Background

The company to be founded, Graafinen Betoni Oy / Graphic Concrete Ltd business idea is based on a invention by interior architect Samuli Naamanka. The method uses different printing techniques in printing the surface retard material on the foil, which is used in the concrete industry for production of different ”wash concrete” surfaces.

Samuli Naamanka came interested in concrete as building material in connection with a factory expansion assignment. He made some research work at Helsinki University of Art and a course in concrete applications. As an examination work the concrete Park of Pikku Huopalahti in Helsinki was created.

Samuli  Naamanka did study the estetic values of concrete as facade material and how to handle the surface texture of concrete in a proper way.. An innovation was created, the Graphic Concrete-method of producing surface texture of concrete.

Later a plan to apply the method on production of concrete elements was created.To protect the method a patent was applied in year 1998 and the invention was patented in the most important countries. Graphic concrete is in one way outstanding with applications on whole facades and more extensive projects.

GB-foils with compact surface are challenging the traditional reel or brush spread Surface retards. GB-foil technology is industrially more safe and cost effective than the currently used production method.

The patented Graphic Concrete method gives new high-quality solutions and textures for architecture and interior design. It is a surface treatment for concrete, which opens up versatile visual options. Its competitive edge derives from the low production costs of the method, the improved industrial safety and the numerous graphic alternatives offered. It is a unique industrial product that meets the requirements of modern architecture.

Graphic Concrete is produced with a special kind of coated film at a prefabrication plant. The film is printed on pre-defined spots with conventional printing technique, using a surface retarder. The designed pattern is created on the surface of the concrete slab as a result of the contrast effect between the fairface and the exposed, fine aggregate surface. The coated films can be used to produce both traditional exposed, aggregate concrete surfaces and surfaces with various patterns on facade and partition wall elements and floor slabs, as well as in landscaping products and works of art. The method provides an effective alternative to the traditional surface retarder treatment applied with a roller or a brush.

At the early stages, the technique has been applied mainly in the production of individual works of art and some architectural pilot projects. However, the benefits of the Graphic Concrete technique are splendidly seen on large facades. The method has attracted wide interest among architects. Designers can use the halftone patterns from an existing collection or design their own patterns or even create individual images. The designers can also influence the appearance of the surface by selecting the size, the color and the exposure depth of the cement stone and the aggregate. The special film is 3.1 meters (10.2 feet) wide and available in any length.

Both the product and the production method are results of a research and development project launched in 2000 in cooperation with leading concrete factories, paper manufacturers, and printing laboratories.