Tag: Concrete
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Commercial Concrete Construction: Pitfalls to Avoid
Commercial concrete is the backbone of modern business spaces. From parking lots and warehouses to office buildings and shopping centers, it supports heavy loads, constant use, and all kinds of weather. When mistakes happen during construction, cracks, surface wear, or drainage issues can appear fast. The best part is, many of these problems are avoidable.…
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Concrete Freeze-Thaw Protection with MCI® Water Repellents
Winter is coming to the Northern Hemisphere. That means reinforced concrete bridges, parking garages, and buildings could be in for a wild ride on the “roller coaster” of freeze-thaw cycling. To minimize damage from these inevitable temperature swings, Cortec® recommends taking the simple maintenance step of applying a water repellent at least once every ten…
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How to Survive the Ups and Downs of Concrete Freeze-Thaw Cycles
Winter is coming to the Northern Hemisphere. That means reinforced concrete bridges, parking garages, and buildings could be in for a wild ride on the “roller coaster” of freeze-thaw cycling. To minimize damage from these inevitable temperature swings, Cortec® recommends taking the simple maintenance step of applying a water repellent at least once every ten…
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How to Integrate Pigments into On-Site Concrete Mixing
Color is no longer a specialty add-on in concrete. It has become a mainstream design feature for residential, commercial, and municipal projects alike. For contractors, that means knowing how to properly mix, dose, and finish pigmented concrete on-site is essential to delivering consistent, high-quality results. This guide outlines best practices for pigment use in field…
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Optimize Concrete Slab Dowel Design with the EIDM Enhanced Integrated Dowel Model
Because standards are intentionally conservative for most projects, but new design methods are changing, project-specific design optimization is required to provide safe, cost-effective, and sustainable construction. The newly developed Enhanced Integrated Dowel Model (EIDM) ensures joint performance under all wheel types, to reduce joint spalling and callbacks, while typically also reducing cost and improving sustainability. Dowels…
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Polished concrete vs microcement flooring: Which surface to choose for your home?
To the untrained eye, polished concrete and microcement flooring appear similar. Both of these hard floor surfaces are easy to clean, should withstand significant wear, and can lend a contemporary, industrial-tinted aesthetic to living spaces. Look more closely you’ll start to notice significant differences between the two types of flooring, from their ease of installation…
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Design Ideas to Elevate Spaces with Polished Concrete Floors
Polished concrete flooring has quickly become a favorite choice for homeowners who want a balance of modern style, practicality, and durability. Once thought of as purely industrial, polished concrete is now seen in living rooms, kitchens, and even bedrooms. With the right design choices, this versatile flooring can completely transform a space. Here are some…
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Winning Customers Online: A Concrete Business Guide to Digital Success
Winning clients online today requires clarity, focus, and the right approach. People no longer rely on word-of-mouth alone when deciding whom to trust. They search online, compare options, and decide within minutes whether to stay or leave. To keep up, companies need strategies that build visibility, attract genuine interest, and convert that attention into long-term…
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Tech in Concrete Construction Insights
At its core, concrete construction hasn’t changed much. If you excavate deep enough to the core of the work, there isn’t much of a difference between the concrete contractors do today versus what was done back in ancient Roman times. What has changed (and significantly, I might add) are the materials, methods, the science, the…
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How to Brand Your Concrete and Masonry Work
Key Takeaways Branding in construction connects craftsmanship to reputation, ensuring work is remembered long after it’s completed. Methods include stamping, engraving, custom bricks, and adding durable metal emblems. Branding in concrete and masonry has a long history, dating back to ancient builders and medieval masons. Modern branding techniques blend tradition with new materials, technology, and…