The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
As sustainable as it is durable, concrete offers an endless array of cost-effective possibilities and versatile results for residential and commercial buildings
One of the latest additions to the MGM Resorts International portfolio is the new landmark MGM National Harbor which sits on the eastern shore of the Potomac River, just south of Washington, D.C. A showcase for sustainability, it features 1 million square feet of gaming, lodging, entertaining, dining, retail and parking space.
From highways and buildings to homes and sidewalks, so many things you see around you are made partially or entirely of concrete. Most people assume concrete is a fairly modern invention, right? No way! Actually, concrete was used 2,000 years ago in the Roman Empire. In fact, it looks like it was better quality concrete than we can manufacture today.
Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) and blocks are not new, but their sudden popularity and growth as a building material is. More builders and homeowners are choosing to build with ICFs than ever before, which has led rise to some questions and misconceptions about the material.
Remember the ship from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest"? Or the John Harvard statue that students gathered around during the hazing scene in "The Social Network"? What about the boat dock from the Hollywood version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"?
Before the hand-held Stucco Sprayer, concrete contractors who wanted to work vertically had to settle for one of two extremes – a large, costly pump, requiring a crew of four to six, or hand-stacking. The new sprayer fills a niche between the two.
Check in and check out three examples of decorative concrete at its finest, in Georgia, Tennessee and California.
Meva is a family owned manufacturer of formwork located in Southwest Germany. A new central university campus with three faculties is being built in Delémont, Switzerland, using Meva formwork. The campus complex is 656 feet (200 meters) long and comprises four offset blocks with four levels each, plus an underground car park and a 9-story tower on the south side.
Concrete walls are a common choice in both commercial and residential buildings or rooms where soundproofing is important.
In this house, concrete is everywhere, from the floors to the walls to the tabletops. And it doesn’t stop there, the entire home was consructed using concrete and insulated concrete forms.
Pouring concrete into fabric instead of the usual rigid formwork represents, for some, the shape of things to come.
