A multi-zone cementitious product, which includes a base zone made of a first cementitious material composition and forming a portion of the product. At least one facing zone is adjacent to and bonded to the base zone, the facing zone made of a second cementitious material composition and forming at least one exterior face of said product which is visible when the product is installed. A disrupted boundary layer is between the facing zone and the base zone, and includes material from both the facing zone and the base zone. The disrupted boundary layer bonds the facing zone to the base zone. The facing zone has a thickness sufficient to prevent the base zone from being visible when the product is installed.

Discloses is an apparatus and method for utilizing air along a building board forming line for the purpose of reducing friction between the board and the underlying forming tables. The device employs a series of air nozzles that are formed within the face of the forming tables. An air source delivers pressurized air to the nozzles. As completed or partially completed boards travel along the forming tables, an air cushion is created to reduce the friction between the board and the underlying table. The pressurized air can also be used to transport the boards and promote the even distribution of slurry during formation. The various components of the present invention, and the manner in which they interrelate, are described in greater detail hereinafter.

Cooling passages (99, 105) are formed in components for combustion turbine engines, such as blades (92), vanes (104, 106), ring segments (110) or castings in transitions (85), during investment casting, through use of ceramic shell inserts (130) within the casting mold (152). Ceramic posts (134) formed in the ceramic shell insert (130) have profiles conforming to corresponding profiles of partially completed cooling passages (156). Posts (134) are removed after superalloy component casting, forming the partially completed cooling passages, which are subsequently completed by removing remaining superalloy material along the cooling passage path.

A method for manufacturing a concrete article is disclosed. The method comprises coating a mould or formwork with a release agent; spraying a mortar onto the mould or formwork, thereby forming a layer of mortar; casting concrete into the mould or formwork and onto the layer of mortar; and allowing the concrete to hydrate and harden in the mould or formwork, whereby a concrete article having a mortar skin layer is provided. The invention also provides concrete articles made by the described methods, and concrete structures which comprise the concrete articles. Concrete articles having the mortar skins can be made to have a relatively uniform outward appearance, even if the concrete cast behind the mortar skins may be different, in composition or appearance. Pigments or colorants and other expensive admixtures can be used in the mortar skin composition to greater visual effect, since the use of the mortar skin is less in overall volume compared to the concrete articles as a whole.

A method for making an accessory cladding element for use in architecture and design. The method provides preparing an elastically deformable support element, including a first outer surface, in particular a decorated surface, a second outer surface and a plurality of spacer elements placed between the two surfaces. An impermeable and removable layer is applied on the first outer surface to protect at least a part thereof. Then a fluid cement mixture is prepared and introduced into the support element to obtain a cement-based composite structure in a deformable state. The excess fluid cement mixture is removed from the support element. The cement-based composite structure in the deformable state is positioned in a forming device which gives it the desired shape. The composite structure is solidified and after the removable layer is removed.

Provided is a pre-applied waterproofing membrane having a waterproofing adhesive layer and an outer particle layer comprising synthetic polymer granules to protect the adhesive layer and to facilitate detailing at membrane-to-membrane overlaps. In preferred embodiments, the synthetic polymer granules are made from polymers selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl acetate, acrylic, and styrene butadiene copolymers or polymers. Most preferably, the synthetic polymer granules have round or spherical shapes that help to facilitate detailing at the building or installation site, such as sealing at membrane overlaps, and sealing around pipes or other details. Alternatively, the membranes may be made having side edges which are free of synthetic polymer granules, whereby a removable release liner strip can be used to prevent adhesive from sticking to the back of the membrane when the membrane is rolled up on itself for shipment.

The disclosure is directed to thermal and moisture insulated interlocking brick comprising natural, in-situ carved stone faade coupled to a backing layer comprised of a massive and lightweight portions, as well as methods of forming the brick and methods for cladding and using the bricks in load bearing walls and in non-load-bearing walls (light construction).

The formulation for making plasterboard with paper cover sheets comprises finely divided gypsum, a minor amount by weight of starch and, as crosslinking agent for the starch, a tri-functional reactive s-triazine having substituents at positions 2, 4 and 6 of the triazine ring which are reactive with the starch. A preferred crosslinking agent is 2,4,6-trichloro-s-triazine, which is preferably partially reacted with the starch before further reaction with the paper cover sheets for the plaster board.

A method for forming insulated concrete wall panels includes the step of positioning a stud wall frame in a casting bed, positioning a support panel formed from a single, monolithic section of foam insulating material on the wall frame with grooves formed in a first face therein on the stud wall frame with the grooves facing away from the wall frame and then pouring concrete in the casting bed over and around the first face of the support panel to form a layer of concrete with portions of the concrete extending into the grooves in the support panel. The concrete is allowed to cure and the wall structure is then removed from the casting bed.

A structural insulated panel includes a core of thermally insulating material having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first skin coupled to the first side of the core, and a second skin coupled to the second side of the core. The first skin, the second skin, or both the first and second skins may include a sheet of reinforced concrete material. Each sheet of reinforced concrete material may include calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement and a reinforcing material disposed in at least a portion of the CSA cement.