scope:

Architectural concrete is concrete that will be permanently exposed to view and that requires special care in the selection of the concrete materials, forming, placing, and finishing to obtain the desired architectural appearance. This guide presents recommendations for cast-in-place architectural concrete based on the information available to the committee. Various procedures are recommended for determining initial requirements of the architect, contractor, concrete producer, and inspector. Critical areas are indicated for special attention, and means for prevention or correction of defects are discussed. Specific surface treatments and special forming techniques are presented. Applicable codes, specifications, and recommendations are cited throughout the text and listed in Chapter 11. General information is found in References 1, 2, and 3.

The information presented in this guide is very broad and covers many special conditions for specific architectural concrete. Information that may be applicable for use in producing a specific result may not be applicable to another. The user should also be aware that recommendations in this guide are subjective to the means and methods used for accomplishing a specific task for a specific level of architectural effect and should be tested before use to ensure it will produce the required result. Further research is needed to provide additional information on bugholes and other construction problems. This guide does not address all the problems associated with architectural concrete.