Concrete > Decorative Concrete | For Construction Pros

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Largest 3D-Printed Building in Europe Under Construction

The Apartment building in Wallenhausen, Germany will include about 4,000 sq ft of living space, with walls 3D-printed by two operators and COBOD's commercially available BOD2 printer in six weeks

View from inside the Vukovar Water Tower, Croatia, during the renovation phase.

Cortec MCI Technology Utilized to Preserve Croatian War Monument

As a memorial to the frontline workers of COVID-19. The Ocoee Health-Center includes a plaque that reads as follows: 'This courtyard is dedicated to the frontline healthcare workers who went above and beyond during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. 'In appreciation for you extraordinary service, loyalty, and commitment to your profession and community.'' It then lists the companies and suppliers involved in the project and then a 'thank you.'

3 Decorative Concrete Contractors That Gave Back to Their Community

A vanity made with GFRC.

The Steps and Materials Needed for Your Next GFRC Project

The winner of the 2020 WOW! Award was Superior Gunite, of Lake View Terrace. The use of shotcrete allowed access for placement as well as the ability to carve the wet concrete to match the look of the previous precast panels.

The 2020 Decorative Concrete Award Winners

Valley Children's Hospital solicits strong design-build contractors in central California.

Customization Defines Decorative Concrete Solutions for Valley Children's Healthcare

Professional-grade work gloves make the job more comfortable and protect your hands to keep you safer on the jobsite.

5 Tips for Choosing the Best Construction Gloves

Finding the right glove for the job is as important as matching any other tool of the trade to the task at hand.

Time To Drive Pervasive Slavery Out of Construction

18% of today’s forced labor occurs in the construction and producing construction materials, and the industry can act to deliver slavery-free infrastructure

When you mix high dosage levels of macro fibers in concrete, one of challenges is to achieve a good blending between concrete and fiber.

How High Dosage Levels of Macro Fibers Are Improving Concrete Slabs

Slab-on-grade floor and pavement panels shrink less and have almost no curl.

Noxcrete 4

Tips for Optimal Concrete Stripping

New biodegradable solvents offer another solution without the harmful waste, specialized equipment or extended dry times.

Ameripolish SmartFloor Refinement System.

Ameripolish Smartfloor Refinement System

The SmartFloor Refinement System concept is engineered to provide a high-aesthetic floor that is an easy and economical way to utilize any polishing machines, including power trowels.

Rockett's glass overlay.

Rockett's Glass Overlay

Rockett’s Polished Overlay is a patent-pending process creating high-impact, enduring decorative polished concrete floors and installations.

Smith FS351 DCS Electric Self-Propelled Scarifier.

Smith FS351 DCS Electric Self-Propelled Scarifier

Smith's FS351 DCS series of heavy-duty, self-propelled drum scarifiers are designed to tackle the most demanding removal and surface preparation jobs.

Make sure you have a marketing plan in place to help focus your marketing efforts, suggests L.M. Scofield's Cam Villar. Whether in depth or simple, make sure to at least include the market you want to serve and who your target audience will be.

Marketing Polished and Stained Decorative Concrete Floors

When it comes to marketing polished or stained decorative concrete floors contractors should focus on promoting the benefits as well as the aesthetics.

Pictured here is a warehouse/distribution center application using a lithium siliconate densifier.

Densifiers Demystified

A concrete densifier is a chemical solution that, when applied to a concrete surface, increases surface density by sealing pores.

A critical element in creating Pacific Point Preserve, which resembles a fishing wharf along the Pacific Coast, was incorporating a home for the Asian small-clawed otters.

Creating a World of Fantasy, Fun Through Pre-Blended Stucco

To bring realistic animal habitats to life and build seemingly unimaginable park rides, contractors have turned to advanced formula pre-blended stuccos.

Homeowners who build on concrete slabs can now achieve the look of wood thanks to Kasella's artistry. Grain design for each plank is applied by hand.

Polished Concrete Plus Creates Wood Grain Finishes

When placing concrete began to take its toll on Jeff Kasella’s body, he found a way to add beauty to the slabs others placed.

The Moscone Center improvements, specifically with regard to the polished concrete scope, in San Francisco, California is a lesson to specifications that don’t always meet owner expectations and how a great general contractor, great architect, and an experienced concrete subcontractor can communicate and come together to drive the project in a successful direction for all parties.

The Gestation of a Polished Concrete Project

The Moscone Center improvements, specifically to the polished concrete scope, is a lesson to specifications that don’t always meet expectations but how communication between parties can drive the project in a successful direction for all parties.

Grasscrete.

Grasscrete

Manufactured by Sustainable Paving Systems, of Fair Oaks, California, Grasscrete offers a solid, drivable surface that allows direct access to the soil, water, and sunlight required to sustain vegetation.

The view of Lahofer Winery from the vineyards.

Concrete a Main Feature of Lahofer Winery

Though thoroughly modern in form, Lahofer Winery in Dobšice, Czech Republic, takes cues from the vineyards of old.

When slabs on ground are polished, non-uniform exposure of aggregate is a result of high spots cause by slab curling. Deflection of many suspended slabs exceeds the upward movement at curled slabs, so polishing may result in even larger areas that exhibit such non-uniform aggregate exposure.

Why Polishing Suspended Concrete Slabs is More Likely to Disappoint Customers

Polished-concrete specifications are based on experience with slabs-on-grade, so contractors must help project owners understand how results will likely vary when polishing suspended slabs

The 16' x 16' Avant patio stones have the look of large format plank pavers, but install with the ease of traditional square pavers for creating new patios or as an overlay to renew an old, existing patio.

