I did a 3' x 7' pad for the steps up to my wife's She Shed using dry pour. The depth was about 4 inches and I put a metal mesh about halfway through. I poured a few bags at a time and used a garden rake (not a leaf rake) to mix it in as I went. I also tamped down the ground before pouring any concrete, and tamped it all down solid at about 2" before placing the mesh and poured in the rest of the bags. As I built up the layers to the top of the wood forms, I kept tamping down the concrete especially along the edges to make sure I had no air pockets. I screeted the entire top multiple times to drive 99%+ of the rocks down into the concrete. I then used a light broom to lightly brush the top to smooth out the look. I did use a curved concrete towel to round over the edges on the three sides not up against the shed. That last part was a pain and though it turned out nice --I do not recommend it for the trouble it takes to make it look decent. In the end though, It has turned out pretty good. I did have one issue. After I did my second misting of water, we had a heavy unexpected downpour of rain (I'm in Florida). A few areas on top ended up pitted including a bout a one inch hole on the back where the water came down as a stream off the roof. No rain was expected that day, but hey in Florida it can rain without warning just about any time. Those areas will be covered or hidden by the steps, so I call it a success. I waited one week before I took of my forms and the edges look solid and smooth with no air pockets. I am waiting a full month (one week to go) before I build the steps and attach them to the pad using 1/2" redhead concrete bolts. I call it a success so far and am very happy with the end result. I'll post back here if the concrete bolts cause and issue (like encountering powder in the drilled out holes). Cheers!

Your dry pour experiments are great! Keep doing more of them. I was planning to do this very same thing right after I saw Cajun Country's video a few weeks ago & wanted to find know how deep dry pouring could create useable concrete. But right away & lucky for me I happened across your videos. No buying premix concrete bags for me, no lifting & dumping, no watering, no demo, no clean up; no anything. Just watch & learn. Thanks for video productions. They are really well done & fun to watch.

"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

I think you will get far better results vibrating or even tapping the pour as trapped air is concerned. A vibrator is used, or should be on any vertical pour over two feet in depth, speaking about wet pour jobs. I lost a vibrator in an eight inch diameter dock piling we were pouring as the man operating it did not keep it moving. The vibration or movement consolidates the fines to a point the friction will hand cuff anything around, aggregate included. Ended up cutting tube and calling it additional rebar. I have dry poured fence posts, thrust blocks on water mains for over fifty years, no problems.. Just finished my second 5 ft x 5 ft x 4 in depth dry pour going by Cajun Countries advice and they are great. Will be doing a 21 ft x 21 ft sectional work slab next. As cost is concerned this is a very economical process. Only financial outlay is for concrete. I buy by the pallet (42 bags) app. one cubic yard. I have a one ton flat bed and it will haul two pallets, I choose to haul one. A pallet costs just a little over what a 10 yard load costs per yard. If you order less you get hammered with fees. Labor as well, professional help is eliminated, a huge savings. A good idea that should benefit all DIY'ers. I considered pouring a few cylinders of dry pour and getting compression strength tests run. Having been retired 23 years I am sure all contacts with the three testing companies have vanished. Leave a bag of pure Portland in a covered warehouse for a length of time, no sand, aggregate. It will turn to a hunk of stone. Huge fan of dry pour.

you can add "hydration" tubing in the form of perforated drainage tubes perhaps "3-in x 10-ft-PSI Corrugated Drain Pipe" - Lowes

You can mix in place these pillars and it should be fine just so the amount of water and material are used and in the right order and right time... it's like baking a cake.

What does he mean it doesn't save you anything? Dry pour doesn't require all the extra equipment, and mess that wet pour does. For many, that's the deciding factor. I'm actually considering doing a dry poor off my backdoor now, because I realize it's not going to be as costly as I thought it would be. Sure it doesn't make sense, if you already have the knowledge, and equipment to do a wet poor, but if you can get a decent result by simply spreading dry mix, and watering it repeatedly, then for many it's a no brainer.

