> This article stated that due to the properties of honey it was recommended > that an additive be added to the concrete mix to insure its integrity. > Does anyone recall or have any information about the additive of which > this article speaks? While I do not recall the ABJ article, I have ordered lots of concrete, designed many concrete floors, walls, and pilings, and watched many concrete pours, fingers crossed in hope that the forms would not shift. The "better mix" is called "High-Early" here in the Southeastern USA. It is used in state and federal highway projects for the poured concrete pilings for bridges and overpasses. It is very expensive as compared to normal ready-mix concrete, but it does NOT result in an etch-proof floor. The differences between "High-Early" and run-of-the-mill concrete are: a) No chloride is used in the mix, which is often used to speed curing, but can result in a more "powdery" surface, more prone to etching. b) More cement is used in the mix. It is a "thicker" mix. Much thicker. c) In addition to (b), or depending upon the specs, perhaps instead of (b), a (non-chloride) accelerant is used to speed curing. d) Since one is ordering a "special" mix, one can also ask for the polymer/fiber-fill additives that act as reinforcement, and eliminate the need for rebar. Not all ready-mix houses do this, but it can be a serious cost savings in labor and materials. It also leads to a much longer-life slab or wall, since there is no rebar to rust and force the concrete to crack. (Look at an old concrete wall someday, and you'll see that the failures show up where the rebar is near the surface.) Most building codes approve of the polymer, but many building inspectors have never seen it, so expect to get the inspector to call the ready-mix house to get a quick lesson in modern high-tech concrete. This "high-early" mix sets up very quickly, but still allows adequate working time. Just this winter, I was asked to design a new flooring system for a dairy milking parlor, with the usual complex web of drainage troughs, drain pipes, sloped floors, et al. The pour was in the dead of winter, and the temperature was barely above freezing. The high-early mix, poured to an 8-inch depth, at 7am, cured in time to allow milking to be done that night at 10pm. Needless to say, it was high exothermic, and kept the barn warm all day long. :) Now, there are entire textbooks about concrete (I have a copy of the 300+ page tome "Fundemental Foundations"), and civil engineers can take courses that focus on the details of concrete. One can specify just about anything, and any decent ready-mix house will know how to make it. The best approach may be to supply the ready-mix house with a few quarts of honey for testing (and tasting), and explain the problem of "etching", asking them what they might suggest. But, your best defense against etching from honey is to use NORMAL concrete, and spend the extra money making sure that it is well-poured and protected concrete, rather than trying to spec/buy a "super concrete" that really does not exist. a) Pour it thick (think 6 or 8 inches rather than 4). b) Use well-engineered forms (think metal rental forms!). If wood, use 2x8s and 4x4s rather than 2x6s and 2x4s. Wood is cheaper than removing and re-doing a failed pour. (If a contractor is to do the forms, discuss the scenario of a failed pour, and insure that the contract clearly states that costs of repairing and re-doing a failed pour are his, not yours.) c) Pay a pro to put in the correct slope toward your drains. Floating concrete is an art, and you want an artist. (You did remember to design in drains, didn't you?) d) Seal the concrete with 3 or 4 coats, letting each coat dry fully before adding the next. Add some tint to the sealer at the paint store so you can see that you have covered the entire surface. Use different tints for each gallon or quart so you can verify complete coverage on every coat, using alternate cans of sealer for alternate coats. e) Use heavy-duty industrial grade paint. Put on two coats. Plan on repainting when any wear shows up. The newer elastometer coatings are wonderful on concrete floors in "industrial" settings. Sometimes "roof paint" used on tin or tile roofs is also a good choice, and a cheaper way to get the elastometer paint. f) Another good idea is to use the rubber "fatigue mats" as used in industrial settings. They are easy on your feet, and they can be taken outside and hosed off if honey is spilled on them. If the honey never touches the concrete, you never have a problem. It also helps to plan (and design) for scenarios where honey might "spill", since this is waste of honey. The most common error I have heard repeated over and over is having a system of pumps and sumps that does not include a simple overflow cut-off switch. These things come in many flavors, but the simplest is nothing more than a toilet-bowl type float attached to a microswitch that controls a relay that kills your pump(s) when a critical tank gets "too full". The bottom line is that I know of no such thing as "honey-resistant concrete" or "acid-resistant concrete". There are "high-density mixes", but the basic chemistry of concrete breakdown at the surface ("etching") does not change. My honey house has a concrete floor that was poured decades ago, long before modern high-tech concrete. So far, no problem. My secret is paint, and not spilling large amounts of honey. jim