Prairie View A & M University Logo

Designated an institution of “the first class” in the Texas Constitution, Prairie View A&M University, founded in 1876, is the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state. With an established reputation for producing engineers, nurses, and educators, PVAMU offers baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs through eight colleges and schools.

Along with a higher education, PVAMU fields an impressive 16 intercollegiate sports teams and competes in the NCAA (Division 1) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference as the “Prairie View A&M Panthers.” The baseball field was recently renovated, featuring seating for 512, a new concession stand, new restrooms, a press box and bricked dugouts. The stadium entrance is emblazoned with a large custom 5-color PVAMU logo with the face of a Panther, which Bomanite Licensee, Texas Bomanite had the opportunity to create using the Bomanite Micro-Top XT system. Texas Bomanite’s foreman for the project was Julio Mendoza. A 12-year employee for the company, Mendoza utilized his skills and knowledge of the Bomanite Micro-Top XT Concrete Overlay to blend and create the striking logo. In addition to the standard black and white, customer colors in the university brand of gray (PMS 416c), purple (PMS 268) and gold (PMS 123) were utilized. A final coat of Polyurethane matte sealer was added for additional protection from the outside elements.

Cerner Corporation Innovations Campus

The Cerner Corporation Innovations Campus located in Kansas City, MO has added two new office towers to their 290-acre campus that will support an additional 3,000 employees. The recent additions represent phases three and four of its 16-phase, $4.5 Billion plan. This giant healthcare IT company is expected to complete construction around 2025. Once complete it is expected to house 16,000 employees, 10 office buildings as well as mix-used space for two data centers, a grocery store and retail space.

After completion of the build, the client was not happy with the way the concrete at the front entrance of the new Cerner Campus Buildings had turned out. The architectural firm for the project, Gould Evans, called upon Bomanite Licensee, Musselman & Hall Contractors, Inc. for a consultation and to discuss what they could to do to match the vision and design they were hoping to achieve.

The designers plan for the entrance was to replicate the window and sheathing pattern on the buildings, which was all planned to emulate the data created in the human genome project. After several mock-ups of textures and color options it was decided to go with a mix of Bomanite Micro-Top XT and Bomanite Micro-Top ST application methods.

The Bomanite Toppings Systems is a revolutionary approach to designing with architectural concrete that offers several coloring systems, overlayments and renovation systems that can redesign, restore or refurbish projects. Bomanite Micro-Top XT, part of the Bomanite Toppings Systems, is a two-part, polymer-modified cementitious coating that can be applied over almost any clean, sound exterior surface including concrete, cement block, tile, metal and wood in a wide range of colors and graphics. With its extraordinary adhesion and ability to withstand prolonged pedestrian and vehicular traffic it made perfect sense to choose Bomanite Micro-Top XT to meet the project design needs.

Bomanite Micro-Top ST is a specialized decorative concrete option with the same distinct quality and properties as Bomanite Micro-Top XT and can be applied without affecting surrounding materials or fixtures. In order to achieve the desired outcome for the client, Musselman & Hall applied the Bomanite Micro-Top XT with a broom finish in Bomanite Nickel Gray Integral Color and an alternating complimentary Bomanite Micro-Top ST spray applied finish in Bomanite French Gray Integral Color which provided for color and textural variation.

Cerner Corporation was not only happy with the outcome of the entrance, but it was completed in 2 phases to ensure continued access to the building. The entryway is eye catching and extremely consistent in application and color earning Musselman & Hall the 2020 Best Bomanite Toppings Systems Project – GOLD AWARD for their outstanding decorative concrete craftsmanship.

The Citadel Office Building

Owners of The Citadel office building worked with Bomanite Licensee Colorado Hardscapes and Dig Studio (designer / LA) to provide a solution to an unsightly wall and discolored and deteriorated exterior granite paving. The key – as always – was to stay within the budget. Instead of installing new granite, Bomanite Sandscape Textured concrete was the chosen material used for the patio area. Installing two different colors, uncolored concrete and Sunset Rose Integral color with black silica sand, the patio was poured and then saw cut into “tiles” to replicate the granite.

