You can't pour the walls on ice or snow that is on the footing...the concrete might melt a small amount of ice or snow but I have saw concrete walls pour on a thin layer of ice and they do not bond to the floor. If there is some water on the footing the concrete poured in the wall forms should displace it provided there are some gaps in the wall forms and the water has a place to go.

Thank you! What about temperatures? I know we can use accelerant in the cement, but even with that and blankets how low can temps go? Hoping to make a go of it wed- sat we have a dry slot but night temps will be below freezing .

These questions cannot be answered properly in a few paragraphs. If the building code is the IRC, concrete footings are required to be designed and constructed in accordance with Section R403 "FOOTINGS " or ACI 332 "Requirements for Residential Concrete Construction and Commentary".

ACI 332 is superior to the IRC and referencing in a project's specifications makes it a building code requirement. Paragraph 5.4 provides guidance for pouring concrete when temperatures are below 35 degrees. It recommends the use of ACI 306R "Guide to Cold Weather Concreting" for further cold-weather concrete practices.

ACI 332 requires that "concrete materials, reinforcement, forms and any earth with which concrete is to come in contact shall be free from frost." That would include ice and snow. Of course no concrete should be poured on standing water.

For moderately low temperatures a low water-cement ratio and the heat of hydration of the concrete will prevent freezing before the concrete has reached a minimum strength. At lower temperatures your contractor can use a chemical accelerator, high early strength cement, air-entrained concrete, heated mix water, coved forms after and/or tenting with heaters.

The basic issues covered by ACI 306R are included in the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Guidelines and tips

This post was edited by Renovator8 on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 8:22

Make sure the admixtures aren't chloride based to avoid corrosion problems with rebar.

Pouring concrete in freezing weather??????

Happens all the time josephene, you just need to prepare and take the proper steps and precautions.

I would rather use prefab. Panels for basement walls.
Seems like a lot of extra work to pour cement in winter.

They pour concrete year round all over the world on commercial jobs, it really is not much extra work for the people who do the work. It is actually second nature to them as winter happens every year, lol.

Its poured concrete and even precast walls need footings and frost protection of the subgrade in winter. I would use a concrete footing even if crushed stone was allowed by code; the city and the ICC are not responsible for the performance of the foundation.

Done! Thanks for you input. Poured lasted Thursday... Guys were out there working from the headlights of their trucks! Forms come off tomorrow, damp proofing & backfill inspection!

Backfill should not occur before the top of the wall has been adequately braced or the floor joists have been installed.