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Why Do You Need To Vibrate Concrete?

When concrete is being poured it has the potential to form air bubbles or air pockets, meaning that when it hardens the concrete structure could end up being substantially weaker. When you have a construction project that involves concrete, inserting a concrete vibrator will vigorously shake the concrete and aggregate particles around it, forcing the entrapped air out of the concrete, closing the air bubbles together, and settling the area of concrete. Vibrating concrete therefore increases the density of the concrete and makes the concrete much stronger and more durable. Not only is it important to use a high quality concrete vibrator, but the person using one also needs to be trained properly. If the concrete has been poorly vibrated then it will still have voids in the concrete, a problem called ‘honeycombing’. For the integrity of a concrete structure, it’s important that the concrete is not only flat, but all the air has been adequately vibrated out of it. Otherwise, the concrete will look unsightly, be porous, and lack strength.

Tips For Using A Concrete Vibrator

There are some techniques that can be applied when using a concrete vibrator to help you get the best result possible.

Be ready with the concrete vibrator before the concrete is poured.
Don’t turn on the concrete vibrator until the tip is fully submerged in the concrete.
Concrete vibrators need to be inserted into wet concrete vertically for 5 to 16 seconds before it is removed slowly.
The concrete vibrator isn’t to be used to push around or move the concrete.
Concrete vibrators can consolidate an area about 6 inches around it, so the concrete vibrator will need to be used across several sections of the concrete (depending on the size of the project).
Overlap the previous radius of vibration to ensure all the concrete is adequately vibrated.
You will see if consolidation has occurred when air bubbles rise out of the concrete.
You may also notice that a thin film of water appears on the surface. This is normal as water is lighter than cement.
When the bubbles stop you have vibrated that area correctly and can move on to the next spot. You will need to continue the process again and again until the entire area of concrete has been vibrated.
Be careful not to over vibrate the concrete as this can cause a thick layer of water to appear on the concrete, and this could sink it which also lowers the strength of the concrete.
Don’t bend the concrete vibrator excessively as this can damage the flexi shaft.