Take ready mixed and precast concrete to the next level with rich ColorTech colour. Made with 100% synthetic iron oxide pigments, ColorTech is the ideal, economical, integral colouring choice for flatwork and vertical applications.

Ensure that slump does not exceed five inches. Slump should be consistent from pour to pour. Mix designs requiring higher slumps should be achieved by using water-reducing or plasticizing admixtures, not by adding water. Adding water will adversely affect the colour.

For Ready Mixed Application:
• The drum must be cleaned, and approximately two-thirds of the mix water and one-half of the aggregates needed should be added to the drum. The proper combination of disintegrating bags or preweighed bulk ColorTech should be added to the drum and allowed to mix at a full charging speed for three to five minutes or until bags break apart and pigment is distributed evenly.
• Add the balance of the ingredients (water, aggregates, cement and admixtures) and mix at a full charging speed for 8-10 minutes (80-100 revolutions). It is the ready mixed supplier’s responsibility to make sure bags have fully disintegrated. Failure to follow instructions can result in bags not fully disintegrating.

For Central or Premixed Batch Plants:
• After one-half of the total batch has been added to the ready mixed drum, the proper combination of disintegrating bags or preweighed bulk ColorTech should be added. Drum should be allowed to mix at a full charging speed for three to five minutes.
• Add the remainder of the batch to the drum and agitate at full charging speed until the ColorTech colour is completely dispersed throughout the mix—about 8-10 minutes (80-100 revolutions). It is the ready mixed supplier’s responsibility to make sure bags have fully disintegrated. Failure to follow instructions can result in bags not fully disintegrating.
Type of aggregate, mix design and water content may affect disintegration of bags. Mixing times and procedures are based on best practices. Mixing times and procedures may vary from region to region depending on factors mentioned previously (aggregate type, etc.). Before discharging the mix, ready mixed supplier should monitor mix inside the drum to determine that the bags have broken down completely.

For Vertical Applications:
All forms should be cleaned thoroughly prior to use or reuse, and applied release agents should be nonstaining. For best results, forms should be free of cement latents from any prior concrete pour of a different colour. For colour uniformity, methods and material used in preparing the forms should be consistent through the completion of the job.
To achieve more uniform colour, forms should be stripped when the concrete is the same age. Lightly sandblasting vertical surfaces is recommended to remove minor form marks and any cement latents resulting from water, cement, and colouring agents bleeding toward the forms during concrete placement.
For fiber reinforced concrete, fibers should be added after ColorTech colour has been dispersed.
For sand-blasted surfaces, exposed aggregate (3/8-inch size pea gravel) finishes, or typical 3/8-inch size pea gravel mixes, open ColorTech bag and empty entire bag of colour into drum to ensure proper dispersion.
Concrete should be cured according to ACI standards. The use of QC COLOUR WAX or QC COLOUR CURE is recommended for curing most new coloured architectural concrete flatwork. (See the respective Product Information Bulletins for complete product information and application instructions.)
Proper curing, along with maintaining a low slump and protecting the surface against water penetration, reduces the possibility of efflorescence. If proper curing methods are not followed, you risk the possibility of efflorescence appearing. If efflorescence does occur, remove using a mild muriatic acid and water solution (1 part muriatic acid to 30 parts water) followed by a light scrubbing or the use of a low r.p.m. rotary scrubbing machine. (Important Note: If considering acid-washing with this solution, you should wait a minimum of 14 days following the initial installation of ColorTech.) Properly curing with QC COLOUR CURE or QC COLOURWAX, along with protecting the surface against water penetration, reduces the possibility of efflorescence.

QC CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS offers a full range of sealers that enhance and finish ColorTech colour. (See the respective Product Information Bulletins for complete product information and application instructions):
• QC CEMGUARD
• QC CEMSEAL
• QC SOLVENT SEAL 18
• QC SOLVENT SEAL VOC II