Guide to Decorative

Concrete
Reported by Joint ACI-ASCC Committee 310
ACI 310R-19

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
CONCRETE CONTRACTORS
 First Printing
August 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64195-071-8

Guide to Decorative Concrete

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 ACI 310R-19

Guide to Decorative Concrete

Reported by ACI Joint ACI-ASCC Committee 310

Larry Rowland, Chair Clark Branum, Secretary

Jason Barnes David E. Hoyt Joe A. Reardon Anne M. Werner

Lance Boyer Byron A. Klemaske II Kevin Sigourney Consulting members
Daniel P. Dorfmueller Michael A. Linn Michael S. Smith Harry P. Moats
James A. Farny Allyn C. Luke Nicholas J. Sorrentino Mike Murray
Robert Patrick Harris Darryl Manuel David E. Stephenson Joseph V. Nasvik
Patrick J. Harrison Scott C. Metzger Cori E. Sutton
Roy E. Harvey Bent O. Mikkelsen James Vermillion

This guide describes techniques for imparting aesthetic finishes 3.3—Substrate preparation, p. 5
to concrete flatwork, of which many can be combined for unique 3.4—Jointing, p. 6
effects. The owner and architect/engineer will acquire detailed, 3.5—Joint filling and sealing, p. 6
practical guidance for achieving aesthetic effects using proven 3.6—Proper installation and quality control, p. 7
techniques. Recommendations are made for the production of
3.7—Climate, p. 8
cast-in-place decorative concrete flatwork, decorative stains, and
3.8—Curing, p. 8
overlays. In addition to attention to the specified materials, mixture
designs, concrete placement, curing, protection, sealing, and other 3.9—Sealers, p. 10
treatments, this guide also considers the effects of these treatments 3.10—Safety, p. 10
on the overall aesthetics of the project. 3.11—Reinforcement, p. 10
3.12—Sustainability, p. 10
Keywords: cementitious overlays; dry-shake hardeners and release agents;
embossing; engraving; etching; inlays; polishing; stains; stamping; tooling. CHAPTER 4—PLASTIC CONCRETE COLOR
TECHNIQUES, p. 11
CONTENTS 4.1—General, p. 11
4.2—Integral color, p. 11
CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE, p. 2 4.3—Color shake-on hardeners, p. 13
1.1—Introduction, p. 2 4.4—Exposed aggregate, p. 14
1.2—Scope, p. 2 4.5—Advantages, p. 15
4.6—Disadvantages, p. 15
CHAPTER 2—DEFINITIONS, p. 3 4.7—Special procedures and tools, p. 16
4.8—Required products, p. 16
CHAPTER 3—GENERAL AND DESIGN 4.9—Safety, p. 16
CONSIDERATIONS, p. 4 4.10—Maintenance, p. 16
3.1—General, p. 4
3.2—Process development, p. 4 CHAPTER 5—PLASTIC CONCRETE TEXTURING
AND PATTERNING TECHNIQUES, p. 16
5.1—Texturing: embossing, imprinting, stenciling, and
ACI Committee Reports, Guides, and Commentaries are stamping, p. 16
intended for guidance in planning, designing, executing, and 5.2—Stamping, p. 17
inspecting construction. This document is intended for the use
of individuals who are competent to evaluate the significance
5.3—Texture and pattern rollers, p. 19
and limitations of its content and recommendations and who 5.4—Stencils (paper templates), p. 20
will accept responsibility for the application of the material it 5.5—Object impressing, p. 21
contains. The American Concrete Institute disclaims any and 5.6—Texturing with standard tooling, p. 21
all responsibility for the stated principles. The Institute shall
not be liable for any loss or damage arising therefrom.
Reference to this document shall not be made in contract ACI 310R-19 supersedes ACI 310R-13 and was adopted and published August 2019.
Copyright © 2019, American Concrete Institute.
documents. If items found in this document are desired by
All rights reserved including rights of reproduction and use in any form or by
the Architect/Engineer to be a part of the contract documents, any means, including the making of copies by any photo process, or by electronic
they shall be restated in mandatory language for incorporation or mechanical device, printed, written, or oral, or recording for sound or visual
by the Architect/Engineer. reproduction or for use in any knowledge or retrieval system or device, unless
permission in writing is obtained from the copyright proprietors.

1
2 GUIDE TO DECORATIVE CONCRETE (ACI 310R-19)

CHAPTER 6—POST-PLACEMENT COLORING

TECHNIQUES, p. 22
6.1—General, p. 22
6.2—Reactive stains, p. 24
6.3—Nonreactive stains and concrete dyes, p. 29
6.4—Acid etching, p. 30

CHAPTER 7—POST-PLACEMENT TEXTURING

AND PATTERNING TECHNIQUES, p. 30
7.1—General, p. 30
7.2—Ground and polished concrete, p. 32
7.3—Sandblast stenciling (abrasive blast stenciling), p. 40
7.4—Engraved concrete, p. 41
7.5—Decorative saw-cutting (scoring), p. 42
Fig. 1.1a—Stamped, colored concrete with slate and brick
CHAPTER 8—DECORATIVE OVERLAYS AND patterns in landscape setting (courtesy of Decorative
REPAIR METHODS, p. 43 Concrete Resources).
8.1—General, p. 43
8.2—Special procedures and tools, p. 44
8.3—Required products, p. 45
8.4—Application, p. 45
8.5—Touch-ups and post-repair aesthetic treatments, p. 46

