gfrc

Kodiak Pro Maker Mix / A Preblended Concrete Bagged Mix for GFRC, ECC, Sprayable, and Clay Mixes

Kodiak-Pro-Maker-Mix-Label-Web.jpg

We are excited to announce the launch of our new pre-blended bagged mix, Kodiak Pro Maker Mix! This Swiss Army Knife of a mix is able to be utilized for GFRC, ECC, sprayable, and clay mixes. Maker Mix is a white cement mix that is packaged in 50 lb bags and sold in half and full pallet quantities (56 bags per pallet). It only requires the addition of water, THE BEST PLASTICIZER, and fibers. 

If you are interested in getting a quote on mix, please email us with the amount you would like to order, your shipping address, if the address is commercial or residential, and if you have a forklift or loading dock onsite.

You can download the KODIAK PRO MAKER MIX DESIGNS here. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Buddy Rhodes is coming to the Pinnacle Concrete Camp, are you?!

Brandon Gore, Buddy Rhodes, and Jon Schuler at World of Concrete

I've known Buddy Rhodes for a long time - as a matter of fact, I took his very first workshop, and I'm fairly certain I was the first person to purchase a pallet of Buddy Rhodes Concrete Mix. I used to teach workshops for Buddy in San Francisco for many years. Buddy is good people, as they say, and it's always nice to spend time with him. If you haven't had the opportunity to meet him, now is your chance as Buddy Rhodes will be joining us for the February Pinnacle Concrete Camp! 

The Pinnacle Concrete Camp is hosted by Concrete Design School and features trainers Brandon Gore, Dusty Baker, and Jon Schuler. Additionally, we will have several guest assistant trainers that bring a wealth of knowledge and experience. Between the training staff and workshop attendees this class is going to be a record breaking 40-50 people total! You don't want to miss this event!

Spend 6 days in the beautiful mountain town of Eureka Springs, AR learning the following:

+ Rubber Mold-Making
+ How to Post-Tension Concrete
+ GFRC and ECC Concrete Mix Designs
+ How to Properly Mix, Cast, Cure, and Finish Concrete
+ How to Seal Concrete for the Real World
+ Dusty-Crete
+ Advanced Finishes using Upright Casting Techniques
+ The Business of Running a Concrete Business
+ How to Price Your Products
+ ... and Much More!

If you are new to concrete and want to start a successful business, or if you are an industry veteran that wants to sharpen their processes, the Pinnacle Concrete Camp is for you! The workshop is being held February 24-29, which is approaching quickly, and only a few seats remain so don't delay, register today!

Be Profitable in 2020 Making Concrete!

Owning and operating a decorative pre-cast concrete company is the dream that many of us have, but being profitable in this business is elusive to the vast majority of folks that try their hand at it. The failure rate each year for decorative concrete start-ups is over 50%, and that number increases in the second and third year of business. But why is that?

The short answer is that Concrete is Hard. Knowing how to mix concrete isn’t enough, you need to know how to market yourself, price your product, and avoid pitfalls that can make or break a concrete company.

You can’t learn these hard-fought lessons from training programs in which the trainers themselves do not own or operate successful businesses. You also won’t learn these skills from “guest trainers” that have only been in the game for a year or two. Concrete Design School is the only training program in which all the curriculum is taught by long-standing proven concrete business owners. Our 3 trainers have more than 50 years of combined industry experience, practical knowledge that will give you a competitive advantage in your local market.

If you want to stand a fighting chance at not being a statistic join us this February 24-29 in Eureka Springs, AR, USA for the Pinnacle Concrete Camp, the first of only 2 training events we’ll conduct in 2020. We are capping the class at 30 attendees and it is already more than half full. This training event is 6 days of the absolute finest and most relevant training available anywhere in the world - in fact, it is the only place you will learn these skills. We hope to see you this Spring! 

