The white or grayish crust sometimes formed on the surface of masonry or stone, often as calcium sulfate. It is caused by the leeching-out of soluble chemical salts, from the stone, brick or mortar joints through the forces of capillary action and evaporation.

There are three different methods for incorporating the decorative aggregate into concrete slabs for later exposure:

1) Seed the aggregate onto the surface-The most commonly used method is to seed the decorative aggregate onto the slab surface immediately after the concrete has been placed, struck off, and bull floated. This involves sprinkling the aggregate by hand or shovel uniformly onto the surface and then embedding it with a bull float or darby until it's completely covered by a thin layer of cement paste.

2) Mix the aggregate into the concrete-You can also have the ready-mix producer put the decorative aggregate right into the concrete mix during batching, which eliminates the step of seeding it onto the surface after concrete placement. However, depending on the cost of the aggregate you choose, this method can be more expensive than seeding because it requires using greater quantities of decorative aggregate.

3) Put the aggregate into a thin topping-Another alternative is to place a thin topping course of concrete containing the decorative aggregate over a base slab of conventional concrete. The topping can range in thickness from 1 to 2 inches, depending on the aggregate size. This method generally works best when smaller decorative aggregates are specified.

In all instances After a time of curing, the unhardened layer of matrix at the surface of the panel is removed by a high pressure water washing, thus, exposing the aggregate used in the concrete. Because of its durability and skid resistance, an exposed aggregate finish is ideal for most flatwork

Typically delivers DSS boulders and material larger than 10". Capactiy is 20-23 tons. Ample room on the jobsite is needed to manuver this truck, as it is 55' in length. A flat dump site is needed to avoid the truck tipping over. The jobsite must have a height clearance of 30' to deliver the load. Check out our blog post all about trucks here: All About Trucking