Power Float

**Power Float**

Although this picture is incredibly clustered with material, the power float in the picture was being used in a different area where the slab had just been recently poured. A power float is a machine that finishes concrete. The machine essentially has 3 or 4 trowels that spin around to smooth the concrete. As a result, a power float drastically speeds up the time to finish concrete. When using a power float, you want to make sure that the concrete has hardened enough to walk on. Bringing a heavy machine on concrete that is still wet would be disastrous.

To finish concrete, there are a few steps that take place. First, the concrete needs to be poured. Once poured inside your form, take a screed to level the concrete. This is called striking the concrete because of the "striking" motion one makes when pulling up the concrete and then leveling it with the 2x4.

Next, you use a hand float or a bull float(larger float on a pole so you can push longer distances). This is a "rough grade" for the concrete to become level. As you do this, water will come up because the mix is settling and the more dense mix is going to the bottom. **before you start finishing any concrete, you want to make sure to use a vibrator to "mix up" the concrete. The aggregate in the mix will tend to settle towards the bottom, thus, not creating an evenly distributed mix. The concrete will not be as strong as the specs called for as a result of the aggregate settling to the bottom.

**Bull Float**

Once you have bull floated the concrete, use the power float to finish the concrete. This is the "fine grade" on your slab. This makes the concrete especially smooth, taking out all the bumps and extrusions of the concrete. The opening picture for this blog post is a power float. Power floats come in 3 different types that I know of. 1)walk behind 2)ride-on 3)remote control. The pictures below are of each one, respectively. Once you are done with your finish float, the concrete is ready to go!

Remote control trowel taken from - http://famrichard.us/id16.html

Ride on power trowel photo taken from - http://cm.baumpub.com/news/507/multiquip-provides-versatile-ride-on-trowel

Bull float photo from - http://www.saltcreek.menard.k12.il.us/courtside_at_the_creek.htm