ACM Chemistries’ latest ColorScape offering for concrete paver and building or block wall units is measured by the cup and produced in shapes that spread without rolling or stacking. AirFlow Layer Spacer Beads prevent scratching and abrasive action across unit masonry layers, including ones where paver or block surface textures are up to 2 mm. The beads hold concrete masonry in place during transport and reduce efflorescence by allowing air to circulate between separated cube layers and between a top sheet and top unit layer.
AirFlow spacers are six sides in cross section and have uneven ends. Free of petrochemical plastic content, their bio-based composition allows safe disposal in soil or use in paver bedding materials. In block or paver plants, excess beads can be swept up and reused by depositing back into the hopper of an automated dispenser or stock container if spreading manually.
Unlike plastic grids used for separating paver or block layers, ColorScape AirFlow beads do not leave surface marks or patterns. Where unit colors are staggered, they allow installers or masons to work through a cube vertically versus layer by layer. The beads are applied at 30 to 70 grams per square meter, or 1/6- to 1/3-cup per paver or wall unit layer. Their load-bearing properties suit use in cubes stacked up six levels high. AirFlow spacers ship in 2,000-lb. Gaylord containers. — ACM Chemistries Inc., Norcross, GA, 770/417-3490; www.acmchemistries.com