The winter months can transform construction and renovation jobs into living nightmares. Cold weather bursts pipes, freezes the ground and makes it incredibly difficult to cure concrete. Worse yet, job sites that are too cold drop employee morale at breakneck speeds and can subject workers to a variety of health and safety issues. If your construction team has ever run into problems pertaining to freezing conditions or frozen ground, then it’s time to invest in a high-quality ground heater.
At On Site, our number one priority is providing you with all of the resources you need to excel in your industry. That’s why we produce some of the most effective and affordable ground heaters and ground thaw blankets in existence. These ground heating solutions have a wide variety of applications and can make the process of working in cold weather significantly easier, safer and faster. To help you determine whether one of these products will work well for your job site, let’s talk about when your team should utilize ground heaters.
1. Thawing Frozen Ground
It’s almost impossible to dig holes or drive materials in frozen ground during landscaping projects without the use of powerful tools. Moreover, most specifications don’t allow construction teams to set concrete on frozen ground. Fortunately, picking up a large ground thaw heater will allow you to warm up massive portions of your site at once to mitigate this problem.
On Site’s E1250 Hydronic Ground Thaw Heater is specifically designed to efficiently thaw frozen ground. This powerful unit can thaw up to 2,200 square feet of frozen ground (or 2,500 square feet of concrete) every single day. The E1250 is easy to set up, doesn’t produce noxious fumes and runs reliably for up to 90 hours. Its positive displacement pump offers consistent heat delivery for any and all of your ground thawing needs. Most importantly, this machine doesn’t require an enclosure to build, making it ideal for a wide variety of projects.
2. Curing Concrete
Curing concrete helps to retain moisture in the slab and delays drying shrinkage while the material hardens, allowing it to resist damage or cracking from shrinkage. Concrete is also significantly stronger, more durable and resistant to wear and tear when properly cured. In most cases, it takes concrete about seven days to become fully cured. During this period of time, the slab must be kept above a certain temperature range, and that’s no easy task when your site is being barraged by cold winds and snow all day and night. Fortunately, after thawing out the ground in preparation for concrete pouring, ground heaters can also be used to help cure the material by keeping it at an optimal temperature, saving your team precious time and money in the process.
Many of our ground thawing machinery will work perfectly for curing concrete. On Site’s E1100 Hydronic Ground Thaw Heater is particularly effective for mid-sized concrete projects. This efficient unit can thaw up to 1,750 square feet of frozen ground in one day and runs for up to 115 hours. Best of all, the E1100 comes with 1,100 feet of hose, allowing for easy and flexible use for a range of projects and work environments.
Note: If you’re looking to better disperse heat over a large area of concrete, we recommend pairing our machines with concrete curing blankets.
3. Providing Air Heat
One of the most important aspects of running a construction site during winter is ensuring that your workers stay safe and warm. After all, exposure to extreme cold can cause a host of incredibly dangerous (and sometimes fatal) injuries, including systemic hypothermia. Furthermore, your employees will be significantly more productive and say in good spirits if they have ample access to heated spaces. Luckily, many of On Site’s ground thaw units generate enough heat to keep the air around them at a comfortable level regardless of the weather, warming your team up for the duration of the work day.
Our Pureheat Hydronic Air Heater provides ample amounts of heat for large structures and buildings, and it can also be used to remove excess moisture from the workspace. Moreover, the Pureheat is a phenomenally cost-effective machine, saving you up to 50 percent on fuel costs compared to traditional heating methods. This unit is very simple to operate and can efficiently cure concrete, thaw frozen ground or prevent frost when outfitted with a few key accessories (such as hose handling systems). The Pureheat requires no enclosure to build, doesn’t generate flames or noxious fumes and can be powered with multiple types of fuel (diesel, natural gas and propane), making it one of the safest and most versatile air and ground heaters in the industry.
Note: If providing clean and dry heat to areas around your work area is a priority, then we highly recommend combining the Pureheat with our heat exchangers system.
Rent High-Quality Ground Heaters for Your Job Site Today
On Site offers a massive selection of affordable ground thaw and concrete curing machines to match the specific scope and demands of your project. Be sure to check out our Hydronic Ground Heating page to see our full range of products. The success of your project is just as important to us as it is to you, so please don’t hesitate to call or message us if you want help with determining which machines and materials will work best for your team. You can also reach out to us if you have any additional questions about ground heaters or want more advice on how to quickly and safely complete your projects during the winter months. We’d be more than happy to supply you with any advice or resources you need.
