one spilled their coffee into a mixer truck the sugar caused an
adverse reaction
that caused a failure of the concrete.

Seems to me that if simple dish soap was a good idea then it would be
something that the cement companies would advocate.

--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the
solvent. " wrote in message
oups.com...
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it
more workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
wrote:
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

Somehow I get the feeling this is a poor idea. I don't think anyone
will be able to answer authoritatively as I doubt if anyone has, or will,
try it.

BTW the amount of water in the mix is not, or should not, be dependent
on desired workability, There are specific ratios and messing with them
will reduce the strength of the final product. Water becomes part of the
concrete. With a proper mix very little evaporates.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

there are additives that replace the water that affect the workability of
the concrete and affect the time for setting.

http://www.concretenetwork.com/concr..._reduction.htm

regards,
charlie
cave creek, az

This is a trick used by concrete finishers for a long time; at least
30 years that I know of. Lots of others' experience tends to validate
this, but I haven't used it.

Detergent isn't an approved admixture; however, the approved ones cost
a lot more.

The theory is the detergent allows the fine aggregates to slip around
more, making it easier to finish and to consolidate around
reinforcement and forms.

If the mix is designed for the application, you shouldn't need to add
detergent. If the mix sits in the truck too long, drivers tend to add
water to "hide" the loss of plasticity. Detergent may do the same
thing. If you accept this, you're not getting what you paid for.

On Apr 12, 4:13 pm, " wrote:
Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

And conversely if you add Tri-Chromium ( literally only drops) the concrete
is 70% stronger. The chemical stops oxidation along the rebar's. This is an
old Ferro cement boat builders trick. You can also re-enforce by adding 5 %
silica.

Even today, cement mixing is an art, NOT a science. I would certainly not
add anything but a small quantity of latex to cement.



"Hank" wrote in message
...
It so happens that someone has tried this. Believe it or not the CIA.
Addition of even small amounts of liquid soap (I believe Ivory was
used in the test) to concrete does not seem to change the curing time
or what it looks like BUT the strength of the resultant concrete after
setting will be severely reduced. We did it as a form of sabotage.
Ex-CIA 25 years in the business.

On 12 Apr 2007 14:13:24 -0700, "
wrote:

Greetings,

I was told by a friend that you should always put a small amount of
liquid dish detergent into your concrete or stucco mix to make it more
workable with less water.

a) Does it actually make the mixture more workable?
b) Does it decrease the strength or increase the strength due to the
need for less water?
c) How much should you put in?
d) Anything else I should know? Perhaps it is against city code
because it isn't an "approved admixture", etc?

Just hoping for some verification or denial.

Thanks!

PS: I understand that you can purchase superplasticisers but that is
beyond the scope of many small projects such as rebuilding steps,
stuccoing a framed in porch, etc.

email response not expected but to respond remove .uk at end
TIA
Hank

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 19:05:28 -0400, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

try it.

BTW the amount of water in the mix is not, or should not, be dependent
on desired workability, There are specific ratios and messing with them
will reduce the strength of the final product. Water becomes part of the
concrete. With a proper mix very little evaporates.

Then how come if I take a sledge hammer and break up a sidewalk, no
water comes out of the concrete? Where does the water go?