Clark Branum, Decorative & Polished Concrete Specialist
The Voice Newsletter June 2024
As we dive into the busy season, it is full steam ahead. At the of April, the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) held its Annual Committee Week in the vibrant city of St. Louis. Industry leaders convened to exchange insights, innovations, and best practices, enriching our collective pursuit of excellence. The ASCC Committee Week in St. Louis was a resounding success! Committee members met for two days, and the meetings were very productive. The CPC (Concrete Polishing Council) reviewed three new documents that will be published as position statements for the polishing contractors. One paper on differential curing will be modified for use with the DCC (Decorative Concrete Council) for decorative concrete contractors. The weather is improving, and everyone is busy again, which is good for all of us as our industry moves ahead. As usual, during an election year, things are a little unsure, causing banks and owners to be a little cautious about how much money they will spend on construction projects. There is still a lot of funding for infrastructure repairs coming from the Federal government. The DCC will begin planning for its 2024 community project, which should happen soon.
With spring weather a little on the cool side, remember your best practices for cold-weather concrete. A cool subbase combined with sun and wind creates perfect conditions for plastic shrinkage cracks, soft interior and surface crusting. This can be problematic for crews installing stamped concrete, and other decorative finishes. The forum lately has been talking about the use of evaporation retarders and finishing aids. Just be sure that you’re installing and using these products correctly to avoid any potential issues. Another hot-button topic seems to be using steel trowels on exterior concrete, leading to delamination and scaling. Some are concerned that Type IL cement may be a contributing factor. I’m sure that comes into play at some point, but good finishing practices will keep you safe and produce a good quality finish. The no-no, with steel trowels on exterior concrete, is generally associated with using a power trowel where the concrete has air entrainment. Using a steel hand trowel on exterior concrete is not an issue as long as the concrete is treated with a secondary finish after troweling, such as stamping or a broom finish. This will open the surface and allow for bleed-water to dissipate at a normal rate. Hope you all have a great season, and we’ll talk again soon!