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May 25, 2001

Today’s concrete IS rocket science

  • New mixes allow concrete to be waterproof right out of the truck’s chute.
  • By ROBERT BERMAN
    Strategic Marketing Alliance

    waterproof concrete
    Photo courtesy of Strategic Marketing Alliance
    Non-toxic, waterproof concrete was used on the Cherry Crest reservoir in Bellevue.

    Over the last several years we have seen the most progressive concrete companies throughout the country finding ways to add value to the concrete we all buy.

    Local examples include companies like Cadman, who has developed a series of proprietary branded mixes known as Cadman Lab Systems. The company’s tag line: “Redefining the quality of concrete.”

    What’s behind the development and associated messages of concepts like this? It’s simple. Solutions.

    Several years ago, the most advanced companies in the industry began to realize that with all of the benefits available today via engineering services, admixtures, creative mix designs, etc., that concrete was no longer a basic commodity. The days of “five sack” were over.

    “Today we are able to produce concrete mixes that can save a contractor and project owner money, time and on-the-job frustrations, while simultaneously improving overall quality,” said Tom Whiteman, sales manager at Cadman. “Our current branded products are all about selling high-quality/high-value concrete and providing solutions that save our customers time and money, with the overall goal of making it easier to do business with our company,” said Whiteman.

    Cadman’s current brands include:

    • Colormix — an easy, all-inclusive way to add color to your concrete.

    • SlabTech — a slab-on-grade mix that has already saved one contractor over $35,000 on labor and materials for one project alone.

    • Pro-Flow — an economical alternative to traditional back fill.

    • PTGold — a mix designed specifically to increase performance for post tension concrete work.

    The concept of branding doesn’t stop at concrete mixes. Cadman was also the first company in the nation to implement a patented environmental solution called Enviro-Wash. In basic terms, it is a chute wash out system that keeps all potentially harmful materials from ever hitting the ground when a driver needs to wash out his/her chute. Enviro-Wash does this by having all the residue from the chute rinse into a self-contained recycling system. This enables the remaining materials to be re-used in future loads of concrete, rather than being discarded on to the ground at a jobsite.

    What caught our eye the most, however was the latest branded mix that will be released later this summer. It is a waterproof concrete.

    Remember when we said it’s not like rocket science? Well, it’s time to re-think that. The primary ingredient that makes this possible (Xypex) has actually been around since 1969, but has been used predominantly as a topical coating for heavy industrial applications like reservoirs, tunnels and manholes.

    “Our goal in designing this new waterproof concrete mix is to expand the knowledge base, therefore expanding the use throughout residential and commercial applications,” said Scott Thompson, Cadman’s building materials supervisor. “This new family of concrete mixes is unbelievable. The process eliminates traditional waterproof coatings by having everything you need already in the concrete mix, meaning our concrete trucks show up, pour the concrete, and it’s done. Your basement, walls, or even commercial parking structures are completely waterproof,” said Thompson.

    How waterproof concrete works

    In essence, it is concrete waterproofing by crystallization. The concrete is made impervious from either side. It can be introduced in different ways (topical or admixture), but the admixture version is what makes it possible to just pour and go.

    The benefits are extensive. First and foremost it is non-toxic. The active ingredients have been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use on concrete structures that hold potable water and/or foodstuffs for human consumption. It contains no solvents and emits no harmful vapors. In fact, locally it was used when building the Interstate 90 and 405 freeways, where there was direct contact with wetlands, as well as in the new Cherry Crest reservoir in Bellevue.

    Steve Kaiser, principal of the CRW Co. in Seattle, said, “The chemical reaction causes a catalytic reaction which generates a non-soluble crystalline formation of dendritic fibers within the pores and capillary tracts of concrete. Thus the concrete becomes permanently sealed against the penetration of water or liquids from any direction.”

    With this protectant in place, the concrete becomes highly resistant to a wide variety of other aggressive substances including chemicals, salt water, sewage water, and so on. It has even been used in the construction of several toxic waste containment facilities throughout the world. As if that’s not enough, it is actually a self-healing product — when it’s exposed to water it re-activates itself.

    So, would you still call today’s concrete “mud,” or is it just me that thinks it’s getting more and more like rocket science?

    To learn more about waterproof concrete, and a host of other value-added/solution-oriented concrete mixes, go on-line to www.cadman.com and www.xypex.com.


    Robert Berman is a marketing consultant with extensive experience in the concrete industry. He can be reached at (425) 869-7893 or on-line at www.smapromo.com.


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