EP #149: Got a Low Concrete Break? Here’s What To Do Next

About this episode

Seth Tandett discusses with Josh Agee the steps to take when a concrete cylinder comes back below strength.

PRESENTED BY: CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY Practical education and ongoing development for concrete professionals at every stage of their career. Join here: https://www.concretelogicacademy.com/   EPISODE SUMMARY You get the 28-day report. It’s low. Now what?   In this episode, Seth sits down with Josh Agee, Concrete Quality Assurance Manager at F.A. Wilhelm Construction, to walk through what actually happens when a cylinder comes back below strength. Who do you call first? Is it the mix? The placement? The testing company? When do you use a Swiss hammer? When do you core? And what really matters — the cylinder… or the in-place concrete? This is a practical, field-level conversation about investigating low breaks, managing risk, and protecting your project before things spiral. If you work in structural concrete, this isn’t hypothetical. It’s coming.  WHAT YOU’LL LEARN  • Why reviewing batch tickets is the first move  • Why the middle third of the truck matters when sampling  • How poor field curing can destroy cylinder results  • What most people misunderstand about testing tech responsibility  • When to use Swiss hammers and Windsor probes…

People in this episode

Host: Seth Tandett

Guest: Josh Agee

Topics covered

• concrete quality assurance
• investigating low breaks
• risk management
• field-level education
• testing concrete
• structural concrete

Keywords

• low concrete break
• batch tickets
• field curing
• Swiss hammer
• coring
• pre-pour meetings
• testing responsibility

Sponsors

CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: F.A. Wilhelm Construction

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