Sandblasting of

concrete surfaces
BY

T. W. HUNT*

andblasting is one of the

many methods used to texture the surface of hardened concrete. The degree
of blasting may vary from light
cleaning to a deep cutting operation that exposes aggregates to a
3/4-inch depth or more. Although
the actual sandblasting operation is
not particularly complicated, certain procedures and precautions
should be followed to insure an attractive surface. Standard structural concrete may be sandblasted
with good results as shown in Fig. 1.
A close-up view of the column surface is seen in Fig. 4.

Fig. 1. Lightly sandblasted concrete surface.

CONCRETE MIXES
Achieving pleasing sandblasted
surfaces begins with selection of a
satisfactory concrete mix. The best
possible appearance of the final
surface will be achieved by using
a gap-graded concrete mix of
low slump and adequate cement
content.
Gap-grading, or skip-grading as it
is sometimes called, omits some of
the intermediate sizes of coarse aggregates normally included in the
standard concrete mix. For instance, the aggregate size might be
confined to a range of 34 to 112 inches, omitting sizes between 38 and 34
inches and having only a small percentage in the 38-inch range. The
sand quantities are also low, approximately 25 to 30 percent. A mix
of this type requires a cement content of about 6 bags (564 pounds)
per cubic yard.
The mix also requires air entrainment to improve workability. The
water should be closely controlled
to produce concrete with a low

Fig. 2. A lightly sandblasted

column cast in fiber glass
reinforced plastic forms
using ready mixed
concrete.

Fig. 3. Coarse aggregate up to 212 inches

was used in the concrete for the
large column seen here.
Sandblasting removed the concrete
matrix to a 34-inch depth.

Fig. 4. Close-up of the surface of the deeply blasted column shown in Fig. 3.

slump, preferably about 1 inch but

no more than 3 inches. Such concrete exposes the greatest possible
amount of coarse aggregate during
sandblasting. This mix may be
placed in the forms with little danger of segregation; adequate structural strength is achieved; and excessive use of a spud vibrator during
casting operations will not damage
the concrete.

COARSE AGGREGATE
The coarse aggregate used can
vary from those normally available
to selected materials such as granite or quartz when special architectural effects are required. Often local
gravel will serve as exposed aggregate when revealed by sandblasting.
On some projects it may be necessary to ship in crushed limestone,
crushed granite or other special aggregates to impart the color tone
and texture desired by the architect.
Such aggregates will usually be
more expensive than local material.

SAMPLE PANELS
It is not always possible to determine in advance how a given aggregate will look after it is sandblasted.
Consequently it is desirable to cast
and sandblast a 2- by 2-foot sample
panel. If its texture and color tone
are satisfactory to the architect, a
larger sample section should then
be cast and sandblasted for approval by the architect. This test section may be cast as a mock-up, as
part of a foundation wall, or at some
inconspicuous location. This will
confirm all construction practices
and help to ensure satisfactory results for the project.

FORMS AND FORM JOINTS

An important requirement for an
acceptable sandblasted concrete
surface is that forms must be sufficiently tight at the joints to prevent
leakage. The most satisfactory
method of sealing form joints is to
use one of the special pressure-sensitive tapes made for this specific

Fig. 5. Limestone aggregate (212 to 3 inches) deeply

sandblasted.

purpose. An imprint of the tape will

show on the concrete after removal
of the forms, but it is removed by the
sandblasting operation as shown in
Fig. 8. Other materials that may be
used to seal form joints are plaster
of Pa ri s, calking compound, or a
mixture of beef tallow and portland
cement.
Unsealed joints leave lines on the
surface of the concrete that cannot
be removed by the blasting operation. Fig. 9 shows the results of
blasting concrete that was cast in
forms with tight but unsealed joints;
there was no apparent leakage during the casting operation.
As with all sound construction,
good forming practices should be
followed to prevent slippage,
bulging between supports, or other
displacement which could result in
an unsightly wall or column surface.
Sandblasting may remove minor irregularities, but it will not conceal
the consequences of poor forming
or unsatisfactory concreting prac-

Fig. 6. American Republic Insurance Co. Building,

Des Moines, Iowa. A special grey granite with a gap-graded
mix was used in this structure.

tices. Fig. 10 illustrates results obtained when a

high-slump mix is used. Each place where the
spud vibrator had penetrated the too-liquid mix is
clearly visible on the sandblasted surface.