The wall, rather than being removed and replaced, was covered using the Bomanite Micro-Top ST system. Micro-Top ST can simulate the Bomanite Sandscape Texture Exposed Aggregate System by spray applying the material using different colors to achieve a multi-dimensional texture. The new area surpasses the aesthetic appeal of the surrounding granite.

Bomanite Micro-Top ST has excellent adhesion and weather resistance that is perfect for applying over almost any clean, correctly prepared and primed surface including concrete, cement block, tile, metal and wood. Providing a tough, slip resistant water-retardant coating that substantially reduces water penetration, freeze-thaw scaling and concrete carbonation, Bomanite Micro-Top ST is the most durable and versatile product for spot accent areas, wall coverings, up the side of a building or asphalt street sections going above and beyond the benefits of granite installations.

Eastside Regional Park Rec Center

The Beast Urban Park in El Paso, TX, recently renamed from Eastside Regional Park, has completed Phase I of a 92-acre development. Once completely finished it will be the largest city operated park in the area. Featuring world-class aquatic amenities, the Beast Urban Park brings much needed public facilities to a residential community that grew faster than anticipated and greatly outpaced recreational resources. The new, three-part complex will include a state-of-the-art natatorium with a 50-meter competition swimming pool, a multi-generational community center with a gymnasium and multipurpose classrooms, and an outdoor waterpark highlighted by El Paso’s first wave simulator. All of these facilities will be surrounded by a landscaped walking path and public art. With Perkins + Will Architects selected for the Phase 1 Design, Sundt Construction was contracted for the build.

Among the project’s many complexities, assembling the building form of the recreation center had been a puzzle of literal proportions. Constructed of concrete tilt-up panels, Sundt Construction leveraged their knowledge of concrete, as the panels were constructed on-site, framed, reinforced, cast, and erected as the building’s primary structure and exterior skin. “The challenge in these precast panels begins with their unusual shape,” shares Sundt Construction Project Manager Enrique Esplain, of the Z-shaped monolithic, exterior wall sections, which are 40 feet tall and 18 feet wide. “We are used to casting concrete panels this large, but the awkward angles made them hard to lift and hard to erect. Color is also an issue. There is an inconsistency received on the finish with site-cast concrete. This is based on placement, weather, casting techniques, timing, and application of curing compounds and bond breakers. The City didn’t want grey concrete, so we needed to come up with something that feels very much like El Paso.”

Colorized concrete can be achieved in many different ways including adding an integral color to the concrete mix before it is poured or applying any of many different types of dyes, paints, or stains to the concrete after it has cured. Initially, in El Paso, the design called for using an integral color, which is one of the most common ways of adding color to concrete. By adding color pigment admixtures to the concrete before it is poured, contractors are generally able to create a layered sense of color that results in a multi-tonal appearance similar to natural stone. After developing two different 3’ x3’ panel mock-ups using integral color mixes that didn’t secure the City of El Paso’s approval, the Sundt team recommended trying a stain instead.

Sundt Construction approached Bomanite Licensee, Bomanite Artistic Concrete, about doing an acid stain on the concrete panels for the Beast Urban Park. Bomanite Artistic Concrete was thrilled with the opportunity to participate in such a dynamic public commission. The process of staining the panels began with clearly establishing the city’s desired aesthetic, which was less than exact in the beginning. Bomanite Artistic Concrete’s President Aaron Echaniz noted that “the City wanted a treatment that made the panels fit in with the surrounding landscape but also complements the unique, very modern architecture. We did several different mock-ups before finally settling on a treatment that falls somewhere between deep rust and old leather.”

The chosen solution was Bomanite’s Patène Artectura System, a topically-applied coloration system that simulates a semi-weathered, antiquing effect. Because the acid-based stain was to be applied to the panels once they were tilted-up in their final place, the process for staining them had to be dialed in and approved before the work could begin. Using a compressor and an industrial sprayer, the acid-based Patène Artectura was sprayed on the vertical panels by hand working from the top down. Workers had to be very mindful of maintaining a consistent distance between the sprayer and the panels to eliminate unintended blotching while troweling away any drips.

“On the technical side, one thing that was really important was prepping each panel to receive the stain,” says Echaniz of the process’s potential complications. Burs were carefully scraped off panels before each was thoroughly sandblasted to open the concrete’s pores so that the stain could fully penetrate the surface. Once the stain was applied, an acrylic sealant was added to give the colorized panels a fade-free permanence that will last a lifetime in El Paso’s arid climate.