APEX Concrete Workshop, October 2019

We’ve been teaching concrete enthusiasts for a long time - nearly 15 years now, and that has resulted in a lot of conversations. The APEX Concrete Workshop is a result of those discussions. APEX is focused on the following most requested topics:

  • POST-TENSIONING CONCRETE

  • RUBBER MOLD MAKING

  • GFRC MIX DESIGN, CASTING, AND FINISHING

  • BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES FOR A CONCRETE COMPANY

If you’d like to finish 2019 on a high note and start 2020 with a fresh perspective and supercharged skillset, join us this October in Eureka Springs, AR! We look forward to meeting you.

APEX Concrete Workshop, Oct 2019, Eureka Springs, AR APEX Concrete Workshop, Oct 2019, Eureka Springs, AR APEX Concrete Workshop, Oct 2019, Eureka Springs, AR
APEX Concrete Workshop, Oct 2019, Eureka Springs, AR
from $1,920.00

We’ve taught a lot of concrete enthusiasts over the last 14 years, over 1,100 and counting, and we’ve been listening to what you’d like to learn next. This class is for everyone interested in post-tensioning concrete, rubber mold-making, and our GFRC concrete mix designs, casting techniques, and sealing processes. As always, we’ll have plenty of time for discussion on all things business relating including pricing, sales and marketing, and what not to do. 

WHAT WE’LL FOCUS ON IN THIS WORKSHOP:

Post-Tensioned Concrete: Post-tensioning concrete is a great solution to concrete pieces that will have long unsupported spans - think massive dining tables and modern benches. We will work as a class to build a form for and cast a post-tensioned piece.

Rubber Mold-Making: Being able to create your own rubber molds is the Swiss Army Knife of concrete skills! We are constantly crafting custom rubber components, whether they be for drain or faucet knockouts, integral drainboards and soap-dishes, or custom objects such as planters. This is by far one of the most requested topics from workshop attendees, so if you want to learn how to make rubber molds for concrete applications, this is your class.

GFRC - Mix, Casting, and Finishing: We will share our GFRC mix design, blending protocol, casting processes, and how to properly finish your concrete masterpiece. 15 years of trials and tribulations distilled down to what works - we learned the hard way what not to do, so you don’t have to. 

The Business of Running a Successful Concrete Business: If you do something that isn’t profitable it’s a hobby. You can’t pay your mortgage with a hobby. Knowing how to work with concrete is only half of the battle, we’ll share with you what has worked for us when it comes to selling and marketing high-end concrete. How to approach pricing, what you should do, and most importantly, how to avoid the pitfalls that will cost you money. Through your time at this workshop you will have access to Brandon Gore’s years of concrete fabrication and design experience, and his working knowledge as a professional self-supporting concrete artisan.

This will be the last workshop Brandon will conduct for 2019, so if you want to start 2020 with a fresh outlook and supercharged skillset, register today and we’ll see you in Eureka Springs! 

WORKSHOP DATES

  • October 7 - 9, 2019

SESSION TIME AND CAPACITY

  • 3 full days of training in the Concrete Design School Headquarters located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

  • These sessions are limited to 20 participants to ensure hands-on learning and class participation

COST

  • First-time Students: $2400

  • Alumni: $1920

You may be asking yourself, which ticket type should I purchase? If this is your first time attending a Concrete Design School Workshop you should choose the 'First Time Student' ticket. If you have previously taken part in a Concrete Design School class you should choose the 'Alumni' ticket, as we offer special reduced pricing to returning attendees as way of saying thank you for your continued support.

THE FINE PRINT

If you need to cancel, the course fee will not be refunded but the amount can be used towards a future Concrete Design School workshop. 

All participants will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with penalties for unauthorized disclosure of material. The methods and formulas taught during the class may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form. 

Concrete Design School reserves the right to change, modify or cancel the class schedule at any time.

Review of the February 2019 Concrete Design School GFRC, ECC, Fabric-Forming, Post-Tensioning, DustyCrete, and Concrete Sink Workshops

Another series of Concrete Design School workshops has come and gone. It was a great week of training where we covered ECC, GFRC, SCC, UHPC, DustyCrete, Fabric-Forming, Concrete Sinks, and Concrete Countertops. We made a lot of awesome pieces, awesome friends, and even tested the strength of a sink with 8 rounds of 45-70 (spoiler, it held up great)! It’s time to rest for a minute and take a look at the production schedule for the next few months to see where we can work in another class. Keep an eye on the website, we’ll announce the dates shortly.

