The continuation this year of near-record residential construction activity coupled with increasing demand for value-added pavements in the commercial
The continuation this year of near-record residential construction activity coupled with increasing demand for value-added pavements in the commercial sector yielded projects of exceptional quality for the 2005 Concrete Pavement Awards Û Decorative and Durable Designs program. Cosponsored by Concrete Products, Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, and the American Society for Concrete Contractors’ Decorative Concrete Council, the competition showcases outstanding achievement in a range of applications outside mainline highway practice. To that end, judges weigh each project’s design, craftsmanship, and site suitability to select winners in six categories: Residential and Commercial for Precast, Cast-in-Place, and Specialty. Featured this month are winning and honorable mention cast-in-place projects to be followed by precast category winners in February.
JUDGES
Michael Emerson, ASLA, is senior vice president with VOA, a Chicago-based architecture, interior design, and planning firm.
Abie Baldwin is affiliated with Jacobs/Ryan Associates, Landscape Architects, Chicago.
Jack Gabriel Di Clementi, ASLA, RLA, operates a land-planning and landscape architecture business in Wilmette, Ill.
COMMERCIAL – 1ST PLACE
Paradise Landing Restaurant
Balsam Lake, Wisconsin
Awarded to:
Western Concrete Inc.
Amery, Wisconsin
Concrete supplier:
Cemstone Products
Turtle Lake, Wisconsin
Highlighting the renovation of Paradise Landing on the shores of Wisconsin’s Balsam Lake is exterior decorative concrete providing an outdoor ambiance in harmony with the restaurant’s rustic interior. For the project’s 7,800-sq.-ft., textured and colored concrete pavement, the contractor tapped L.M. Scofield integral color, color hardeners and acid stains. After exterior concrete was placed to a thickness of four inches, workers applied Rafco’s Radius Stone decorative mats as well as Canyon Stone and texture skins by Scofield. In addition, surfaces were stained with a variety of colors to simulate natural stone. An exterior gas fireplace, centered in a circular pit amid circular walkways, required 8-ft. walls extending five feet below ground level for frost protection and three feet aboveground for decorative stone placement.
COMMERCIAL – 2ND PLACE
Zehnder’s Splash Village
Indoor Water Park
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Awarded to:
Maday Construction
Saginaw, Michigan
Concrete supplier:
Elite Crete of Michigan
Orion, Michigan
An attraction for anticipated annual traffic of 170,000 visitors, the indoor water park incorporates 22,550 sq. ft. of decorative floors, stairs ascending to 30-ft.-tall slides, and wainscoting overlaid approximately ?-in.-thick with Elite Crete Systems’ random flagstone pattern. Chocolate-colored grout lines, a light chocolate top-coat base, and chocolate/charcoal Ultra Stone stain variations contribute to a distinctive finish. Cylindrical columns averaging 25 ft. in height and divider walls feature a cobblestone pattern; and, two coats of satin-finish urethane sealer protect the decorative overlay. A five to nine-person crew completed the installation in about one month.
COMMERCIAL – HONORABLE MENTION
Solana Beach Rail Trail
Solana Beach, California
Awarded to:
T.B. Penick & Sons
San Diego, California
Concrete supplier:
Palomar Transit Mix
Escondido, California
A two-mile jogging and bike pathway parallel to Highway 101 along the Pacific coast, the Solana Beach Rail Trail was designed specifically to complement its southern California setting, while providing durability to withstand rigorous use. Long-lasting, natural-looking colors and surfaces were achieved by using decomposed granite-seeded Lithocrete and Lithocrete Quarried Stone finish. As seeded DG Lithocrete resembles actual decomposed granite, the concern of granite washing away was eliminated. Glass-seeded Lithocrete with bronze lettering also can be found at five focal points on the trail. In addition, the project features 2-ft.-high Lithocrete sedimentary walls customized with seashell and driftwood accents. Architects on site during the pour helped accomplish precise seeding and exposure for the 76,000-sq.-ft. installation.
RESIDENTIAL – 1ST PLACE
Spathes Residence
San Diego, California
Awarded to:
Concepts in Concrete
Construction, Inc.
San Diego, California
Concrete supplier:
Hanson Aggregates
San Diego, California
Decorative concrete renders even more inviting an outdoor setting featuring multiple amenities. In the first of three construction phases, masonry walls and the pool edge were topped with a 3_-in.-thick, cantilever, cast-in-place cap incorporating Solomon Colors’ Sandstone with a Light Buff Sand Wash finish. The second phase involved installation of a 4-in.-thick pool deck, also Sandstone, using a Lithocrete retarder to achieve a medium Sand Wash finish with saw-cut control joints for a cleaner look. During phase three, split-level, cast-in-place counter tops were constructed in an outdoor kitchen center housing a built-in barbeque, sink, and ice machine. A broadcast Bomanite Sonora Tan color hardener and smooth troweling, plus embedded vintage coins and shells from the beaches of Greece, enhance the counters’ visual appeal. Accenting an Elk Mountain ledger stone fireplace nearby are a cast-in-place mantle and hearth. With the addition of lighting, rich details are visible even at night.
