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When temperatures are very low concrete takes a long time to set into it's solid state. Strength gain is very slow. This can result in not only the job taking much longer but damage to the concrete can occur both before and after the concrete sets.

When air temperature is less than 4°C / 40° F during the placing and early stage curing periods of the concrete, the contractor should take precautions to prevent freezing. When concrete freezes or is placed on frozen ground it causes unequal set times throughout the slab. In addition if the concrete happens to freeze whilst in its liquid state it can contribute to problems such as surface scaling and delamination, spalling and random cracking throughout the slab, as a result of the expansion and contraction of frozen water inside the concrete. All snow and ice should be removed, and ideally if inside the area should be heated if possible when laying the concrete in cold weather.

 

In cold weather, you need to expect the concrete to take longer to set. Typically when the drops to between 15°C and 4°C the setting time will increase by above 80% from 8-8½ hrs to 14-14½hrs

 

It is recommended to use a stiffer slump concrete during cold weather, and the addition of accelerators can sometimes help to speed up the finishing process. It is always recommended to use Frost blankets when concreting in cold weather to prevent possible frost damage.