Extreme Freeze-Thaw Cycling
Fargo’s temperatures oscillate above and below freezing for extended periods in fall and spring, generating a high number of freeze-thaw cycles annually. With approximately 44 days below 0°F each winter and highs staying at or below freezing for roughly 110 consecutive days, water trapped in masonry and concrete pores is repeatedly frozen and thawed — compounding damage every season.
“The freeze-thaw cycle damages masonry by trapping water in its pores, which expands by approximately 9% when it freezes. That 9% expansion exerts immense pressure that cracks and weakens brick, stone, and mortar.”
— Dylan Reynolds, Project Manager, RSI