CONCRETE WALLS DISPLAY EYE-CATCHING ARTWORK

Source:www.stonediamondtool.com Date:2021/9/27 Read:191

By Anne Balogh, The ConcreteNetwork

The first time you drive down the Pima Freeway in Scottsdale, Ariz., you'll find it impossible to keep your eyes on the road. Off to your side, you'll see a wall 8 miles long displaying larger-than-life images of desert flora and fauna. This roadside mural delights and educates by presenting a visual history of the native species and geography of the local surroundings. But in this case, the images are actually molded into concrete, providing a permanent display to be enjoyed by travelers for decades to come.

Architectural concrete walls, with original artwork or other graphics cast in relief in the surface, are gaining in popularity for a variety of public and commercial projects, including retaining walls, bridges, privacy walls, and sound barriers. The desert wall that runs along the Pima Freeway, called The Path Most Traveled, ranges in height from 20 to 60 feet and is adorned with nearly 100 abstract and representational desert-inspired motifs, including prickly pear cacti 40 feet tall and giant lizards 67 feet long.

Giant lizards and cacti, accented with acrylic stains, are part of the desert theme portrayed on the Pima Freeway wall.
Original art created by Carolyn Braaksma of Denver. Scott System

Such large-scale, bas-relief images in concrete are possible with the use of custom formliners molded from original art. Scott System, a Denver, Colo., inventor and manufacturer of reusable elastomeric urethane formliners, is the first company to perfect this process on such a grand scale, says Dana Scott, marketing director. Her father Buck Scott founded the company in 1969 and has patented more than 20 different products for the concrete construction industry.

In addition to providing all the liners for the Pima Freeway project, Scott System has worked with other community groups, architects, and transportation departments across the country to turn imposing gray concrete walls into aesthetically pleasing art forms. These ornamental walls are now enhancing highways, subdivisions, beaches, parks, and airports.