“We are very proud to be a part of this magnificent project” finishes Echaniz of his firm’s role in El Paso’s newest park, which is expected to open to the public in 2021. “Craftsmanship is very important in our work and this community-enhancing project is going to bring a lot of joy to the people of El Paso for generations to come.” Bomanite Artistic Concrete received the Gold Award for the Best Bomanite Toppings Systems Project for their dedication in exceptional solutions to concrete challenges of all sorts and scales.

Vestavia Hills High School

Vestavia Hills High School was in need of major renovations, one being their school offices that included a waiting area, lobby passage and hallways. With a little over 5,000 square feet of surface space to redesign, Lathan Associates Architects contacted Bomanite Licensee, Jeffco Concrete Contractors to provide interior flooring options that would hold up to regular foot traffic and future maintenance needs and provide the multiple color intricate design.

After reviewing samples, the Bomanite Toppings Systems, Micro-Top was selected for the office flooring renovation for its fast track benefits and unique two-part cementitious material that tenaciously bonds to virtually any substrate including concrete, asphalt, wood, metal, or plastic. With Bomanite Micro-Top, a wide range of colors can be applied to create uniformity or blended to create variegation in the finish. Limitless color combinations and graphic designs can be used to transform damaged existing concrete or other materials into cementitious art forms, without affecting surrounding materials and fixtures.

By utilizing a troweled-on process to install the Bomanite Micro-Top System, Jeffco Concrete Contractors was able to create several high and low tone color variations within each particular Micro-Top color. Five differing colors, Cobblestone Gray, French Gray, Natural Gray, Desert Tan and Forest Brown were blended and applied in a seamless application to pinpoint the unique and creative layout of this floor design.

Harvest Bible Chapel

After many years of dealing with carpet, and as part of an over all facility upgrade, Harvest Bible Chapel wanted an upgraded finish to the lobby of their church: they wanted a polished concrete floor.

However, due to the condition of the floor, polishing the existing concrete would not provide the look they wanted. Replacing the concrete was not an option since there was finished space below the floor. Bomanite Micro-Top was chosen as the best option to give a fresh, uniform look. Colors and finishes were selected through a sampling process.

Shotblasting of the entire surface and patching the damaged sections of floor with Bomanite Repair Mortar set the stage for a successful project. Troweling of the Bomanite Micro-Top produced a variegated color that pleased all the parties involved.

Elmwood Restaurant

Elmwood is a modern American restaurant founded by, Adam Altnether and Chris Kelling, inspired by their respective St. Louis and California roots, with influences from abroad. The restaurant boasts an open-yet-closed kitchen, a charcoal-burning grill, and the only charcoal-fueled oven in the United States. The menu highlights classic midwestern dishes inflected with global flavors and is complemented by a wine program proudly focused on California vintners, with a selection of offerings from international winemakers.

When Adam and Chris collaborated and decided that their new “live fire” restaurant in Maplewood would have some unusual aesthetic touches, they knew they both wanted to be in the mix of the design and construction phases. They contacted Architect Kyle Nottmeier to help fuel their vision and create an environment that looked like nothing else; exposed beams, artisanal pieces, neon signs, soft concrete floors, metal, brick and tiled walls.

The architect contacted Bomanite Licensee, Musselman & Hall Contractors, LLC about flooring options for the restaurant space, given the challenges it presented they needed a contractor with full expertise in commercial renovations. The space had both wood framed floors as well as concrete decking with everything covering it from terrazzo to tile underlayment. After reviewing product samples and colors presented by Musselman & Hall Contractors, it was determined the best option would be the Bomanite Toppings Systems Micro-Top.

Bomanite Micro-Top uses cutting edge technology, that tenaciously bonds to virtually any substrate. It can be applied with a squeegee or troweled onto the surface at a thickness of approximately 20 mils. With the condition of the Elmwood Restaurant floor, Bomanite Micro-Top was perfect for renovating the multiple floor surfaces. Once awarded the project, Musselman & Hall Contractors began working directly with the owners as they were self-performing some of the construction and serving as the construction managers during the renovations.

