Poring Over Flowable Cement Terrazzo - International Masonry ...

(BAC) journeyman mechanics for
flowable cement terrazzo, and
25 instructors have earned certification
in IMI’s train-the-trainer program.
Successful projects range from a
18.6-m 2 (200-sf) conference room to
2137 m 2 (23,000 sf) of corridors and
lobbies in a New York City hospital.
BAC and its contractors have put in tens
of thousands of hours in using the
terrazzo material.
Flowable cement terrazzo can be
approximately 15 to 20 percent lower
in price (per square foot) than its
epoxy counterpart. Machinery for
pumping the cement-based matrix,
loaded with up to 80 percent of the
terrazzo chips, is available and is
being incorporated into the training
process to further increase production
alongside user-friendliness.
Many of these early flowable cement
terrazzo jobs began with vinyl tile
Anatomy of terrazzo. One of the few finish flooring materials to be manufactured
on-site, terrazzo’s three primary components are aggregate, divider strips, and matrix.
or carpeting in the specification,
based on the owner’s assumption
terrazzo was unaffordable. Flowable
cement terrazzo is durable, like other
cementitious floor treatments, with
use of concrete-pumping equipment
continuing to make the material more
budget-conscious. Online lifecycle
cost calculators can allow design
professionals to compare the longterm
price of this type of cement
terrazzo with other floorcoverings to
determine whether it is suitable for a
particular project. 5
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