RESIDENTIAL – 2ND PLACE
1214 Crabtree Crossing
Morrisville, North Carolina
Awarded to:
Tri-City Contractors
Raleigh, North Carolina
Concrete supplier:
Thomas Concrete
Morrisville, North Carolina
The 2,500-sq.-ft. stamped deck of a guitar-shaped pool was so enthusiastically received that the builder elected to stamp the entire 7,000-sq.-ft. driveway. A natural hue was achieved using QC Construction Products’ Pebble Beige integral color in combination with Bisque Tan color hardener and Mesa Tan release powder. QC Solvent Seal 18 was applied to protect the finish. Upon the recommendation of supplier Thomas Concrete, multiple Fritz-Pak products were incorporated in the mix, including Control-Finish, Delay Set, and Air-Entrainment.
Ordering 14 FM-1470 Brickform Texture Stamps enabled work to progress smoothly. For a laid stone appearance, contractors saw cut 3- _ 3-ft. squares. The outstanding workmanship of both deck and driveway led to several additional contracts for large stamped flatwork projects.
RESIDENTIAL – HONORABLE MENTION
Berger Residence
Bay City, Michigan
Awarded to:
Maday Construction
Saginaw, Michigan
Concrete supplier:
Rand R Ready Mix
Saginaw, Michigan
By virtue of impeccable attention to detail, the 233-sq.-ft. walkway and porch make a striking first impression despite the lack of grand scale. Replacing a deteriorating, plain concrete sidewalk and an inadequate stoop, the stamped concrete walkway and steps in combination with a porch overlayment add elegance to the formerly mundane entrance. Freehand tooling on the porch echoes the Increte Old English Slate pattern of the walk, further reinforcing the design. Overall, a unified scheme is created as Brickform Dover Blue color hardener, Medium Gray release, and Terra Cotta highlights contrast with the home’s white-brick fa¡ade and accentuate copper elements as well as the black roof and trim.
SPECIALTY – 1ST PLACE (TIE)
Concrete Wall – World Map
Peoria, Illlinois
Awarded to:
Aupperle Construction
Morton, Illinois
Concrete supplier:
United Ready Mix
Peoria, Illinois
Around the world in 30 days’ may be an apt boast for project principals contributing to the 17-ft.-high _ 24-ft.-long _ 10-in.-thick concrete world map completed in just one month. For support of the 408-sq.-ft. wall, a 6-ft.-wide _ 2-ft.-thick footing was poured following excavation. A 3-in.-thick, dual-hemispherical inset form was placed in the wall during casting to accommodate 56 precast panels comprising the map. Intricate forming allowed construction of each panel in a monolithic pour. Bomanite integral color and Grace superplasticizers helped achieve blue, glass-like ocean and lake surfaces, while special-order Bomanite tools and color were used to create land-mass texture. A ?-in. offset in the forms and contrasting color defined the raised coastline. After anchoring the panels into the wall’s inset area, the _-in. joints were grouted. To complete the project, the area bordering the map was treated with Bomanite MicroTop for a softer appearance.
SPECIALTY – 1ST PLACE (TIE)
Rosa Street Bridge
Solana Beach, California
Awarded to:
T.B. Penick & Sons
San Diego, California
Concrete supplier:
Palomar Transit Mix
Escondido, California
Besides a maintenance-free surface with durability of 30-plus years, the Rosa Street Bridge offers pedestrians and cyclists a subtle design simulating the green flash phenomenon that occurs when the setting sun suddenly changes from red or orange to green or blue as it apparently sinks into water at the horizon. The pavement’s delicate gradation of vibrant colors was achieved by using Lithocrete, a patented process that allows seeding of materials smaller than ?-in. Accordingly, 15 different glass blends were seeded over eight to ten inches of natural gray concrete.
As the bridge extends over railroad tracks to connect Highway 101 with the Cedros design district, the crew encountered perilous conditions during installation. Planks extended across the bridge facilitated pouring concrete as well as seeding it with glass and gems. Additionally, inspirational quotes by William Shakespeare, Helen Keller, and Walt Whitman on the topic of the sun were sandblasted along the edges of the bridge walkway.
SPECIALTY – HONORABLE MENTION
Poortenga Studios
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Awarded to:
Decorative Concrete Resources
Saginaw, Michigan
Concrete Supplier:
Wolverine Redi Mix
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Colored and decorative concrete pavement played a significant role in the transformation of a defunct car repair garage and vending machine business into the new Poortenga Studios. The old floor was capped with new concrete and subdivided into two areas: the main photography studio and an indoor town-scape featuring a variety of building fa¡ades along a cobblestone street. The main studio floor was finished with a custom Dark Walnut acid stain and two coats of Vexcon Gloss sealer FT. In the remaining area, stamping tools of custom European cobblestone in a running bond pattern were used in combination with Brickform brick red color hardener, medium gray antique agents, and Vexcon AC1315 sealant to simulate brick pavement. Exterior sidewalks and the front parking area were completed with a custom blend of Prism Pigments’ buff integral color and sand-colored highlights to complement the building’s new stone fa¡ade.