Glass-fiber Reinforced Concrete - Concrete Decor. By Stacey Enesey Klemenc At first, glass-fiber reinforced concrete sounded over the top to Tommy Cook of Absolute ConcreteWorks LLC in Poulsbo, Wash.
He hated the idea when he first heard about it. "I had no desire to mess with it," says the self-proclaimed "traditional, hardcore concrete guy. " "He wasn't being hardheaded - he was being true to his roots," chimes in his partner, Steve Silberman. He had to coerce Cook into trying GFRC. That was more than three years ago. "Once I got my arms around it and understood its capabilities, I was hooked," Cook says. For the past 30 years, GFRC has primarily been used to architectural precast cladding panels. Within the last two years, GFRC use has also become a hot trend with concrete countertops, says Tom Fischer, owner of Fishstone, Concrete Countertop Supply, in Huntley, Ill. GFRC is mostly a precasting material - it's rare for someone to do GFRC cast-in-place work. There are also more aesthetic options for GFRC users today, Ball says. Fibres and Admixtures. Meet The Material: Concrete. Translucent concrete via Litracon What is concrete?
Concrete is a mixture of sand, gravel and cement (usually Portland cement). Concrete and cement are often thought of as one in the same, however, cement is actually a binding agent used in the creation of concrete. What are some cool properties of concrete? Concrete has the ability to be molded or cast into nearly any shape, design or pattern. How is concrete used? Via STILSUCHT “The Real Concrete Tube” pendant lamp is made of what material? Via Abitare These glasses were obviously created to exhibit the sculptural quality and form of concrete as opposed to being functional one would hope?
Concrete Cloth by Concrete Canvas. UK company Concrete Canvas have been awarded Material of the Year 2009 by materials consultancy Material ConneXion for their cement-impregnated fabric.
Update: this project is included in Dezeen Book of Ideas, which is on sale now for £12. Called Concrete Cloth, the material consists of cement layered between fabric that can bond with water, backed with PVC. The product can be formed into the required shape then allowed to absorb water, causing it to set after two hours. The material can be used structurally and is fireproof and waterproof. The designers hope it will have applications in disaster relief, military and commercial environments. Here's some text from Material ConneXion: New York, NY, November 23, 2009 - Global materials consultancy Material ConneXion announced today the launch of its first annual MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year, naming UK-based company Concrete Canvas's Concrete Cloth as the inaugural winner.
Metal Casting at Home Part 21 Core & Mould Making Casting & Machining. Self Compacting Cast Premix GFRC by Power-Sprays. CONCRETO TRANSLUCIDO - TRANSLUCENT CONCRETE. Highlights Fiber optic "How To" video By JM Lifestyles.