New KODIAK PRO Concrete Admixtures Now Available

If you’re like me, you are constantly striving to create the absolute best product possible, from a materials viewpoint as well as design. KODIAK PRO just released 2 new concrete admixtures that will up your concrete game.

The first is ‘BOOST’ - this admixture, used at the upper end of the loading rate, allows you to de-mold your pieces the same day in addition to improving the overall performance of your concrete. Dosed at the low end of the loading rate will increase hydration of your mix which reduces shrinkage and lowers permeability - both good things. Needless to say, if you’re casting concrete you should be adding BOOST.

The second admix is simply named ‘THE BEST PLASTICIZER’, and for good reason, it is the best plasticizer we have ever used. It comes in a powder form, it is extremely potent without retarding the mix as many other plasticizers will when dosed at higher rate. If you want the best concrete then you need to use THE BEST PLASTICIZER!

Dusty-Crete Workshop is now scheduled for September 2018, and we have a special Reduced Rate Workshop Package for all three classes!

Well, we went and did it - we scheduled our THREE MOST POPULAR CLASSES IN A ONE WEEK PERIOD! Do you know what this means?! You can fly out to the beautiful Ozark Mountains and in one trip learn our best practices, techniques, and hard lessons gleaned from over 70,000 hours of success and failure. This is unprecedented, we've never offered these three workshops back-to-back, so if you want to get in, get to getting, it's time to register! You can register for the Dusty-Crete Workshop here, or you can register for the All-In Workshop here. We look forward to seeing you in September.

That's a wrap for INCEPTION, and now we're looking towards March 2018!

The INCEPTION Training Event was an overwhelming success! We had attendees from all over the world - South Africa, Pakistan, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand, and of course the United States. It was truly a pleasure having this diverse, talented, and enthusiastic group in our studio for a week. 

Now that INCEPTION has passed we have been receiving emails asking when our next workshops will be HELD. We have scheduled the following two classes at our Eureka Springs, AR headquarters:

2.5 Day Fabric-Forming Concrete Sink + GFRC Workshop, March 12-14, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR 2.5 Day Fabric-Forming Concrete Sink + GFRC Workshop, March 12-14, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR 2.5 Day Fabric-Forming Concrete Sink + GFRC Workshop, March 12-14, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR
Sold out
2.5 Day Fabric-Forming Concrete Sink + GFRC Workshop, March 12-14, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR
from $1,500.00

THIS IS IT, the World Famous Fabric-Forming Concrete Sink + GFRC Workshop! Over the last decade we have taught, asked and listened to students, then refined and repeated countless times. All of that experience has led to this, the absolute best Fabric-Forming + GFRC Workshop that has ever been offered in the history of man. We should know, we have been teaching both subjects longer than anyone else!

Every student will receive a full-color 36 page course guide, packed with invaluable information and never-seen-before photographs! This course guide is not available for purchase to the general public. It is only available to students who enroll in this workshop.

Fabric-forming is the future of concrete, now. It is an amazing method that can be employed in the creation of custom sinks, planters, wall panels, fireplace surrounds, etc. There is much rationale backing fabric as the optimal material for creating forms, with the primary being that it creates a natural shape, a form that cannot be created any other way. We spend the first two days of your workshop creating a fabric-form from scratch. All processes are covered with a concentration on the nuances that can only be gained from years of experience. 

Once the form is completed, we continue on day two with GFRC (glass-fiber reinforced concrete). We cover GFRC tools and equipment, materials, mix design, proper mix protocol, and most importantly, how we cast GFRC. On day three the mould is removed and the piece created is revealed! At that point we finish the concrete, repair any imperfections, and discuss sealers and application methods. 

GFRC (glass-fiber reinforced concrete) is the medium we choose to create our work with for several reasons. It is easier to manipulate than traditional concrete, it is lighter, and ultimately, GFRC creates a stronger finished piece. However, it is important to note that GFRC is not new, it has been used in exterior commercial pre-cast applications for more than 30 years in some of the harshest climates known to man. The material is sound. It is proven. 