Knowing that the floor demanded a substantial amount of preparation before the Bomanite Micro-Top could be placed, Musselman & Hall Contractors chose to place a layer of wire lathe over the areas of wood framed flooring, then covered the lathe with Bomanite Repair Mortar. They also used the Bomanite Repair Mortar to level and patch over the remaining area after grinding the surface with 25 grit diamonds. The floor was in such poor condition, the owners were excited just to see the prepped and primed floor without even one coat of Bomanite Micro-Top placed.

Once the surface prep was finally completed, the first base coat of Bomanite Micro-Top (white base) with a Bomanite Shale Gray tint was placed. The surface was primed with Bomanite XP Primer for the first base coat and primed using Bomanite Micro-Top liquid diluted for each following coat. Each base coat was sanded and then thoroughly cleaned. The finish coat was applied with steel trowels to provide some character in the floor. The idea was to emulate the look of a hard-troweled concrete floor. The effect turned out perfectly, pleasing the owners and architect.

The Bomanite Micro-Top floor along with the vertical areas at the entry ramp and stairs were given a final seal with two coats of Bomanite XP Primer FC and then two coats of Bomanite Natural Beauty floor finish. The transition of the floor astounded the other contractors and the owners. Musselman & Hall Contractors helped transition this neighborhood restaurant with Bomanite Decorative Concrete, providing a place for private conversation, relaxation and authentically creative food.

With Bomanite Micro-Top, a wide range of colors can be applied to create uniformity or blended to create variegation in the finish. Bomanite Micro-Top can reduce costly forming and coloring in outdoor treatments. Limitless color combinations and graphic designs can be used to transform damaged existing concrete or other materials into cementitious art forms, without affecting surrounding materials and fixtures. Musselman & Hall Contractors, LLC won the 2018 Best Bomanite Toppings Systems Project Bronze Award for their thoroughness and expertise with renovations of commercial interior flooring.

Essex County Estate Garage

The owners of this grand estate in Essex County, Massachusetts installed several Bomanite systems throughout their property. The estate contains an indoor swimming pool, BBQ house, several patios and courtyards, a Barn and two garages, plus a full indoor basketball court that doubles as a Hockey Rink.

Bomanite Licensee, Premier Concrete Construction, LLC was contacted by the owner to provide a solution to a badly poured concrete garage foundation. Premier Concrete Construction remedied the garage issue, and then installed the Bomanite Broadcast Flake Toppings System in a salt and pepper finish for two separate garage units combining a total of approx. 2,700 sq. ft.

The homeowner wanted a durable flooring surface for luxury as well as off-road vehicles. Bomanite Broadcast Flake floors are multi-colored flakes encapsulated in high performance, two-component primer, body and top coats that give an architectural design and at the same time create a protective flooring system for long term use wear and tear. The Bomanite Broadcast Flake System utilizes Bomanite Florspartic 100 to create a highly durable, low maintenance surface and provides superior chemical resistance including gasoline, oil and de-icing salts.

The Bomanite Broadcast Flake System contains zero VOC’s and is a fast track flooring system that can be applied over prepared concrete and suitable cementitious toppings to form a seamless surface ideal for residential and light commercial applications such as garage floors, basements, indoor recreational facilities, schools and light manufacturing.

Various graphic designs or patterns, such as logos, family crests, homeowners’ initials, favorite sporting team emblems may be incorporated into a Bomanite Broadcast Flake System. Flake color blends are available in several sizes and custom flake colors such as metallic and fluorescent shades, glow in the dark and silver sparkle deliver unlimited creativity.

Premier Concrete Construction received Silver Awards for both the Best Bomanite Grasscrete Project and Best Bomanite Toppings Project.

The Coloradan (Micro-Top ST)

Built by Coloradans, for Coloradans. The Coloradan, a mixed-use luxury condominium development at Denver Union Station sits in a prime location. It offers a place for residents to live, work, and play. The layout of the outdoor spaces reflects the idea that the Coloradan is built for people who enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle but do not want to give up the quality of urban living. The project features restaurants and retail at the ground floor as well as three amenity decks for the residents. Landscape Architect, Dig Studio designed the ground level streetscape to integrate and enhance the existing rail terminal. The 5th-floor amenity deck serves private terraces as well as a community garden, which features a harvest table, sink, and serving area alongside an orchard of fruit bearing trees. The 18th floor houses the community fire pit and pool deck; the heated lap pool and spa allow residents to enjoy Colorado’s weather all year long.

