Ever Evolving Concrete
August 06, 2007
I was reading an article today on Treehugger that was describing a new sealant made from sodium acetate (an ingredient commonly found in potato chips) that is proving to be a cheap and efficient way of sealing concrete. The chemical seeps into the pores of the concrete and crystallizes after contact with any water, thus restricting any further water infiltration. It sounds pretty cool, but imagine what it does to your stomach! Anyway... it got me thinking about concrete and all the new ways in which we are developing it as both a structural and finish material. Honestly, its really amazing to think about how concrete has been in use as a building material for thousands of years and yet we are still finding new ways in which to use and create it! Below are just a few examples of new types of concrete.
Graphic Concrete is a really interesting product out of Finland that provides amazing detail etched into the concrete. There are standard patterns available as well as custom designs. The designs are created by applying a surface retardant to a special membrane, which rejects the concrete in certain areas... then when the membrane is removed, the design's various shapes and depths appear.
Concrete Blond is yet another company that specializes in a variety of concrete applications. Many of their projects incorporate glass, steel, and concrete (among other materials). I'm not exactly sure how this particular 'wallpaper panel' is created, but its quite impressive to see the minute detail, texture, and sheen created by the concrete.
The image shown above is an actual sample of a Pixel Panel in which the concrete panels are actually translucent, if you can imagine that.... Via Liquid Stone
Designed by Frederik Molenschot, Solid Poetry shows its inherent design when wet...
Something tells me that these concrete innovations are just the tip of the iceberg... I can't wait to see what else the design world comes up with!
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