Anything can be made more difficult than it needs to be, and left up to engineers, it is. We have striven to reduce our mix designs and techniques to be simple, repeatable and reliable so you can focus on the heart of the matter, and the reason you are interested in concrete; art, design, expanding horizons, and to shape the world around us with our own two hands.

We were the first company to train both fabric-forming and GFRC and are the long-leading experts in this emerging market segment. Our training is often imitated, but never duplicated; the pieces our attendees create are in a league of their own. You will not find cliche college’esque course numbers, bloated egos or erroneous claims of practical knowledge here. What you will find is the most passionate, creative and thorough training of fabric-forming and GFRC available anywhere - if this is what you’re looking for, welcome to your workshop.

SESSION TIME AND CAPACITY

  • 2.5 days of training in the Concrete Design School Headquarters located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
  • These sessions are limited to 15 participants to ensure hands-on learning and class participation

WORKSHOP DATES

COST

  • First-time Students: $1875
  • Alumni: $1500

You may be asking yourself, which ticket type should I purchase? If this is your first time attending a Concrete Design School Workshop you should choose the 'First Time Student' ticket. If you have previously taken part in a Concrete Design School class you should choose the 'Alumni' ticket, as we offer special reduced pricing to returning attendees as way of saying thank you for your continued support. 

WORKSHOP LOCATION

Concrete Design School is located at:

45 Bear Ridge Rd., Eureka Springs, AR 72631

GPS Coordinates: 36.421726, -93.789226

THE FINE PRINT

If you need to cancel, the course fee will not be refunded but the amount can be used towards a future Concrete Design School workshop. 

All participants will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with penalties for unauthorized disclosure of material. The methods and formulas taught during the class may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form. 

Concrete Design School reserves the right to change, modify or cancel the class schedule at any time.

1.5 Day Post-Tensioned Concrete + Current Techniques Workshop, March 15-16, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR 1.5 Day Post-Tensioned Concrete + Current Techniques Workshop, March 15-16, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR 1.5 Day Post-Tensioned Concrete + Current Techniques Workshop, March 15-16, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR
1.5 Day Post-Tensioned Concrete + Current Techniques Workshop, March 15-16, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR
from $975.00

40,000 HOURS LEAD TO THIS

13 years of uninterrupted hard-work is a long time to be focused solely on a single task, but that is what I have been doing. 40,000 hours. 40,000 hours of trial and error, evolution, back-tracking, and discovery. All of that lead to this workshop; a class that focuses on the most up-to-date techniques that I am employing, which includes post-tensioned concrete.

You may be asking yourself, what is post-tensioned concrete? Post-tensioning is a method of reinforcing concrete where we strategically cast high-strength steel cables in the concrete, allowing them to move within a protective sleeve, and once cured we tighten (aka "tension") the cables placing the concrete in permanent compression. Why is this important and/or useful to the concrete artisan? It allows tremendous creative and design freedom in relation to unsupported spans. The 'Leviathan Table' (pictured below), a 14' outdoor dining table, was only plausible and made possible due to post-tensioning. 

The truth of the matter is that nearly every other training program is teaching information and techniques that we were instructing a decade ago. There's nothing wrong with this information, it's just not the way we do things any longer. We have tried most every method, mix, and sealer and have ruled out the vast majority of them for a multitude of reasons, the most basic being that they are bad for business. Perhaps they are unpredictable, unreliable, not repeatable, or not backed by the manufacturer when they fail. You can spend 13 years of your life working in your studio 60 hours a week to arrive at our conclusions for best practices, or you can attend this class and save yourself a ton of money, heartache, and possibly your marriage. 

Simply put, this workshop's priority is to teach you:

  • How we currently design and construct our forms
  • The mix designs and sealers we presently employ
  • Our most up-to-date casting techniques
  • The principles of post-tensioned concrete and how it is applicable to our scale of work

As a class, we will work together to form, cast, and de-mold a post-tensioned item. We will take time to answer your questions, review past projects with behind-the-scenes photos, discuss what works, and more importantly, what is a waste of time and money. 

