Decorative Concrete
Forms and Liners

Patios, walkways, driveways and numerous other horizontal surfaces have been formed, stamped and colored to look like brick, flagstone and a variety of other materials for many years. Indeed, it's often a more economical and hardwearing substitute for the real thing. As a concrete technique, it was only a matter of time before it began climbing the walls.

Today, use of decorative forms and liners mean vertical projects can be structural and nice to look at. Drive down the highway and you're likely to see several examples: sound barriers and bridges, to name just two.

"We do a lot of heavy highway work," says John Toomey, project manager for Northern Construction in Hingham, Mass. "One out of every 10 bridges [we do] has a patterned design. Patterns, such as exposed aggregate ribbed patterns, make them more aesthetically pleasing."

In a project for Six Flags New England, Northern Construction used decorative forms for retaining walls and site walls, in addition to stamped concrete. The company used a creative approach for a high-end look, using borders and different colored caps.

Mark Scott, co-owner of Innovative Brick Systems in Boulder, Colo., says his company uses form liners to create natural-looking textures and patterns, but also uses them for custom graphic work. "We did a sound wall project in Baton Rouge, La., in which we pre-cast sections with pelicans, water lilies and other sculpted effects."

In Virginia Beach, Va., a 3.2-mile-long poured-in-place seawall project was finished in June 2000. Formed into the vertical surface facing the beach are fish, sea turtles and dolphins, as well as the seals of the city and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But the wall is more than just decorative and protective; it's informative, too! According to Phill Roehrs, coastal engineer with the City of Virginia Beach, "At each street access the number of the street is imprinted, so you know where you are as you walk down the beach."