EQUIPMENT
The equipment needed for blasting may vary
depending on the depth of cut specified. If the
surface is to be gone over lightly to remove the
surface skin, almost any sandblasting equipment will serve. When the blasting operation is to
cut deeper, the capacity of the equipment becomes a matter of considerable importance.
Air compressors should have a capacity of
about 300 cfm for each nozzle being used. Minimum air pressure at the nozzle should be 90 psi;
100 psi is preferred. The nozzle should be a venturi type with a minimum inside diameter of 3/8
inch. The hose line should have adequate
strength for the pressures being used, and the inside diameter of the hose should be no less than 1
1/2 inches to keep the sand in continuous suspension while traveling through the hose. The
man doing the blasting must be protected by a
hood supplied with filtered air.

ABRASIVES
Abrasive materials used for blasting operations
are silica sand, certain hard angular sands, blasting grit and crushed chat. The last named is a
waste material from lead mining. Sands should be
free of deleterious substances such as fine clay
particles. The grits and silica sands must be free of
foreign materials; they are generally supplied in
sealed sacks. For cleaning or light blasting of a
surface, any of the abrasives mentioned will be
adequate. When deep cutting is wanted, many
operators prefer to use an abrasive grit because
of the speed of attack and cleaner appearance of
the blasted surface.

PROCEDURES
The proper time to do the blasting is a question
of economics. The concrete matrix will be easier
to cut in the first 24 to 72 hours after casting. As
the concrete cures and gains strength, it becomes
more difficult to blast to any appreciable depth,
Fig 7. Close-up view of two wall sections after
blasting. Both sections were produced using a
gap-graded mix with Georgia granite as the
coarse aggregate. For the section on the right,
the aggregate was packed in the forms and
then pressure grouted.
Fig. 8. Sandblasting a test wall. Note removal of tape
imprints by blasting operations.
Fig. 9. Effect of untaped form joints.
Fig.10. Effect of vibrator in high-slump concrete.

Fig. 11. Sandblast pattern achieved with the use of sheet rubber templets.

increasing the cost of the operation.

In some cases, the higher costs of
deferred blasting may be justified by
the avoidance of scheduling problems. Blasting also may be deferred
to avoid accidental damage to finished surface areas resulting from
later construction activities.
When blasting a surface, the operator should hold the nozzle perpendicular to the surface and about
2 feet away. The exact distance depends on the pressure used, the
hardness of the concrete matrix,
and the cutting ability of the abrasive. An experienced operator can
quickly determine the nozzle position to produce the specified surface finish.

PATTERNS AND DESIGNS

Although sandblasting is generally specified as an overall treatment,

it may be used to develop textured

patterns by means of special templets. Any number of designs and
patterns may be achieved with rubber or plywood templets. Some of
the possibilities are shown in Figs.
11 and 12.
The panel in Fig. 11 was cast with
white cement against a smooth
form surface. After curing, strips of
rubber matting cut in the desired
patterns were secured to the panel
surface with double-face pressuresensitive tape. Sandblasting etched
that part of the surface which was
unprotected by the rubber strips,
and removal of these strips revealed
the surface shown.
A somewhat similar process was
used to make the panel seen in Fig.
12. Diamond-shape pieces of rubber matting material were fastened
to the form with rubber cement,

Fig. 12. Diamond-shape rubber inserts

were used to create this pattern by
sandblasting.
and then the concrete was cast. After the forms were removed, the
pieces of rubber remained imbedded in the concrete during the sandblasting operation. Removal of the
rubber pieces left a series of
smooth, diamond-shape depressions surrounded by a sandblasted
surface.
* The author is Architectural Concrete Specialist, Construction Section, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Illinois.

PUBLICATION#C680449
Copyright 1968, The Aberdeen Group
All rights reserved