This is not a 'basics class', but that isn't to say you have to be experienced to attend. If you are new to concrete but are serious about advancing your career within this craft, this workshop is for you. If you are a veteran and/or have attended previous Concrete Design School workshops, but want to learn how we approach and cast projects today, this workshop is for you. This class is for the individual that wants to learn from the 2,400,000+ minutes of trials and tribulations it took for us to get "here", this moment in time, not a day, month, year, or decade ago. This isn't a sales pitch, nor is it training from trainers that haven't been in the game for many years, if ever. It is a serious discussion and instruction on what works today, and why. 

SESSION TIME AND CAPACITY

  • 1.5 days of training in the Concrete Design School Headquarters located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
  • These sessions are limited to 15 participants to ensure hands-on learning and class participation

WORKSHOP DATES

COST

  • First-time Students: $1200
  • Alumni: $975

You may be asking yourself, which ticket type should I purchase? If this is your first time attending a Concrete Design School Workshop you should choose the 'First Time Student' ticket. If you have previously taken part in a Concrete Design School class you should choose the 'Alumni' ticket, as we offer special reduced pricing to returning attendees as way of saying thank you for your continued support. 

WORKSHOP LOCATION

Concrete Design School is located at:

45 Bear Ridge Rd., Eureka Springs, AR 72631

GPS Coordinates: 36.421726, -93.789226

 

INSTRUCTOR

Brandon Gore

THE FINE PRINT

If you need to cancel, the course fee will not be refunded but the amount can be used towards a future Concrete Design School workshop. 

All participants will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with penalties for unauthorized disclosure of material. The methods and formulas taught during the class may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form. 

Concrete Design School reserves the right to change, modify or cancel the class schedule at any time.

We will be scheduling a Dusty-Crete Workshop in Burns, TN and a workshop with Jon Schuler in Angels Camp, CA for the first quarter of 2018. Keep an eye on the website for the announcement of the dates. 

The November Concrete Workshops are HALFWAY FILLED!

“Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them.”
— William Arthur Ward

Perhaps you've been waiting for the perfect moment to come along to attend a Concrete Design School hands-on workshop? There are no perfect moments, the only moment is now, the best opportunity is the one at hand. The good news is we are holding 3 amazing concrete workshops in November (aka "The Inception Training Event"). The bad news is they are already halfway filled! Don't let the sun set on your dreams of getting into the high-end decorative concrete trade, or expanding your current business, there is still time! 

Follow the links below to learn more and to register for your perfect workshop(s):

2.5 Day Fabric-Forming + GFRC Concrete Sink Workshop, November 5-7

2.5 Day Upright Casting Technique (UCT) Workshop for Sink with Jon Schuler, November 7-9

1.5 Day Furniture Design Workshop, November 10-11

or attend ALL THREE:

6.5 Day Inception Training Event, November 5-11

June 2017 just got hotter! Dusty-Crete & Fabric-Forming Concrete Sinks + GFRC Workshops are now scheduled!

Is it hot in here or is it the Dusty-Crete pieces coming out of the shops of previous attendees of the World Famous Dusty-Crete Workshops? It's only going to get hotter now that the next Dusty-Crete Workshop taught by Dusty Baker has been scheduled for June 8-10, 2017. Brandon Gore will be teaching the industry-leading 2.5 Day Fabric-Forming Sink + GFRC Workshop, June 5-7, 2017. For those industrious creative souls that wish to attend both, we're offering a special reduced rate! Join us in Burns, TN - bring your shades, sunscreen, and clothes you don't mind getting dirty! 

Post-Tensioned Concrete, Current Techniques, Old World Methods, Modern Mix Designs, and Jon Schuler! We must be California dreaming!

The stars have aligned and we just scheduled two brand new workshops to be held at Creative Crete in Angels Camp, CA, May 1-6, 2017! Brandon Gore will be teaching a class that goes in-depth on his most current techniques, including post-tensioning concrete, while Jon Schuler will be conducting a workshop on creating a multitude of finishes with the most basic of tools and techniques. Two things are guaranteed; 1. These classes are going to be a ton of fun, and 2. They are going to fill up fast! If you want to attend both workshops at a special reduced rate, check out the All-In Workshop Package. See you in California!