Showing 0 products
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an insulated tarp for?
Controlling temperature rather than keeping water out.
Concrete curing in cold weather is the defining application.
A thermal layer sits between the outer faces.
It retains the heat the concrete generates as it cures.
Other uses follow the same principle.
Protecting equipment, materials and temporary works from frost are typical.
Why does concrete need it?
Because it generates its own heat and loses it faster than it produces it in cold weather.
Below a certain temperature the curing reaction slows severely.
Eventually it stops altogether.
Concrete frozen before gaining strength is permanently damaged.
That is different from merely being delayed.
An insulated blanket retains the heat of hydration so the reaction continues.
How serious is getting it wrong?
It is a quality control failure rather than an inconvenience.
The concrete may never reach its specified strength.
On a structural element that is a serious problem.
It is generally discovered at testing.
Remedy at that point can mean breaking out and recasting.
That consequence is why cold weather concreting is procedurally controlled.
How is thermal performance specified?
As an R-value or equivalent thermal resistance figure.
The requirement depends on ambient temperature and the element's thickness.
The mix design also affects heat generation.
Thin sections lose heat fastest and need most protection.
Thick pours generate and retain more heat themselves.
Guidance for cold weather concreting sets the requirements in each market.
Does coverage matter as much as rating?
Frequently more.
Edges, corners and exposed formwork lose heat disproportionately.
A slab covered in the middle with an exposed perimeter cures unevenly.
Overlapping blankets closes the gaps between them.
Extending cover beyond the element's edges protects the perimeter.
A well-rated blanket badly deployed performs worse than a modest one deployed properly.
Can temperature be monitored?
Yes, and on significant pours it generally is.
Embedded sensors record concrete temperature directly.
Maturity methods relate temperature history to strength gain.
That allows formwork striking to be decided on data rather than time.
Records are frequently required for structural work.
It also demonstrates that protection was actually effective rather than merely present.
What is a ground thawing blanket?
A related product that applies heat rather than retaining it.
It thaws frozen ground before excavation or pouring.
Insulated blankets only retain heat that already exists.
Where the ground is frozen, that is not enough.
Heated blankets use electrical or hydronic elements.
They are frequently used together, thawing first and then insulating the pour.