Children's Museum of Phoenix Project

Performance Pad

Project Team
Doug Bannister of the Stamp Store
Assisted by workshop participants and Job Corps trainees.

Sponsors

Project Description
The museum requested an ocean-themed area with an organic shape for the 20 x 25 stamped patio created during the Introduction to Stamped Concrete workshop held at the Concrete Decor Show & Decorative Comcrete Spring Training. The challenge was to devise an approach that would look elegant but be simple enough to let workshop participants get hands-on practice during every step in the process.

To achieve these objectives, Doug Bannister decided to create random rounded edges using margin trowels, hand floats and some hand smoothing. He selected the Proline Dolphin Border Art pattern and jade Dura-Color Hardeners that were dusted onto the border and worked into the concrete surface. A background texture using flexible texturing mats was applied over the dolphin imprints. The center of the freshly placed concrete was stamped with the Arizona Flagstone pattern from Proline Stamp Tools to create a random appearance using six tools and a floppy. A clear liquid release agent was applied to the tools and the concrete surface to allow easy removal of the stamping and texturing mats and leave a clean pattern imprint. The following morning, workshop participants added a beautiful range of random greens and blues to the flagstone patterns using a base of EZ-Tique water base antiquing from Proline followed by Proline Dura Color EZ-Accent translucent water-based acrylic stain and intense colors of water-based SS Rainbow stains applied to different stones. Two thin coats of acrylic sealer to protect the surface completed the project.

The 40/60-proportion mix design for the gray concrete consisted of 40 percent half-inch rock for coarse aggregate and 60 percent sand at a 3-inch slump. On-site Fritz Pak SP5 was used to achieve a 5-inch slump for the ideal plasticity needed for stamping. To reduce shrinkage cracking, the mix was reinforced with 2 pounds of microfiber per yard. Since the museum wanted an organic shape, wooden forms were not placed. Control Finish, another Fritz Pak product, was lightly sprayed onto the fresh concrete and worked in with a resin bull float and later with a Fresno. The purpose of Control Finish is to increase the surface elasticity and prevent edge cracking. The workshop participants saw almost no signs of edge cracking as they moved the stamps across the slab.

A flat surface was achieved by using Lightening Strike roller screed equipment from Lura Enterprises. Two Job Corps trainees were recruited to operate the roller screed. This quickly and efficiently achieved a consistent depth to provide the pad for imprinting, and it reduced the time and labor that would have been involved to screed the concrete manually.

Seating around the performance pad is planned for future installation.

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