British Columbia - Vancouver & Lower Mainland Southwest
  []
Send this page to a friend Print this page  

TradesInfo.ca

Text treeConcrete Finisher Terminology

Glossary

admixture
material other than water, aggregates and portland cement that is used as an ingredient of concrete and is added to the mix
aggregate
granular material, such as sand, gravel, crushed stone or recycled concrete aggregates used with cement to produce concrete
bleed water
excess water which rises to the surface of concrete
bull float
a tool comprising a large, flat, rectangular piece of wood or magnesium attached with a rotating pivot to a long handle used to smooth unformed surfaces of freshly placed concrete
burlap
a coarse fabric of jute, hemp, or less commonly flax, for use as a water-retaining cover for curing concrete surfaces
cementitious materials
substances that have cementing properties (set and harden in the presence of water)
concrete
composition of a binding medium and aggregate; commonly consists of a mixture of cement, aggregate and water in varying proportions; mixture is worked into a plastic state and gains hardness through the hydration of water with the cement
consolidate
compaction usually accomplished by vibration of newly placed concrete to minimum practical volume, to mould it within form shapes or around embedded parts and reinforcement, and to reduce void content to a practical minimum
construction joint
the junction of two successive placements of concrete, typically with a keyway or reinforcement across the joint
control joint
a joint cut to control cracking in concrete
crazing
small cracks in a concrete surface caused by uneven contraction during hydration
curing
the maintenance of a satisfactory moisture content and temperature in concrete during its early stages so that desired properties may develop
expansion joint
an isolation joint that allows for expansion and contraction
exposed aggregate
surface texture where cement paste is washed away from concrete slab surface to expose durable aggregates for the riding surface
floating
process of using a tool, usually wood or magnesium, in finishing operations to create a relatively even but still open texture to a fresh concrete surface
form
a temporary structure or mould for the support of concrete while it is setting and gaining sufficient strength to be self-supporting
grout
a mixture of cementitious material and water, with or without aggregate, proportioned to produce a pourable consistency without segregation of the constituents
hardener
a material applied to concrete floors to reduce wearing and dusting
honeycomb
concrete that, due to lack of the proper amount of fines or vibration, contains abundant interconnected large voids or cavities
isolation joint
a pavement joint that prevents bonding of surfaces
overlay
the addition of a new material layer onto an existing pavement surface
plastic
a condition of freshly mixed concrete such that it is readily remoldable, workable and cohesive
retarder
a product that delays the setting of concrete
saturated surface dry (SSD)
condition of an aggregate particle or other porous solid when the permeable voids are filled with water but there is no water on the exposed surface
saw cut
a cut in hardened concrete utilizing diamond or silicone-carbide blades or discs
screeding
the operation of forming a surface by the use of screed guides or a strike off
segregation
separation of various ingredients within a concrete mix
slump
a measure of consistency of freshly mixed concrete
spalling
surface flaking and chipping of concrete
topping
a layer of concrete placed to form a floor surface on a concrete base
wet screed
placing concrete on finish grade across two known points of elevation (called wet screeds)

Abbreviations

ACI
American Concrete Institute
CSA
Canadian Standards Association
MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheet
FF
Floor flatness
WHMIS
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
SSD
Saturated surface-dry
FL
Floor levelness
PPE
Personal Protective Equipment
Provided by the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program National Occupational Analysis (NOA) http://www.red-seal.ca