Long-term success depends on providing value that extends beyond merely doing on time/on budget work. When the general contractor, GE Johnson, began subcontracting the 19-story Coloradan, Bomanite Licensee, Colorado Hardscapes proposed an achievable price and schedule on the decorative concrete scope of work, however they lost to a lower bidder.

Months later, GE Johnson, called to inquire about Colorado Hardscape’s ability to take on the project for The Coloradan planters and seat walls that would be placed in three separate rooftop lounges because the low bidder backed out of the obligation. Assessing the contractors already advancing critical path schedule, Colorado Hardscapes determined that they simply wouldn’t be able to complete the specified decorative concrete scope in the time available that would meet everyone’s satisfaction. Never willing to simply walk away from a great opportunity to build better relationships, Colorado Hardscapes proposed an achievable alternative that worked with the schedule and corresponded with the architectural intent proposed by Dig Studio.

The general contractor poured the uncolored, form-finished concrete walls using their own forces. Thirty days later, Colorado Hardscapes crew applied Bomanite Topping System Micro-Top ST as an overlay. At just 20 mils-thick, the Bomanite Micro-Top ST coating would be negatively affected by any imperfections in the substrate material, consequently, grinding and patching the form-finished concrete walls until they were completely smooth was imperative. Bomanite Micro-Top ST has excellent adhesion and weather resistance that is perfect for applying over almost any clean, correctly prepared and primed surface including concrete, cement block, tile, metal and wood. Using hopper-applied products, Colorado Hardscapes delivered a sand-finished surface that appears nearly identical to the original specification. Colorado Hardscapes was able to think outside of the box with solutions that met the builder, owner and project designer needs and exceeded their expectations.

AWARDS: 2018 Best Bomanite Toppings Project – Gold Award

Great Wolf Lodge – Minnesota

The Great Wolf Lodge opened one of their latest resorts in Bloomington, MN. The Gensler Architect team was hired for the renovation project. With one of a kind entertainment options, Bomanite Licensee, Bulach Custom Rock (known for their work on themed projects) was able to provide 5,000 square feet of the specified flooring that matched the outdoor adventure theme. With the existing floor in place, Bulach Custom Rock came through with the Bomanite Thin-Set Stampable Overlay Toppings System in three different patterns that were used intersecting in multiple areas which provided some challenges for the layout.

The Great Wolf Adventure Park houses several non-water attractions, including the Rustic Ridge Rock Wall and the Howlers Peak Ropes Course, that guests embark on an invigorating, multi-level climbing challenge traversing over Oliver’s Mining Co. where they can search for keepsake gemstones. For the mining area Bulach Custom Rock created the look and feel of actual dirt and stones with the Bomacron Erosion Series Dried Earth Texture and the Bomacron Small Sandstone pattern.

Additional activities include MagiQuest, the brand’s exclusive live-action adventure game where players follow clues and use interactive magic wands to discover relics and runes needed to defeat a fierce dragon. The Bomacron Fishscale Belgian Block pattern was used to create that old world feel of stone castles. The MagiQuest area was produced using the Bomanite Shale Gray Integral Color then utilizing a Bomanite Natural Gray Color Hardener wash before it was sealed.

The difficulty of the project was in both access and area control. Whereas multiple trades were utilizing the same spaces at the same time, Bulach Custom Rock installed all the stampable overlay during the overnight hours with the use of mostly temporary lighting. Due to Bomanite Thin-Set’s benefits of being trafficked quickly, Bulach Custom Rock was able to have the flooring installed on schedule.

Bomanite Thin-Set is a specially formulated polymer modified topping mix that will bond to any stable, structurally sound substrate. This unique system allows the installation of a thin, imprinted concrete topping when installed at 3/8″ thick and can be feathered to a zero edge that was helpful when the overlay needed to seamlessly match up to an existing tile floor entrance for the Great Wolf Lodge.

Bomanite Thin-Set is an extremely effective alternative to the demolition or remodel of an existing substrate, making it a perfect choice for the Great Wolf Lodge Renovation.

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