You still have to calculate the amount of water based on the amount of concrete mix... and then you have to find the adjustment to that formula that works for dry pouring... it could be more or even less water, but I would go with more water... from what I've seen dry pouring is different and takes longer to harden and longer to dry... but you have to use enough water the first time it gets wet, and perhaps you can't use too much water... the misting is so you don't mess up the surface on the slabs and is probably not needed for the piers they have been dry pour fence piers for a long time and they seem to work, but not sure about walls and foundations, I think more testing is needed, it would be cool to be able to make walls out of dry pouring cement, but the secrete is how much water and how to get it down evenly and soon enough... I'm not sure with the Portland based concrete mixes that you can just wait forever to get it wet enough because certain elements in the chemical process will get used up... The roman concrete method was a hot mix using quicklime so that it could heal... would be interesting to see if you can make a functional foundation or wall if you improve on the method. Thanks for the video.

please do a very thick foundation type test, I want to see if I can do a house foundation and block wall footers with dry material, remember to get the water to penetrate once or twice then you can't put too much water for 28 days while it wet cures... i think you can even keep it underwater... From Ai: --- can portland concrete cure under water? ChatGPT Yes, Portland cement concrete can cure underwater. In fact, curing concrete underwater can provide certain benefits in specific construction scenarios. When concrete cures underwater, it remains constantly saturated, which helps to maintain a favorable environment for hydration and curing. Here are some important points to consider regarding the underwater curing of concrete: Submerged conditions: The curing process underwater requires the concrete to be fully submerged and surrounded by water on all sides. This method is commonly used for structures such as underwater foundations, piers, dams, or any construction where the concrete is continuously exposed to water. Continuous moisture supply: Underwater curing ensures a continuous supply of moisture to the concrete, which is essential for proper hydration. The presence of water allows the cementitious materials in the concrete to react and form the desired strength and durability. Protection against drying: By curing underwater, the concrete is protected from rapid moisture loss through evaporation, which can occur during conventional air curing. This reduces the risk of shrinkage, cracking, and surface damage that can result from drying too quickly. Extended curing duration: Curing concrete underwater often requires longer durations compared to traditional curing methods. It is not uncommon for underwater curing to continue for several weeks or even months, depending on the specific project requirements. Water quality considerations: The quality and cleanliness of the water surrounding the submerged concrete can be important. Ideally, the water should be free from contaminants that could potentially affect the concrete's properties or cause deterioration. It's worth noting that while underwater curing can be beneficial in certain circumstances, it may not be practical or necessary for every concrete construction project. The decision to cure concrete underwater should be based on project specifications, engineering requirements, and the advice of professionals experienced in underwater construction. --- So you could theoretically make a foundation footing and keep it under water for 28 days so it gets really cured hard... then test it...

"...it doesn't really save you anything because of the fact you have to come back and water it for hours on end." -- well, you don't "have" to-- several of the dry pour experimenters have misted a few times to get a smooth hard surface and then just done a big dousing a couple times a day, and it seems the concrete absorbs what it needs and the rest runs off. But the main point is that for DIYers who don't have the tools or strength to mix large wet mix batches, dry pour saves them A LOT. They have the time, they're not like a contractor who needs to come in, pour it, and leave, because every additional trip would cost them a lot. I like that you're willing to keep an open mind, but I just think you need to put yourself more in the mindset of a typical DIYer for whom a small slab would either have to be DIY (wet or dry) or insanely expensive to have a contractor come in (and most won't for small jobs). And the typical DIYer may not have even a wheelbarrow (I don't for my small yard). Dry pour may indeed turn out to result in less strong --but still strong enough-- slabs, but it's looking great for my small utility pad in my backyard I've been needing for years.

Would like to see a footer done

I think you have to mix the dry material evenly, like baking a cake.

Dry pouring is pointless, it’s not that difficult to mix concrete

Dry pour is waste of time and money, most of the work is grading and fabricating the form, mixing and pouring is the easy fun part ... No, it will not save you time or money and will last substancially less than a wet pour .... Pay once or twice your choice ...

good idea, but I'll never believe it, even soupy, mixing quickrete is 100% way better, I mixed 140 bags, 80 pounders, in 6 hrs, you have plenty of time to work it, making sure you are level and good trowel work, I don't see laying 140 bags of qwikcrete dry being a good idea, 140 bags is approximately 3 cubic yards