Study of Acid-Stained Concrete Flooring and its Effect on Compressive Strength of Concrete

Abstract

Flooring in any building affects the interior to much extent. Flooring techniques normally being used in Asia and especially Pakistan are rigid. Normally used flooring types are marble flooring, ceramic tiles, mosaic flooring, wooden flooring, PVC sheeting, vinyl sheeting, etc. All of these floors once installed cannot be redesigned without destructing the previous material and installing from the start. Many other problems are associated with different flooring types. For example, ceramic tile design trend varies within a very short time and one cannot find the same design if needed for conserving partially damaged floor or to install the same design in an adjacent place that was left before. On the other hand, acid staining can be done multiple times on the same concrete surface without any destruction and comparatively low cost. This research introduced the usage of concrete as a decorative finish by applying acid staining. Acid stains are solutions of diluted hydrochloric acid with inorganic salts. An acid stain is applied to the set/hardened plain cement concrete floor surface. The application of acid stain corrodes the concrete surface a bit and the salt present in acid stain reacts chemically with the hydroxide of cement to form new compounds of different colors. Acid stains can be applied multiple times to redesign and recolor the surface at a low cost compared to other flooring techniques. Acid stain takes almost 6-8 hours to stain the surface. It is then neutralized with ammonia/some other alkaline solution to stop the corrosion effect of acid. The floor can then be washed. The sealer is then applied to the dry surface of the stained floor to impart a glorious look and make the color permanent for a longer time. Departmental laboratory floor and concrete samples are used in experimentation. Some tones of brown and green colors are achieved. The effect of this application on the compressive strength of the concrete floor is also tested.