A concrete slab should be bull floated as soon as possible after:

• A. Screeding
• B. Edging
• C. Floating
• D. Placing

Answer: (A)

Bull floating is an early surface finishing step done while the concrete is still plastic. After screeding establishes the final level and a flat plane, you bull float to smooth the surface, push down high spots, and embed the largest aggregates. Doing this promptly after screeding lets you remove ridges and bring the fine materials up to the surface, creating a uniform, cream-on-top that’s ready for the next finishing actions. If you delay, the surface begins to stiffen, bleed water appears and evaporates, and the finishing becomes harder and more prone to pulling up fine material or creating scars. Edge work and subsequent finishes come after this initial smoothing, while the placing and screeding steps occur earlier in the sequence.