CIP 14 - Finishing Concrete Flatwork

WHAT is Finishing
Finishing is the operation of creating a concrete
surface of a desired texture, smoothness, and
durability. The finish on a concrete slab can be
functional or decorative.

WHY Finish Concrete

Finishing makes the concrete slab surface functional,
serviceable, and attractive. The final texture, surface
hardness, and joint pattern on slabs, floors, sidewalks,
patios, and driveways depend on the concrete’s end
Construction Crew Finishing Concrete
use. Warehouse or industrial floors need to be flat and
level and have greater wear resistance, while other should be appropriate to placement and finishing
interior floors covered with floor coverings do not methods, and supply should be consistent and
have to be as smooth and durable. Exterior slabs must timely. Deposit concrete as near as possible to its
be sloped to drain water with a texture that will not be final location—directly from the truck chute or
slippery when wet. Excessive finishing should be use wheelbarrows, buggies, or pumps. Start at the
avoided. A wide range of decorative finishes are far end placing concrete abutting previously
possible using special techniques not discussed here. placed concrete and work towards the near end.
On slopes, use lower slump concrete and work up
HOW to Place Concrete the slope.
b. Spread the concrete using a short-handled, square
Before finishing, concrete is placed, consolidated and -ended shovel, or a come-along. Never use a
leveled. These operations should be carefully garden rake or tined tool to move concrete
planned. Skill, knowledge, and experience are horizontally as it causes segregation.
required to deal with a variety of concrete mixtures,
placement methods, and field conditions. Having the c. Concrete should be well consolidated with
proper manpower and equipment available; and particular attention to the edges by tamping
timing the operations properly is critical. concrete with a spade or piece of wood along
form edges. For larger areas, consolidation is
Complete all subgrade excavation and compaction, usually accomplished by using a vibrating screed
formwork, and placement of mesh, reinforcement, or or internal vibrator.
other embedments, as required, before concrete
delivery. Delays after the concrete arrives create will d. When manually striking off and leveling the
reduce the final quality of flatwork. concrete, use lumber or metal straightedge (called
a screed). Rest the screed on edge on the top of
The subgrade should be compacted uniformly and the forms, tilt it forward and draw it across the
properly sloped as needed for drainage. Avoid wet concrete with a slight sawing motion. Maintain a
spots and do not place concrete on a cold subgrade. head of concrete ahead of the screed to fill in any
General guidelines for placing and consolidating low spots. Do not use a jitterbug or vibrating
concrete are: screed with concrete slump that exceeds 3 inches
a. Selecting the correct concrete mixture for the job. (75 mm). Vibrating screeds should be moved
Consult your concrete supplier. Do not add excess rapidly to ensure consolidation but avoid working
water to the load to increase slump. Concrete up an excessive layer of mortar on the surface. Do
should be resistant to segregation, slump ordered not overwork the surface during strike-off.
 HOW to Finish Concrete with decorative treatments, such as exposed aggregate,
dry shake color, integral color, and stamps or patterns.
1. LEVEL the concrete surface using a bull float, darby, Decorative finishes need special procedures and
or highway straightedge soon after strike-off. This experience.
operation should be completed before bleed water 6. NEVER sprinkle water or cement on concrete to
appears on the surface. This operation should embed facilitate finishing. This will cause dusting or scaling.
large aggregate, smooth the surface, and even out high 7. EDGE the concrete when required. Spade the concrete to
and low spots. Keep the bull float as flat as possible to break any bond with the form with a mason’s trowel. Use
avoid sealing the surface prematurely the edging tool to obtain durable rounded edges.
2. WAIT before starting subsequent finishing operations 8. JOINT the concrete where required. Joints can be placed
until the concrete has stopped bleeding and there is no before concrete sets using a tool or saw cut after it has
water sheen on the surface. Any finishing operations hardened. The blade of the jointing tool should be at least
done while the concrete is still bleeding or with water ¼ the depth of the slab. Use a straight piece of lumber as
on the surface will result in surface defects, such as a guide. A shallow-bit groover should only be used for
dusting, scaling, crazing, delamination and blisters. decorative grooves. Saw-cutting joints should be done as
The waiting period depends on the setting and soon as the concrete is hard enough not to be torn by the
bleeding characteristics of the concrete and the blade. Early-entry saw cutting can be done before the
ambient conditions. During the waiting period, protect concrete has completely hardened. See CIP 6.
against hot, dry and windy conditions that cause rapid 9. CURE the concr ete as soon as all finishing is
evaporation from the concrete surface. Cover a small completed to provide proper conditions for hydration of
portion of the slab to check if it is still bleeding. cementitious materials. Curing is essential to achieve the
Estimate set for final finishing operations when a required strength and durability of the concrete surface.
footprint indentation on the slab is between ⅛ to ¼ In severe conditions causing early drying, slab
inch (3 to 6 mm) deep. protection may be needed before finishing is complete.
3. FLOAT the concrete by hand or machine after See CIP 11.
bleeding has ceased. Floating embeds aggregates and 10.AVOID concr ete bur ns to skin by following pr oper
levels and prepares the surface for further finishing. safety practices. Do not allow fresh concrete to come
4. TROWEL the concrete when required for its end use. into contact with skin or eyes. Wear clothing, gloves and
Trowel finishes are more common for interior slabs boots to protect against burns when working with fresh
For a smooth floor make successive passes with a concrete. When concrete comes into contact with skin or
smaller steel trowel and increased pressure. Repeated eyes, wash off immediately with clean water.
passes with a steel trowel will produce a smooth floor
that will be slippery when wet. Excessive troweling
may create dark trowel burns. Improperly tilting the References
trowel will cause an undesirable “chatter” texture. 1. Concrete in Practice (CIP) Series, National Ready Mixed
Exterior slabs typically require a textured finish. Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
www.nrmca.org
Trowel finishing of air-entrained concrete, like
2. Guide for Concrete Floor and Slab Construction, ACI 302.1R,
lightweight interior slabs, should be done with caution
American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI.
and proper timing. Rate of bleeding is slower for air www.concrete.org.
entrained concrete and premature finishing will result 3. Slabs on Grade, ACI Concrete Craftsman Series, CCS1,
in delamination and blisters. American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI.
5. TEXTURE the concrete surface as required after 4. Concrete Floors on Ground, EB075, Portland Cement
floating or troweling. For exterior concrete flatwork— Association, Skokie, IL. www.cement.org.
sidewalks, patios, or driveways—texture the concrete 5. Sealing Effects of Finishing Tools, Suprenant, B.A., Malish,
surface after floating with a coarse or fine push-broom W.R., Concrete Construction, September 1999.
to give a non-slip surface. A swirl finish is used on www.concreteconstruction.net.
some slabs. For interior flatwork texture the concrete 6. Finishing Tool Primer, Kim Basham, Concrete Construction,
surface after final troweling. Concrete can be finished July 2000.

Follow These Rules to Finish Concrete

1. Place and move concrete to its final location using procedures that avoid segregation.
2. Strike off and obtain an initial level surface without sealing the surface.
3. Wait until the bleed water disappears from the surface before starting finishing operations.
4. Use the appropriate surface texture as required for the application.
5. Avoid steel troweling air-entrained concrete or use appropriate cautions when required.
6. Cure the concrete to ensure it achieves the desired strength and durability.
1986, 1990, 2001, 2017