Concrete is one of the most common construction materials being used worldwide. Its physical and mechanical strength and corrosion-resistive features make it suitable for use in a variety of construction projects, from building structures or infrastructures to industrial units. On top of this, it is readily available and offers a much cheaper price than other forms of construction raw materials. However, achieving finesse and aesthetic appeal with regular concrete is quite difficult and cumbersome, owing to the large-sized granules and the coarse texture. For instance, when you cover a wooden floor with regular concrete, the structure won’t have the necessary visual and aesthetic appeal or feel.
This is where micro concrete comes into play! True to its name, it is much different from the traditional concrete used in building foundations and major structures. Instead, micro concrete is primarily used for providing a surface finish to a structure, ensuring it can have the required finesse and aesthetic appeal. Since the use of this raw material has increased across the global construction industry, we have prepared a detailed guide for you, explaining its uses, applications, and benefits for a construction project.
What is micro concrete?
First of all, let’s have a brief understanding of what is micro concrete. Only then you will be able to make the call on whether this raw material will be feasible for your upcoming construction project scope or not. Micro concrete is a cement-based mixture with an almost runny consistency that can be applied on versatile surfaces with a maximum thickness of 2mm to 3mm. Its primary purpose is to provide a smooth, decorative finish while adding more value to the structure’s overall aesthetic and visual appeal. The major materials of micro concrete involve cement, additives, water-based resin, polymers, and mineral pigments. It can be easily used for both horizontal surfaces like floors and stairs and vertical areas like walls and pillars.
Micro concrete uses
Knowing briefly about the micro concrete uses will help you determine if you can integrate this advanced raw material in your upcoming construction project to achieve finesse and perfection or not. Hence, below we have listed a few ways in which it can be used in real-time scenarios.
- Creating durable and smooth floors in residential and commercial buildings
- As a topping to repair an existing but damaged flooring
- Create seamless coverings for walls in both exterior and interior structures
- Crafting a highly polished, custom countertops for kitchens
- Fabricating pre-casted concrete elements like slabs, bricks, and more
- Used for landscaping like patio surfaces, walkways, and garden paths
- Patching and repairing existing concrete structures with a seamless finish
Advantages of micro concrete
Pre-packaged mix
One of the major advantages of using micro concrete is that it is readily available in the market as a premixed material. In other words, all the ingredients, from water-resistant resin to cement and additives are crushed and mixed in a powdered form. All you need to do is identify the best-quality product and purchase the packets. If your construction project has any special requirements for additives, the material can be added later on without much hassle.
Reduced water requirements
You won’t need too much water to prepare the micro concrete base before applying the coating on the marked surfaces. Since all the ingredients are mixed in appropriate proportions, you will need a minimum water volume when compared to regular concrete. Furthermore, the fine texture of the powder helps in easy dissolution of the ingredients in the water.
Fast drying
Since the maximum layer thickness is somewhere between 2mm and 3mm, the micro concrete coating doesn’t take too long to dry. When exposed to the air for a couple of hours, the concrete will harden and form a seamless layer over the applied structure. You won’t have to wait for days for the material to dry and harden before proceeding with final surface finish work.
No heavy machinery needed
One of the prime benefits of using micro concrete is that it doesn’t require heavy-duty machinery for application. A spraying machine with a leveling bar will be enough to create a leveled layer of the material mix on both horizontal and vertical surfaces. However, the choice of equipment for application might differ with the consistency of the final mixture and the underlying surface texture.
Low permeability
Since micro concrete has low permeability, it won’t allow water to enter and damage the underlying texture. Besides, the use of water-resistant resin makes it less susceptible to moisture absorption and damage from dampness or mold infestation. That’s why it is often used for surfaces that remain exposed to higher moisture volume for prolonged hours.
Highly durable
Also, micro concrete is highly durable and long-lasting compared to any other surface coating raw material used in the construction industry. It can withstand wear and tear without succumbing to any damage. Besides, the use of cement, polymers, and other forms of additives enhances its mechanical and physical strength.
