Chryso South Africa has launched Chryso Deco City, a new innovation for the decorative concrete flooring market – particularly suitable for the enhancement of urban public areas. The company is part of the Chryso Southern Africa Group.
Hannes Engelbrecht, company’s GM Marketing & Inland Sales, says Chryso Deco City – a new and unique process developed by Chryso in France – allows for the production of decorative engraved concrete, which can be produced in standard or tailor-made designs. “Irreversible patterns are engraved on-site on the concrete surface through the use of special pre-cut, patterned membranes on alternate exposed aggregate and non-exposed aggregate finishes,” he explains. “The patterned membrane is a Kraft paper, especially designed for this application”
After the concrete has been poured for the flooring surfaces, the Chryso Deco City concrete flooring application process starts with the unrolling of the patterned membrane on to the fresh concrete. A Chryso surface retarder, such as Chryso Deco Lav P, is then sprayed on the concrete.
“The choice of surface retarder and the etch-depth will depend on job site conditions and the ultimate finish desired,” Engelbrecht states. “Washing out of the concrete surface is then carried out at least a day later (depending on the outside temperature and concrete curing conditions) with a high pressure sprayer with a flat nozzle. Once the surface has dried the concrete can be sealed with either a Chryso Deco Matt (for a matt finish) or Chryso Deco Pearl (for a shiny finish)
The City offering includes various collections, mainly creating a 40cm wide frieze or 80cm wide complete floors: Chryso Deco City in standard form features a catalogue of standard designs, 40cm and 80cm wide, supplied in specific lengths depending on the project requirement.
Pre-cut patterns offered in the City ranges include designs named after major global cities (for example, San Francisco, Mumbai, Marrakesh, Barcelona) to reflect the new product’s potential for enhancing urban public places.
Engelbrecht says although Chryso Deco City concrete flooring technology works with standard exposed aggregate concrete mix designs, to prevent bleeding it is recommended that a Chryso super-plasticisers such as the Chryso Plast Omega or Fluid Optima range; and a Chryso air-entraining agent, should be included in the mix.
“Chryso Deco City will provide urban designers with unlimited design possibilities, and the product can also be used in upmarket residential applications, such as around swimming pools or to create eye-catching driveways. There has already been strong interest in the product among specifiers,” he adds.
