Concrete Pour Log: What to Record on Pour Day
A concrete pour log is the contractor's same-day record of a placement: location, mix ordered, weather, one line per truck with ticket number, batch and discharge times, volume, water added and test results, placement and finishing times, cylinders made, curing and protection, and total placed versus ordered. The foreman or superintendent fills it in as the trucks arrive, then summarizes it in the daily report. If a strength or cracking question comes up weeks later, the pour log is what you go back to.
Pour days move fast. Trucks stack up, the pump moves, the finishers want the next bay. Writing the log at the end of the day from memory and a pile of tickets loses the details that matter most. This guide covers what to capture and how to capture it without slowing the pour.
Before the first truck
Write the spec limits at the top of the log so every reading can be judged on the spot:
- Pour location: building, level, area, gridlines, element (slab, wall, footing, deck)
- Mix design number and specified strength
- Ordered volume and truck spacing
- Slump or spread range, air content range, concrete temperature range
- Time limit from batching to discharge per the spec
- Water allowance at the site, if any, and who may authorize it
- Testing agency, inspector and cylinder frequency
- Pre-pour inspections approved (rebar, embeds, forms), with references
- Weather forecast, hot or cold weather plan, curing method
Pre-pour inspections belong in the construction inspection log. Confirm they are approved before the first truck is called.
One line per truck
Public agency inspector guides give a good picture of what to capture for each load. The Minnesota DOT inspector's job guide for bridges and structures, for example, lists collecting delivery tickets, recording any water added, tracking batch time and allowable placement time, and recording hours, equipment, pour location, volume, air, slump and test cylinder data (MnDOT Inspectors Job Guide).
| Load | Ticket | Batched | Arrived | Discharge start / end | Volume | Water added (by) | Slump | Air | Temp | Cylinders | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48812 | 6:42 | 7:10 | 7:15 / 7:32 | 10 cy | None | 4.5 in | 5.8% | 68 F | Set A | Accepted |
| 2 | 48815 | 6:58 | 7:30 | 7:34 / 7:50 | 10 cy | 5 gal (general contractor super) | 4 in | n/a | 69 F | n/a | Accepted |
| 3 | 48821 | 7:05 | 8:41 | n/a | 10 cy | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | Rejected, over time limit |
Photograph every ticket as it arrives. A photo is faster than copying numbers and settles any argument about what was delivered.
Placement, finishing and curing
- First and last concrete placed times
- Placement method (pump, bucket, direct chute) and pump location
- Consolidation method and any areas of concern
- Construction joints, planned or unplanned, with location
- Form or shoring movement and what was done
- Finish applied and finishing start and end
- Curing method and start time
- Hot or cold weather protection: blankets, heaters, enclosures, temperatures recorded
Weather and temperatures
Record air temperature at the start, during and at the end of the pour, wind, sun or shade, and precipitation, with the source (on-site thermometer or a named weather station). Cold and hot weather both change what the spec requires for protection and curing. If weather stops or shortens a pour, record it as a delay. See weather delay documentation.
Cylinders and field tests
The testing agency makes and reports the official tests. Your log should still record:
- Which loads were sampled
- Cylinder set IDs and how many specimens
- Where the cylinders are stored on site and the curing box temperature if you control it
- When the lab picked them up
When the 7-day or 28-day breaks come back, you can tie each set to a truck, a time and a location in the structure.
Sample pour summary for the daily report
Pour: Level 3 slab, Area B, grids 4 to 8. Mix 4000-A, 4,000 psi. Ordered 120 cy, placed 110 cy, 1 load rejected (ticket 48821, over time limit, sent back). Pump on east side. Placement 7:15 AM to 12:40 PM. Air temp 52 F at start, 61 F at finish, no rain. Testing agency on site 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM, 3 cylinder sets (A to C). Water added on 2 loads within ticket allowance, authorized by general contractor super. Curing compound applied 2:30 PM. Concrete sub 9 workers, 10 hrs. Finishing sub 6 workers, 11 hrs. Photos 1 to 18.
For more trade-specific entries, see daily report examples by trade.
Common pour log mistakes
- Tickets collected in a pile and logged at the end of the day
- Batch time not checked until a load is already in the forms
- Water added with no name, amount or truck recorded
- Rejected loads not logged, so ordered and placed volumes never reconcile
- No link between cylinder sets and truck tickets
- Weather recorded from a phone forecast instead of the site
- Crew hours for the pour blended with other work
Pour day checklist
- Spec limits written at top of log
- Pre-pour inspections approved and referenced
- Every truck: ticket photo, batch time, arrival, discharge, volume, water, tests, result
- Rejected loads logged with reason
- Placement, joints and finishing times recorded
- Cylinders tied to loads
- Weather and temperatures with source
- Curing and protection recorded
- Crew and hours by company
- Ordered vs placed reconciled
- Summary in the daily report with photos
How Cascade helps on pour day
Cascade Technology is SMS-first field intelligence for general contractors and subcontractors. Superintendents and foremen text in their day, along with their subs, and Cascade builds the daily report. On a pour, a foreman can text each ticket photo with a line like "load 3 rejected, batched 7:05 arrived 8:41" and the record builds as the trucks come in. Scope: Daily reports, manpower and hours by sub, photos, toolbox talks, pre-task plans (JHA), safety incidents and corrective actions, project + schedule planning, automatic sub reminders, analytics and plain-English answers.
General contractors using Cascade see 95%+ sub daily report compliance. Subcontractor access is free, onboarding and integration are free, and the general contractor plan starts with a one-month pilot with no contract lock-in. We beat Raken, Procore, and ACC on price, guaranteed. See SMS daily reports for subcontractors or the free daily report template.
Frequently asked questions
What should a concrete pour log include?
The pour location and mix ordered, weather and temperatures, one line per truck (ticket number, batch time, arrival and discharge times, volume, water added, test results, accepted or rejected), placement start and finish, cylinders made, curing and protection, delays, and total placed versus ordered.
Why record batch time on every truck?
Specs and ready-mix standards commonly limit how long concrete can sit between batching and discharge. Recording batch and discharge times shows each load was placed within the limit, or flags the ones that were not.
Who records water added at the site?
Whoever authorizes it should be named in the log, along with the amount and the truck. Many specs limit water added at the site, so the log should show it stayed within the allowance on the ticket.
Does the pour log replace the testing agency's report?
No. The testing agency's field and lab reports are separate records. The pour log is the contractor's own same-day record of the pour, and it should reference the tests and cylinder sets so the two can be matched later.