CHAPTER 9—MAINTENANCE, p. 46
9.1—General, p. 46
9.2— Protective treatments, p. 46
9.3—Stained concrete, p. 47
9.4—Hardened and densified concrete, p. 47
9.5—Maintenance plan and closeout documentation, p. 47

CHAPTER 10—REFERENCES, p. 47
Authored documents, p. 48

CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE

1.1—Introduction
Decorative concrete has been in existence since approxi-
mately 70 A.D., when concrete was used for defining affluent
or important areas of living space in communal cultures
(ConcreteNetwork.com 2019). Early examples of this type
of adornment are the streets and paving throughout the city
of Pompeii near Naples, Italy. Early decorative concrete
used colored aggregates and varying shapes or natural mate-
rials embedded in concrete paving.
Traditionally, concrete has been specified more for its Fig. 1.1b—Concrete slab enhances design aesthetic with
functional characteristics than as an enhancement to the mimic of stone slab (courtesy of L. M. Scofield Company).
aesthetics. Landscape architects were leaders in using
concrete flatwork to enhance the visual appeal of hard- eners, chemical stains, pigments and dyes, surface texturing,
scapes. Using color and texture introduced concrete as a jointing, exposed aggregate, surface embossing, polishing,
landscape feature in addition to its functionality. An example and the use of sealants and coatings. The combinations of
is flatwork textured and colored to replicate the look of slate, techniques and mediums described in this guide are exclu-
brick, or natural stone, as shown in Fig. 1.1a and 1.1b. sive; they cannot be replicated by any other durable medium.
The use of decorative concrete has been well received
and considered as an alternative to other building materials 1.2—Scope
for durable, versatile, and economical finishes. Designers This guide describes several techniques for imparting
are creating greater aesthetic appeal in projects by using aesthetic finishes to concrete, many of which can be combined
one or more combinations of special concrete placement for unique effects (Fig. 1.2a and 1.2b). The guide provides
techniques, including integral concrete colors, color hard- detailed practical guidance for achieving aesthetic effects

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 GUIDE TO DECORATIVE CONCRETE (ACI 310R-19) 3

using proven techniques, both within and beyond the context crack chaser—rotary tool using a v-shaped diamond
of ACI 302.1R, which also governs these concrete elements. blade to enlarge cracks in concrete to facilitate repair.
Recommendations for the production of cast-in-place deco- decorative aggregate—specially selected aggregates
rative concrete, stains, and overlays are presented. In addi- chosen for their artistic contribution to the project; examples
tion to attention to specified materials, mixture proportions, of materials used as decorative aggregate include colored
concrete placement, curing, protection, sealing, and other stone, intrinsically valuable gathered stone, semiprecious
treatments, consideration of the effects of these treatments on stone, or colored glass.
the overall aesthetics of the structure is also addressed. decorative overlay—mixture of cementitious materials
installed over an existing concrete substrate.
CHAPTER 2—DEFINITIONS densifier—combination of silicate and water-based
Please refer to the latest version of “ACI Concrete Termi- compounds that react in the surface of the concrete to
nology” for a comprehensive list of definitions. Definitions produce additional calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H).
provided herein complement that resource. embossing—creating a raised print or reverse replication
color hardener—similar to traditional one-component of an object in the concrete surface.
hardeners, having additional constituent materials formu- engraving—cutting with a mechanical rotary or impact
lated to color the concrete surface. tool to texture a concrete surface.
concrete dye—colorant for concrete that is applied to the etch—textured surface produced by cutting with a
concrete while it is in solution and results in a stained appear- mechanical impact tool or by chemical etching by use of
ance; concrete dyes do not produce color via chemical reaction. acid.
grinding—intentional removal of a visually apparent
amount of the surface paste to create a profile on the surface.
integral color—iron oxide pigments that are added to the
concrete during the mixing process to change the color of
the paste.
microtopping—bonded decorative overlay usually 1/8 to
3/16 in. (3 to 5 mm) in thickness.
needle scaler—reciprocal impact tool that uses single or
multiple thin rods to strike a surface.
polished concrete—post-placement architectural finish
or texturing technique where concrete undergoes sequential
mechanical abrasion resulting in full surface refinement.
polished overlay—bonded decorative overlay 3/8 to 1
in. (10 to 25 mm) in depth cast over an existing concrete
substrate designed to accept diamond abrading for a polished
concrete appearance.
reactive stain—reactive solution of one or more metal
salts stabilized by acid that produce coloration in a concrete
Fig. 1.2a—Cast-in-place decorative concrete combining
substrate by neutralization of acid followed by precipitation
treatments during and post placement to achieve aesthetic
of metal hydroxides or oxides.
effects (courtesy of Concrete Mystique Engraving).

Fig. 1.2b—Decorative concrete applications such as post placement colorants can comple-
ment or enhance the overall aesthetics of a project (courtesy of PROSOCO).
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