Budget-friendly
Compared to other types of raw materials used to achieve surface finish, micro concrete is far cheaper and easily accessible across the construction sector. You can find the premixed powder which will be much cheaper than gathering the individual components and mixing them at the construction site.
Micro concrete VS traditional concrete
| Micro concrete | Traditional concrete |
| Micro concrete is primarily used to cover any surface and provide a seamless finish. | Traditional concrete acts as the building block for any structure, like walls, stairs, driveways, and many more. |
| With micro concrete, you won’t have to mix the individual components as it can be found in a premixed form. | It needs to be prepared at the construction site since no premixed form is available in the market. |
| Cement, resin, polymers, and other additives used in micro concrete are smaller in size, thereby allowing a runny consistency with a finer texture. | The granule size is quite large, owing to which the paste formed is thick and coarser in terms of consistency and texture. |
| It is quite cheap and won’t incur too much overburden in your construction project budget. | Using traditional concrete for construction involves quite a high cost. |
| Heavy machinery isn’t needed to apply the micro concrete layers on any surface, thereby reducing both time and effort consumption. | To apply the traditional concrete, heavy-duty machinery will be needed, regardless of the consistency or texture of the mix. |
How to apply micro concrete?
It is essential for every builder, project manager, and construction worker to know the basics of how to apply micro concrete. Below we have briefly explained the major steps involved with this concerned raw material application.
Surface preparation
First, the concerned surface, whether metal or concrete, needs to be cleaned thoroughly and polished a bit so that no uneven texture exists. If the metal surface has corrosion-like rusting or the concrete has cracks, these need to be handled before the coating can be applied.
Mixing
One of the many reasons for using micro concrete is due to the ease of preparing the mix. Just use the premixed powder and water to form the mix using your hand or a mixing vessel. However, while doing so, you should use micro concrete and water in a ratio of 8:1 since the premixed powder doesn’t need too much of liquid. Continue to stir with a consistent speed so that you can have the coating ready in no time with no granularity in the texture.
Pouring
As micro concrete can dry up pretty fast, the mixture needs to be poured on the concerned surface as soon as the mix is ready. Uniform flow speed needs to be maintained so that the layer thickness remains uniform throughout the surface. A spreader and leveler equipment assembly will be needed to achieve the necessary seamless surface look.
Challenges and limitations of micro concrete
Despite having so many advantages, there are certain limitations of micro concrete that you should consider.
- Enhanced skills and practice will be needed to apply the raw material and achieve the desired surface finish.
- Quick action is needed once the mix is ready since if delayed, it will dry up and become unsuitable for pouring.
- The substrate needs to be prepared well enough so that the micro concrete material can form a strong adhesion.
- Inadequate curing of the raw material can lead to the formation of cracks.
- If the existing structure has limited weight-bearing ability, pouring micro concrete mix can cause the structure to crumble.
- After curing, micro concrete loses the flexibility and cannot be molded further.
Conclusion
With this detailed discussion, you are now aware of the benefits of using micro concrete to achieve a seamless look and add more value to the structure’s aesthetic and visual appeal. Since you already have the premixed powder available, there won’t be any hassle with sourcing the individual components from the vendors. Besides, it is suitable for providing a seamless look to new structures as well repairing damaged existing structures.
FAQ
Can micro concrete be used for large-scale projects?
Yes, micro concrete can be easily used for large-scale projects, like building construction, infrastructure construction, and commercial construction projects.
What is the ratio of micro concrete?
To prepare the best mix, you need to mix water and micro concrete in a ratio of 1:8.
What is the maximum thickness of micro concrete?
The maximum allowable thickness for micro concrete ranges between 2mm and 3mm.
Is micro concrete waterproof?
Due to the addition of water-resistant resin, micro concrete is waterproof and has low moisture permeability.
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