Do any of you members in the warmer climates (little or no freeze thaw cycles)Have any problems with popping of the surface on their concrete surfaces.Driveways walks etc.

 

No problems here. I thought that was primarily caused by working too much grout to the top when finishing the concrete.

 

who ever laid it could have floated it too much or added calcium to the mix and a lot of water that will pop the top off and/or put calcium chloride on the top as a ice melt??

 

Nope, you probably have a contaminate of some kind. Never had any problems with CaCl, but I never have used more than a 2% mixture. I did find grain seed one time. It caused the concrete to spall. Tracked it down to cement that was transported in a tanker car that had previously carried seed.

 

That is what happened to my two year old concrete. Worked to much cream to the surface. Also putting concrete on top of very staturated soil.

 

Not an expert but two garage floors I was involved with have your problem. First one was, it started raining after the pour. We screeded and floated it the best we could than covered it with plastic.
Second one-I had rented a power trowel and used it too much (like Totallyrad said).
Only one supplier of concrete in our area and other floors I have helped with didn't pop so I can only assume it was the rain or overworking (or too much beer).

 

I guess I assumed the finishers knew what they were doing! My bad.

 

Problem is that you know more about concrete than I ever will. Until I saw a history channel show about it I thought it was a new (last 120 years) invention. Didnt know the Romans were playing with it.

 

Concrete should have air entrainment added to the mix when it is produced to aid in protection against the freeze/thaw cycle.Spalling and flaking are some of the symptoms if it does not have it.I would think that any concrete producer in your area would include it in the mix design unless told not to for any reason such as adding dye to the finished product or even in the batch process.
I would be looking more towards the use of calcium or salt on the surface for ice control as the culprit but there are other possibilities too numorous to get into here.Ron G

 

Talked to concrete rep....he said maybe it froze or was 2000lb concrete instead of 3000lbs. He says he has never seen spalling from too much paste or over working the paste. Neither have I, and I've poured 100's of 1000's of yards.

 

I did some stamped colored concrete on a large patio. The last section I did had a sprinkle of rain drops after I finished troweling. I didn't think much of it as it barely wet the surface so I went ahead and did the stamping. After which the whole patio was sealed after it dried, well the next year the section that got the sprinkle of rain the surface came right off but only where the rain drops landed. Must have been something in the rain or the Ph was off, all I know is the surface came right off.

 

I searched for answers on this and found so many theories.I believe its the salt used on it for ice control.Patios and walks seem ok but the driveways suffer the damage.This is were the salt falls from the autos and such.I see alot of blame on finishing techniques but everybody seems to do it the same.The concrete is ordered right (with air).The finishers have poured 1000's of yards as well,over the years.I guess I was just looking to see if this problem happened in other climates.And why.