Mirroring the 1980s emergence of fibrous concrete for shrinkage crack control in slabs, the decorative flatwork market has fueled demand for integrally colored ready mixed and provided producers new profit opportunities. This much-welcomed trend over the past five years is largely the result of the availability of automated pigment dispensing systems and the attendant quality control that goes along with them. With the marked and rapid increases in colored concrete sales in recent years, the widespread perception that the industry is slow to adopt new technology or respond to changes in the marketing environment appears to be a fallacy.

Without exception, every pigment manufacturer or automatic dispensing system maker Concrete Products spoke to said they were expecting big things from the colored concrete market, with many reporting double-digit growth figures in 2003 as compared to 2002. Industrywide, ready mixed concrete that contained color represented about 2 percent (8 million yd.) of 2003 shipments. This year, that number should climb to 2.5 percent, jumping to 3.1 percent in 2005 and 4 percent in 2006.

With many involved in this industry reporting a drop in commercial work in recent years, an estimated 60 to 65 percent of the color market is seen in residential construction. But Steve Somerville, P.E., product manager for Chromix Coloring Admixtures at Cleveland-based Master Builders, qualifies these figures. Both commercial and residential markets appear to be growing at similar rates,” he says. “However, with new home construction booming, the volume of residential concrete is increasing, while commercial volumes are decreasing. This has skewed the market so that color growth in residential appears to be greater than commercial.”

The sentiment is shared by other color makers who say that they've seen no actual drop in pigment sales in either market. “As the sale of grey concrete drops off in certain markets, some concrete producers push colored products to make up the differences in sales,” says Keith Gibbs, director of marketing and sales for Solomon Colors of Springfield, Ill. “We've seen increased usage of colors in everything from driveways to tilt-up buildings. Even some highway contractors are experimenting with pigments, because certain colors eliminate glare from the road.”

As ready mixed producers are becoming more color savvy, dispensing technology is making it easier for them to serve the premium residential flatwork market. “The automated dispensing systems play into residential building, where typically shorter notice is given as to when a project will begin. Commercial jobs are planned farther out,” says Greg Freeman, manager of commercial development-worldwide for Grace Construction Products, Cambridge, Mass. “And home owners are realizing that colored concrete adds value, so it's becoming more popular.”

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Until recently, colored concrete had always been a regional U.S. phenomenon due to the design communities of the Southwest and Southeast. But thanks to the ease of dispensing color into ready mixed loads with automated systems, pigment producers are seeing boosts in virtually all parts of the country. “Surprisingly to us, the Northeast region is picking up, New England especially,” says Nick Paris, vice president of marketing with Los Angeles-based Davis Colors, which began a marketing alliance with Grace Construction Products about a year ago. “And we tie that demand increase directly to the growing popularity of automated dispensing systems.”

“The best part of this trend,” Paris continues, “is that we're no longer finding ourselves trying to convince customers to offer colored products. That part is a given. We just have to convince them which system to use.”

“Ready mixed producers are receiving the push to sell color with excitement,” says Master Builders' Somerville. “In a competitive market with decreasing volumes, color provides a means to differentiate, sell value-added mixes and increase profits. The automated dispensing systems provide a means to accurately charge loads of customized mixes and reduce plant labor. This results in reduced lead times for product and reduced inventories.”

Grace's Freeman adds, “The decorative market — staining, stamping, special finishing techniques — is its own entity, but it's one that complements our business.”

Another frequently cited region where colored concrete is seeing a steady growth is the Midwest, where Mendota Heights, Minn.-based Cemstone Products Co. is offering a line of 48 standard colors and recently launched its first-ever marketing campaign for colored products. “What intrigued us from a producer's standpoint is the liquid color dispensing system,” says company president Thor Becken. “We now have the flexibility to make any color at any time — 24/7, 365 days a year. Some contractors only plan an hour in advance, so we can deliver product much faster with an automated system.

“Operationally, these systems allow drivers and plant staff to realize it's okay to work with color. From a billing standpoint, a customer can be billed by the exact pound of pigment, rather than by the bag. We're also able to produce in quarter-yard increments, and not just by the full yard. The customer is paying for exactly what is delivered. Plus, the consistency of the product is so much better in terms of the mix designs.”

Like the rest of the nation, Cemstone's colored concrete business has been mainly in the residential market, thanks in large part to a major 2003 direct mail campaign and a series of product demonstrations aimed at the communities, architects, engineers and DOTs in the areas that the company services. “Getting involved in the colored concrete business has also allowed us to be a full-service operation. We also sell the stamps and other color products,” says Becken. “And while operationally, working with color adds cost to production, we are able to charge a premium price for an order.”

PAIRING UP

In early 2002, Master Builders and Los Angeles-based L.M. Scofield Co. formed an alliance to address the increasing demand for colored concrete products by providing a system that offers a range of colors for architectural concrete. “The alliance is working very well to increase the market size and our market share,” says Steve Somerville. “Concrete producers are pleased to have a one-stop shop for a complete color system, single-source support, products, expert training, support marketing and sales tools, architectural assistance, as well as concrete and color knowledge and experience.”

As mentioned earlier, Davis Colors began a marketing alliance with Grace Construction Products as well. “We're expecting big things from this alignment,” says Grace's Regional Product Manager Chris Forgey. “Davis is a leader of pigment technology, and Grace has a good relationship with the ready mixed people, so the synergy of equipment and contacts is great.”

Forgey added that the alliance has just developed and delivered its first totally mobile color-dispensing system to a customer. “It's too soon to talk about it in detail, but we're extremely excited about this step forward for our business.”

Also in the area of new products, Solomon Colors recently rolled out an upgrade of its ColorSelect Pro dispensing system with a new database tool that allows for improved data management and storing information.

In addition, Pittsburgh-based Bayer Chemicals is introducing a Windows-based software that interfaces with Standley Batch Systems' dispensing equipment. The portable unit draws water from the batch plant, thus the system can be stored outside and is watertight. “With this system, you don't have to buy liquid color to automatically dispense pigment into ready mixed orders,” says Paul Croushore, Bayer's market manager.

Soaring product shipments, coupled with the availability of faster colored-mix testing methods, are prompting a move for ASTM Committee C 9 to update C 979 — Standard for Pigment for Integrally Colored Concrete, which hasn't been modified since 1982.