Top 5 Rainy Season Construction Tips

Well, it’s officially rainy season in Chicago! This year’s been especially rainy, and all that rain can affect your construction projects! When you’re taking on rainy season construction, it can seem like a hassle to try to work around the weather and get everything completed. Here are 5 tips to make your rainy season construction project as hassle-free as possible.

Plan ahead

Always know what you’re getting into when you’re starting a project during rainy season. If you’re planning on doing rainy season construction, make sure to always keep an eye on the projected forecast. And if you’re in Chicago, know that this forecast can change quickly! Have a plan in place so everyone on the project knows what to do in case of rain or a bad weather change. Make sure to keep everyone updated with the latest weather forecasts as well.

Protect equipment & job site

One of the most inconvenient things about rainy season construction is how much damage it can cause to your equipment and your job site. If damage occurs to either of these, your timeline could be pushed back days or even weeks, which no one wants.

Use tarps and plastic sheets to cover your equipment when it rains. You’ll also want to cover any holes you’ve dug to pour concrete. This will prevent the water from sitting at the bottom, which could cause problems.

Pour concrete safely

As we touched on above, cover as much as possible to prevent rain water from gathering at the bottom of holes. You don’t want to pour concrete into a hole that has water sitting in it, since this will weaken the concrete. This is especially important if you are pouring a foundation. If there is sitting rainwater, always let it dry out completely before you begin to pour concrete.

Proper equipment use

There are certain types of construction equipment that are suitable for rainy season construction, and certain types that don’t hold up well in the rain. Check to make sure you’re using equipment that can handle the rain in case it does get wet. As construction equipment continues to grow and evolve, there are constantly new advancements to the market. It might be worth looking into some of the newest construction tech if it can hold up better in rainy weather.

Prioritize safety

We saved the most important for last: prioritize safety. Always make the safety of your workers the most important part of any job site. But this is especially important if you’re doing rainy season construction. Wind and rain can be massive hazards on job sites, and it’s worth taking your time on something instead of risking safety. We go over some safety tips in greater detail here, so you can make sure you’re doing everything you can to provide a safe working environment.

How do you maintain safety during rainy season construction?

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