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Concrete Decor - Concrete Decor Magazine, The Journal for Decorative Concrete - Index

But the fi ber
reinforced cement
composite panels
he manufactures in
thicknesses from
1/4 inch to 1/2 inch
weigh a mere 7
pounds per square
foot. And they
create a monolithic
structure, as opposed
to segments created
by natural or
cultured stone.
They may be
thin, but these panels
have strong relief.
And they may be light, but they are
strong. Jenkins says his panels deliver
12,000 psi of compressive strength.
Another signifi cant advantage over
natural stone comes during installation.
An experienced mason with a tender
may be able to lay 40 to 50 square feet of
stacked stone wall in a day. In contrast,
a comparatively inexperienced workman
can install 600 square feet to 800 square
feet of synthetic rock panels in a day.
Finally, these panels offer designers
and customers artistic control. David
Long, president of Lakeland Co. Inc. in
Rathdrum, Idaho, was able to build a
residential client a custom “mountain”
26 feet high and 75 feet long with
multiple waterfalls dropping into a
man-made creek bed leading to more
waterfalls downstream. Another project
was a “man-room” where a hunter’s
trophies will be displayed on synthetic
stone cliffs under a man-made tree.
“(I’m a) geo-illusionist trying to
make the client’s environment a Garden
of Eden,” Jenkins says.
Fabricating with the
right materials
Both Long and Jenkins advocate
sharing best practices with the industry,
even with potential competitors.
“The better quality that people in our
industry deliver, the more work we’ll
all get,” Long explains. For example,
Jenkins began training contractors in
1996 and has trained more than 10,500
people since then.
Synthetic rock panels start with
a mold taken from actual rock. The
panels may be fabricated in the shop or
on-site, using the mold to shape glassfi
ber reinforced concrete (GFRC). A key
factor in the durability and longevity of
the fi nished project is the quality of the
GFRC. Long emphasizes the necessity of
adhering to ASTM standards, including
the requirement to use the proper
amount of hardening agent, 4 percent to
5 percent alkali-resistant glass, and Type
I portland cement. He describes seeing
projects where contractors tried cutting
corners on materials, only to end up
with panels that chipped and crumbled
within a couple of years.
Ray Robinson of Robinson
Earthscaping, Deadwood, Ore.,
describes installing the panels: “The
GFRC panels are wired in place and
then concreted to the rebar. Than a 70grit
fi ne sand, lime and cement mixture
is placed between the panel faces. This
is padded with latex rubber pads to
Dec. ’07/Jan. ’08 | www.ConcreteDecor.net | 63
Photo courtesy of Lakeland Co.
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