Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world, and it is one of the most durable. Today’s concrete has high performance expectations that are dependent on your viewpoint as an owner, designer, contractor or concrete producer. Concrete can be engineered, or designed, to provide exact performance and meet your expectations. This is typically completed during the design phase of the project. What is important to you as the owner are likely the aesthetics and longevity. So, will your clients or customers be welcomed to your facility by the beauty of concrete, and will it last forever?

The Beauty of Concrete

混凝土可以整体着色，着色，纹理和抛光-如果你有一个设计或看在心里，这可以用混凝土。许多建筑正朝着室内混凝土地板的趋势发展，设计成与其他材料相似的外观，并防止地板饰面问题带来的麻烦。

What to Expect from Your Concrete

混凝土会开裂。这和交税一样有保障。设计师知道这一点，并期待它发生，虽然我们的设计，以尽量减少随机裂缝的机会。你注意过混凝土的接缝吗？也就是说，设计师告诉混凝土在特定的位置开裂，使其看起来美观。一条随机的裂缝看起来很难看，但混凝土在未来几年仍能发挥作用。

Exterior concrete can be produced to provide a durable surface. Concrete unsuited for exterior applications can scale when exposed, especially during our Minnesota winters. Cosmetic scaling occurs when the near surface “flakes” off, but the underlying concrete is still suitable. The concrete will continue to provide a hard surface to walk on, although the issue may be astatic. If the concrete is a loading dock that few rarely see, it may not need repair.

我们可以设计和放置近乎完美的混凝土，但这真的需要吗？我们确实需要在经济和所需结果之间保持一致的平衡。客户或客户在参观您的设施时所走的内部楼层应该与停车场、人行道或装卸平台有不同的期望。

The Concrete Consulting group at Braun Intertec has the experience to design concrete mixtures to meet project needs and assist in limiting potential issues. We also routinely work with the Structures Evaluation and Building Sciences groups to determine the cause and extent of concrete deterioration. We have worked with many owners, contractors, and ready mix producers to evaluate distress in structures and help projects succeed. Contact Justin Lashley at 651.747.6748 for more information.