| Retardation | (Concrete Engineering) Delaying the hardening or strength gain of fresh concrete, mortar or grout. |
| Retempering | (Concrete Engineering) The addition of water and remixing of concrete which has started to stiffen: usually not allowed as it may affect the ultimate strength. |
| Revibration | (Concrete Engineering) Delayed vibration of concrete that has already been placed and consolidated. Most effective when done at the latest time a running vibrator will sink of its own weight into the concrete and make it plastic and workable again. |
| Rock Pocket | (Concrete Engineering) Area or portion of hardened concrete which is deficient in mortar and consisting primarily of coarse aggregate and open voids; caused by insufficient consolidation or separation during placement, or both; by leakage from form. |
| Rod (tamping) (ASTM C24l) | (Concrete Engineering) A round, straight steel rod, 5/8' in diameter and approximately 24' in length, having the tamping end rounded into a hemispherical tip, the diameter of which is 5/8'. |
| Sack | (Concrete Engineering) A quantity of cement: 94 Ibs. in the United States, 87.5 Ibs. in Canada, for portland or air entraining portland cement, or as indicated on the sack for other kinds of cement. |
| Sacking | (Concrete Engineering) Removing or alleviating defects on a concrete surface by applying a mixture of sand and cement to the moistened surface and rubbing with a coarse material such as burlap. |
| Sand (ASTM C125) | (Concrete Engineering) That portion of an aggregate passing the No. 4 (4.76 mm) sieve and predominantly retained on the No. 200 (74 micron) sieve. |
| Saponification | (Concrete Engineering) The deposit of a gray scum or gray dust on the inside surface of a subgrade wall or floor; as the result of moisture moving through the concrete and washing certain chemicals from the concrete mass. |
| Screen (or Sieve) | (Concrete Engineering) A metallic sheet or plate, woven wire cloth, or similar device, with regularly spaced openings of uniform size, mounted in a suitable frame or holder for use in separating material according to size. |