New Pavestone Avant Patio Stones Bring Interior Design Outside

Pavestone has introduced Avant patio stones for upgrading outdoor living space with sleek, contemporary patios, walkways and other pedestrian surfaces.

Keystone Stonegate No Cut Design L Shaped Grill Station (002)

Keystone Hardscapes Pre-Sorted Pallets for Easy Install

The new fireplaces and grill stations combine the elegant, weathered beauty of Keystone Hardscapes’ popular Stonegate retaining wall system in pre-sorted pallets that make installation easy.

Pastor Josh Moore assists Roy Mathis of GranQuartz during the polishing process.

SmartFloor Power Trowel Cuts Down Polishing Time at Florida Church

Ameripolish’s SmartFloor Refinement System uses composite resin abrasives technology for polished concrete floors with high DOI.

W. R. Meadows Hydralastic 836 SL.

W.R. Meadows Hydralastic 836 SL

The company's newest single-component, cold-applied, solvent-free, water-activated, waterproofing system.

Superabrasive has launched their new Elite Series of LAVINA Dust Extractors

Superabrasive Elite Series of LAVINA Dust Extractors

Superabrasive has launched their new Elite Series of LAVINA Dust Extractors, including electric and propane models for use with different size grinders.

A Concrete Overlay Design to Include in Your Project

A Concrete Overlay Design to Include in Your Project

Rockett’s Glass & Concrete Overlay has a long-standing relationship in the concrete industry. Learn from Rockett’s, schedule a session today.

The Moscone Center improvements, specifically with regard to the polished concrete scope, in San Francisco, California is a lesson to specifications that don’t always meet owner expectations and how a great general contractor, great architect, and an experienced concrete subcontractor can communicate and come together to drive the project in a successful direction for all parties.

The Gestation of a Polished Concrete Project

The Moscone Center improvements, specifically to the polished concrete scope, is a lesson to specifications that don’t always meet expectations but how communication between parties can drive the project in a successful direction for all parties.

Scaling, above, and premature surface wear typically occur when contractors mix bleedwater into the surface or trap bleedwater and air directly beneath the surface.

Avoid Surface Defects on Exterior Slabs

The proper finishing techniques will help you avoid defects like premature wear, scaling, mortar flaking and plastic-shrinkage cracking.

When slabs on ground are polished, non-uniform exposure of aggregate is a result of high spots cause by slab curling. Deflection of many suspended slabs exceeds the upward movement at curled slabs, so polishing may result in even larger areas that exhibit such non-uniform aggregate exposure.

Why Polishing Suspended Concrete Slabs is More Likely to Disappoint Customers

Polished-concrete specifications are based on experience with slabs-on-grade, so contractors must help project owners understand how results will likely vary when polishing suspended slabs

In order to achieve the desired polished concrete finish on this lobby floor, Concrete Flooring Solutions used CTS Cement Rapid Set TRU Self-Leveling product to bring an overpoured floor back to its specified recessed depth.

Self-Leveling Topping Corrects Concrete Floor Overpour on Polishing Job

CTS Cement's Rapid Set TRU Self-Leveling topping helped a contractor bring an overpoured concrete floor back to specification in order to achieve the desired polished-concrete surface

Restraightening will cut down high spots and fill low spots; it can increase FF numbers from about 30 to 50 percent.

How to Finish Flatter Concrete Floors

Proper concrete finishing tools and techniques will help you increase your FF numbers so that placing very flat and super flat floors becomes routine

Unless a contractor specializes in floor projects, it can be cost-prohibitive to own concrete grinders and scarifiers that are not used frequently.

How Renting Grinders and Scarifiers Can Save Money, Time

Unless a contractor specializes in floor projects, it can be cost-prohibitive to own concrete grinders and scarifiers that are not used frequently.

To keep pace with the growing demand for ACI-certified personnel on various concrete construction projects, ACI has launched the ACI Certification Verify app to help supervisors verify the status of ACI-certified individuals on a jobsite.

ACI Expands Certification Offerings, Launches App

The American Concrete Institute (ACI) announced the addition of several new certification programs, marking a total of more than 30 certification program offerings now available.

CTS Rapid Set TRU Self-Leveling Overlay is a hydraulic cement-based, self-leveling topping, re-surfacer and underlayment for both indoor and outdoor jobsites. The product cures to a light off-white color. It is ideal for floors that are stained, integrally colored, and those with decorative embedded aggregate flooring.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Concrete Overlay

When considering if an overlay is right for your client it's important to paint wide strokes of possibilities, but root expectations in the complexities of the install.

This sealer was over applied. It should have been applied 1 to 2 mils thick, but was likely 20 to 30 mils thick.

'Thin to Win' With Decorative Concrete Sealers

Thin applications are the simple answer to many acrylic sealer problems contractors face on decorative concrete projects like stamped and stained concrete.

Many ACI Chapters, who have already begun to take advantage of this opportunity, are seeing higher attendance numbers and increased engagement.

ACI Webinars Highly Attended

Any ACI Chapter in good standing can offer unlimited webinars on a date, time and topic of their choosing.

Handleless rope brushes work well on large slabs and in confined areas where handles are awkward.

How to Avoid Broomed Concrete Finish Disputes

Best practices can protect contractors and minimize disputes between job owners and architects.