For everyone saying there wasn't enough water and/or a week wasn't long enough to wait, I cracked open a piece three weeks later (total of four weeks after pour). Check it out here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bax7l8d1utrWYZs.html

I have put hundreds of powerpoles in (thousands even). I drill a 900 wide hole fill to the top with drymix with the pole buried 2m deep and dump 20L of water on the top so the pole doesnt move. came back to the odd one years later and pulled the pole out and it was solid concrete. You would not have known it was drymix. When its in the ground it sucks all the water out of the ground and sets proper.

About 40 years ago I needed a STURDY mail box post to prevent kids from knocking over the box. I used a couple of tubes taped together to get the length for 3 ft. in the ground and the correct height for the box. No way to mix and pour wet I decided to try a dry pour. Knowing the water problem I used a 3/4 inch PVC pipe with a bunch of 3/64 inch holes drilled over it's length and a cap on the bottom. This was inserted in the middle before filling with dry mix. The hole was dry and the tube would prevent wet ground from getting to the cement so this seemed like a good work around. Once planted upright in the hole I filled the PVC with water. 2 hours later I filled again. Repeat every 3 hours until the water doesn't drop more than half way to the bottom. The post and box are still there even after having a go cart running into it about 20 years ago and a lot of dogs using it as a hang out.

thanks - super useful

Try soaking the tube as well. In the ground, the concrete will draw moisture from everywhere it touches the ground. If you were to use it for piers, maybe forgo the tube in the underground portion

But did you give it enough water or the water you gave it was that in between the layers. Remember the real dry pour you have to come back and keep watering.

Good experiment 👏 👌 John Stamos Jr. Lol

How about this next? Put it in dry, then on the edges put in 4 perforated drain tubes the full length (maybe just 1 perforated tube) so the water can get down to the bottom and maybe penetrate... I don't think you can put too much water... just see how wet you can get it and if it works that way... would be cool if you could try to make a dry pour foundation or footer... but remember you can't get too much water... wet curing for 7-9 days actually makes concrete stronger... so I think you can do any type of dry pour just so it gets enough water and the dry material is evenly mixed prior to it being poured in. I really want to see if a wall can be made and a foundation... "3-in x 10-ft-PSI Corrugated Drain Pipe" - Lowes "A technique known as “wet-curing,” for example, involves laying special curing blankets across a concrete slab, dousing the blanketed surface with water, and keeping it constantly wet for 28 days." - Prosoco From ChatGPT: What is the wet cure process for concrete? ChatGPT The wet cure process for concrete refers to the method of providing adequate moisture to newly placed concrete to ensure proper hydration and strength development. It involves keeping the concrete surface continuously wet or damp for a specified period to prevent moisture loss through evaporation. Here's a general outline of the wet cure process: Placement: After the concrete is poured and finished, it needs to be properly consolidated and leveled according to the desired shape and thickness. Initial curing: As soon as the concrete is placed, it's essential to start the curing process immediately. This involves preventing rapid moisture loss from the concrete surface by covering it with a suitable material. Moisture retention: To maintain moisture within the concrete, various methods can be employed: a. Sprinkling or fogging: Water can be sprayed over the concrete surface at regular intervals to keep it wet. This method helps prevent the surface from drying out too quickly. b. Ponding: Creating small enclosures around the concrete with the help of sand, earth, or other materials to hold water in contact with the surface. This method is commonly used for horizontal surfaces like slabs. c. Wet coverings: Non-absorbent materials such as plastic sheets, damp burlap, or wet sand can be used to cover the concrete surface. These coverings are kept continuously wet during the curing period. Duration: The duration of the wet cure process depends on various factors, including the type of concrete, ambient conditions, and project specifications. Typically, wet curing is recommended for at least seven days to ensure adequate hydration and strength development. It's important to note that proper curing is crucial for the long-term durability and strength of concrete. It helps minimize cracking, improve resistance to environmental factors, and enhance overall performance. Therefore, following appropriate curing practices is essential for achieving optimal concrete quality. User What's the typical time to keep the concrete wet in wet curing? ChatGPT The duration of wet curing for concrete can vary depending on several factors, including the type of concrete, ambient conditions, project requirements, and applicable industry standards. While there is no fixed standard time for wet curing, a general guideline is to maintain the concrete surface continuously wet or damp for a minimum period of seven days. However, it's important to note that this is a minimum recommendation, and in many cases, longer curing periods may be necessary for optimal strength development and durability. For instance, in certain large-scale construction projects or when using specialized concrete mixes, extended wet curing periods of 14, 21, or even 28 days might be specified. In addition to the duration, it's also crucial to ensure that the curing conditions are appropriate. Factors such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed can affect the rate of moisture loss from the concrete and thus impact the effectiveness of the curing process. It's advisable to consult the project specifications or seek guidance from concrete experts to determine the specific wet curing duration suitable for your project.

Here is a silly question why would you? Wet it in stages and be done.

Gives a water measurement then proceeds to use the garden hose with no way of measuring

You need to use a lot more water and then you tap around the edges to help get rid of air bubbles. Not to mention you add steel. This works fine if you’re not a dummy.

You didnt explain how long, how many times, and length of cure. 5 or 6 watering was needed. Cure time is much longer with dry pour. Romans used a form of dry pour and whenever their concrete cracked the dry pour uncured mix would wick water and seal cracks even centuries later. So Roman concrete is still strengthening itself today. This was more operator error than method of pour.

I made a boat out of concrete for an engineering contest. Was fun. Didn't dry pour. Seems to defeat the purpose of concrete if you don't mix. Those bags have been shaken just by being in the logistics network so petite really do need to mix them just to get them to be homogeneous.

It works fine for fence posts, but I always mixed with a stick after wetting it. All other dry set is a dumbass move.

As you dry pour you mix. And add more dry and water all while mixing.

There is a HUGE difference between pouring this in a tube surrounded by air vs. pouring it in the ground where moisture is ever present. My crew set hundreds of posts in dry concrete over 25 years. Occasionally we dumped a 5 gallon bucket in them if we had water handy--most we just let mother nature to her job. Any that we had to pull out years later were a solid block with no dry voids. As long as the tube can absorb moisture from the ground, that pillar will do the same. Your experiment did not prove the technique was wrong, just that the experiment was apples-to-oranges flawed.

Interesting experiments, but I think it is better to follow the directions of those who are doing it successfully before you start doing variations. The failure you have experienced was predictable.

I don't understand your thinking, concrete will never set like that, no one dry pours tons of water and then leaves it. Dry pour needs time to seep water throughout, you would have to pour each layer and sprinkle the layer from the top multiple times until the moisture is throughout before adding another bag.

Do another experiment but do it different. Make 2 small slab 4 inches thick , give them 3 weeks and then break them , one slab dry pour the second one mixed. That way we can see the difference in strength between mixed and dry but…..the dry one mist it first , no layers please , let it sit one hour mist it again let is sit another hour, then pour water like the guys in Cajun Country living they are amazing , is 2 showers per inch, one hour between showers so 8 showers for a 4 inch slab plus the 2 initial mists here’s how kzfaq.info/get/bejne/lZtggLt2rdiaZ2w.html

This test is misleading. You obviously didn't use enough water. There is no way there would be completely dry areas in the column if you used enough water.