Vol. 19 No. 8 - November/December 2019
Topics
By no means an inclusive list of interesting finds, there was plenty to explore at the 2019 Concrete Decor Show at the Arlington Convention Center in the shape of products and tools.
Many people get into the construction trades because of the ongoing challenge of building something new. Imagine the thrill of helping to build a whole new city — in 14 weeks.
Four men joined the ranks of those honored in the Decorative Concrete Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony and dinner held Oct. 28 at the 2019 Concrete Decor Show in Arlington, Texas
Unique Concrete is true to its name. Like many decorative concrete contracting firms, it constructs pool surrounds, patios, sidewalks and driveways. However, unlike other contractors, it also specializes in laying concrete on top of decks.
For those of us who remember how trendy the whole zodiac thing was in the 1970s, it’s fun to see it pop up now and again. Here’s an example, a stained and engraved zodiac pattern on concrete in a Chinese-style restaurant called Temptasian in Vernon, British Columbia.
This striking concrete garden path was inspired by the Brazilian jungles — the habitat of the world’s largest snake, as well as a place where concrete is the only hope of keeping weeds at bay.
Thicker pads will last longer, but are stiffer and commonly prone to cupping when they dry out. Cupped pads don’t wear evenly, and often the outer area doesn’t actually make contact with the concrete. Photos courtesy of The Concrete Countertop Institute
Not long ago my wife and I were having dinner at a well-known chain restaurant when we noticed that hundreds of feet of saw cuts had been left unfilled. I'm guessing this had to be a health issue. If nothing else, it made the floor look unfinished, to say the least.
Scott Cohen, artisan and construction defect expert witness, whose company The Green Scene makes decorative backyards and pools in Southern California, has observed problems around salt-chlorinated pools too, but he is far from certain that all salt pools are problematic.
Born out of frustration with the long learning curve for mastering GFRC, Cheng Concrete’s NeoMix D-FRC is designed to not only shorten that learning curve for contractors, but also to outperform traditional GFRC in regards to flexural strength and abrasion resistance.
You've heard of Stonehenge, right? How about Carhenge? It's an installation of half-buried cars, all laid out in a circular pattern that mimics the site's much older and more famous cousin. The pocket of western Nebraska that includes Carhenge and the nearby town of Alliance can seem about as windblown and mystically alien as the legendary British Isles site itself.
When it comes to safety in the construction industry, technological advances will make the workplace of the future more connected.
In potentially transformative research for both the recycling and concrete industries, a City College of New York civil engineering team is developing a glass powder to replace cement in the production of concrete.
Expanding Terminal 2 at the San Diego International Airport was the largest improvement project in the airport’s 81-year history. The expansion — dubbed “The Green Build” because of the airport authority’s commitment to sustainability and environmentally friendly materials and methods — cost $907 million and at peak construction created 1,000 jobs.
Luca Seminati, managing director of Ideal Work srl, helped install the Italian company’s house-made microtopping on these stylish homes in Lisbon, Portugal.
Most of the country is still shaking off the effects of a long cold winter followed by a wet spring. Eventually the temperature will rise, and the long hot days of summer will be upon us. With that in mind now would be a good time to review warm weather practices.
I think we can all agree we’d be happy if the decorative concrete industry were bigger. You know, if the pie were just a little bit bigger. What are we doing as an industry to positively influence the decorative market? What are you doing as a contractor, material supplier or manufacturer to help grow the pie?
A few of Concrete Decor's favortie photos from World of Concrete 2005
Unique Concrete is true to its name. Like many decorative concrete contracting firms, it constructs pool surrounds, patios, sidewalks and driveways. However, unlike other contractors, it also specializes in laying concrete on top of decks.