METHOD FOR FABRICATING A CONCRETE SLAB CONTAINING INSERTS AND THE SLAB SO MADE

METHODE DE FABRICATION D'UNE DALLE DE BETON CONTENANT DES GARNITURES, ET DALLE AINSI FABRIQUEE

Description

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METHOD FOR FABRICATING A CONCRETE SLAB
CONTAINING INSERTS AND THE SLAB SO MADE
Field of the invention
The present invention is related to a concrete slab containing inserts and to
a
method of fabricating the same.
Background of the invention
Concrete slabs are well known in the art and placing inserts within a concrete
slab
is also known as is evidenced by reinforced concrete.
When a concrete slab is manufactured, the sand or other particulate material
which is used tends to settle, and usually is not visible when the concrete
sets.
Concrete slabs are used for a variety of different purposes such as
countertops,
floors, walls, etc. One of the disadvantages of a concrete slab is that
although the
concrete may be coloured and/or painted, there does not exist up to now a slab
which can contain a variety of different motifs for aesthetic purposes, but
that is
thin enough to be used as a countertop.
In a somewhat related field, countertop materials use marble, granite,
synthetic
material and of course, concrete. It is also possible, in some limited
circumstances, to provide a mosaic on top of a support structure in order to
make
a visually pleasing pattern. However, this entails a labour intensive process
where
each individual tile is fastened to the support and then grout is poured
between the
various tiles.

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There is thus a need for a more simple and efficient process for manufacturing
a
slab which inherently contains the pre-determined pattern and which is
subsequently sanded to reveal the pattern and the grain of the concrete.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a concrete slab which contains
inserts
that are visible in order to form a pre-determined motif or pattern and a
method of
making the same.
In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved with a concrete slab
wherein said slab contains inserts that form a pre-determined pattern, said
slab
being further sanded so that a top surface of said inserts and a top surface
of said
concrete slab are flush with each other, thereby revealing the pre-determined
pattern and revealing the grain of the concrete.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be better understood by the following description
of a
preferred embodiment thereof made with reference to the drawings in which:
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 show the various steps for fabricating a
concrete slab
according to the present invention.

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DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
As mentioned, the present invention is directed to a concrete slab 10 which
contains inserts 11, 11' and 11" which are visible and form a pre-determined
pattern.
The process starts referring now to Figure 1 by the fabrication of a mould
into
which the concrete is to be poured.
In Figure 2, an armature is made for solidifying the slab.
In Figure 3, the inserts are placed within the armature.
In Figure 4, the concrete is poured and allowed to set. The reader will note
that at
Figure 4, there are discontinuities between the top surfaces and the inserts
and
the top surface of the concrete.
In Figure 5, the slab is removed from the mould.
In Figure 6, the top surface of the concrete slab has now been sanded so that
the
top layer of the concrete is sanded away and so that the top surface of the
concrete and the top surfaces of the various inserts are flush with each
other,
thereby revealing the pre-determined pattern and the grain of the concrete
that
has settled during the manufacturing process.
In Figure 7, a sealant is placed over the concrete in order to preserve the
concrete
from the ingress of moisture and/or other contaminants. The finished slab at 7
can
then be used for a variety of purposes such as walls, floors, countertops,
etc.
The reader will also note that although the figures illustrate a relatively
small slab
containing only three inserts, the resulting pattern can be more or less
complex

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depending on the user's needs. Furthermore, the inserts can be any type of
material such as glass, stones, other pieces of concrete that are pre-
coloured, etc.
In fact, anything which can be set in concrete and subsequently sanded to
reveal a
pre-determined pattern.
Although the present invention has been explained hereinabove by way of a
preferred embodiment thereof, it should be pointed out that any modifications
to
this preferred embodiment within the scope of the appended claims is not
deemed
to alter or change the nature and scope of the present invention.