Top 8 Tips for High-Quality Architectural Concrete

Finding the perfect concrete solution is a complex product that requires skill and proficiency. Depending on their purpose, concrete structures must meet a certain requirement in terms of design, durability or sustainability. So, if you are looking to find the concrete solution for yourself, then here are eight tips for high-quality architectural concrete:

• Define assessment criteria prior to practical work

Before the actual work begins, be critical of the criteria for evaluating how concrete surfaces should look. You should also look for the surface pattern/grid that a project owner would want to achieve. Also, see the requirements that are applied to the concrete surface texture and what shade of colour should finish concrete have! These criteria will consequently play a significant role by selecting the right formwork and the right concrete mixture.

Choosing the most suitable formwork system 

If we talk about the significant factor for the concrete finish, formwork system tops the list. The arrangement of the form ties and the footprint made by the frames at the inter-panel joints will eventually appear on the surface, giving the pattern of the visible part of the concrete.

Choose the right formwork sheets.

When it comes to the appearance of the finished concrete, then it is crucial to choose the right material (wood, plastic and metal). There are several types and categories of formwork panels, but not all are worthy of achieving the fair-faced concrete results. Besides, it is also crucial to know the effects and the features of formwork boards on the concrete surface are crucial. In addition to that, try to understand how to use the panels correctly. The experts suggest securing the framework sheets from the back side.

Here are some features:

• birch plywood, crosswise glue bonded
• concrete side with hard-wearing synthetic resin coating, back coated with phenolic resin
• formwork sheet for smooth concrete surfaces
• non-absorbent surface
• finished substantial light in colour
• normal pore formation

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Select the right concrete mixture

In acquiring high surface quality, the right concrete recipe plays an essential role. The ingredients affect the porosity and the colour of the concrete, as well as the features of the concrete surface such as the appearance of rock pockets, lime efflorescence, creeping water effects. The available solutions that will assist you in the definition of the right concrete mix for ensuring a similar colour tone throughout the concrete surface.

Do not mix new and used formwork.

The appearance of the concrete and the absorbing feature of the formwork sheets, used formwork and new formwork are vastly different. This affects the colouring of the finished concrete surface; therefore avoid mixing new and used formwork.

Test, Re-Test and Repeat

Physical and chemical interactions between individual, material components (e.g. concrete agents, concrete additives) while construction is in progress can have undesirable side-effects. Test the sample surfaces under the local job site conditions.

The porosity of the concrete is affected distinctly by some release agents. Therefore, test in advance on sample surfaces. For instances, Instacrete is a release agent that helps in producing very low –pore concrete surfaces with uniform colouring.

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Don’t Ignore the Weather Conditions

• Note the following features while adapting to the concrete recipe to weather conditions:It becomes tough to produce fair-faced concrete that is compatible with high requirements at ambient temperatures <10 °C. When this happens, it can affect fresh-concrete pressure and stripping time. Understand it with an example, in the cold weathers when the stripping time is prolonged, it is to be anticipated that the concrete surface might appear darker.

• In the hot weather conditions, the formwork panels could warm up significantly. This could lead to the quick drying of the concrete during pouring. After stripping the resultant flaws are visible on the concrete surface. There is also a possibility that concrete may start stiffening faster than the normal when the temperatures are too high. The possible solutions for this situation are pouring the concrete in the initial phase of the day, or by using shades, or cooling the concrete with ice. 

 

Follow the treatment immediately after stripping.

As soon as you strip and protect your concrete, you can start curing it immediately with foil. You need to avoid all sorts of airflow between the concrete surface and the covering foil. 

Do you know how to achieve the best fair-faced concrete results? The InstaCrete experts will consult you on the best techniques, products, specific construction codes and standards as well as how to implement custom requirements.