Concrete product with enhanced ornamental surface layer

1. A concrete product, comprising a body including:

an ornamental facing layer having a bubbleless cross section;

an intermediate strengthening layer in contact with the ornamental facing layer, the intermediate strengthening layer having a bubbleless cross section; and

a concrete substrate layer in contact with the intermediate strengthening layer, the concrete substrate layer including a plurality of trapped air bubbles;

wherein the intermediate strengthening layer is configured as a buffer between the ornamental facing layer and the plurality of trapped air bubbles in the concrete substrate layer.

2. The concrete product of claim 1 , wherein said ornamental facing layer and said intermediate strengthening layer include a pigmenting agent.

3. The concrete product of claim 2 , wherein said concrete substrate layer includes gray cement.

4. The concrete product of claim 1 , wherein said intermediate strengthening layer includes a cementitious material, a pigmenting agent and a water reducer admixture.

5. The concrete product of claim 4 , wherein said intermediate strengthening layer has a viscosity of between about 2,300 and about 4,800 centipoise using a #4 Brookfield viscometer.

6. The concrete product of claim 4 , wherein said cementitious material is selected from a group of materials consisting of white cement, gray cement, fly ash and combinations thereof.

7. The concrete product of claim 4 , wherein said pigmenting agent is selected from a group of materials consisting of manganese oxide, iron oxides, iron hydroxides, carbon, titanium dioxide, chromium oxide, zinc oxides, nickel rutiles, chromium rutiles, cobalt, copper, barium sulphate, barium manganate, and combinations thereof.

8. The concrete product of claim 4 , wherein said water reducing admixture incorporates a hydroxylated carboxylic acid and a polycarboxylate plasticizer.

9. The concrete product of claim 4 , wherein said ornamental facing layer includes cement, a pigmenting agent and a polymeric binder.

10. The concrete product of claim 9 , wherein said pigmenting agent is selected from a group of materials consisting of manganese oxide, iron oxides, iron hydroxides, carbon, titanium dioxide, chromium oxide, zinc oxides, nickel rutiles, chromium rutiles, cobalt, copper, barium sulphate, barium manganate, and combinations thereof.

11. The concrete product of claim 9 , wherein said polymeric binder is selected from a group of materials consisting of alkyl benzene sulphonates, alkyl naphthalene sulphonates, lignin sulphonate, sulphated polyglycol ethers, melamine formaldehyde condensates, naphthalene formaldehyde condensates, gluconic acid, salts of low molecular weight, partially esterified styrene-maleic anhydride copolymers and copolymers of vinyl acetate, crotonic acid, and combinations thereof.

12. The concrete product of claim 4 , wherein said concrete substrate layer includes a material selected from a group consisting of white cement, gray cement and combinations thereof.

13. The concrete product of claim 4 , wherein said intermediate strengthening layer includes a waterproofing agent.

14. The concrete product of claim 13 , wherein said waterproofing agent is selected from a group of materials consisting of calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, aluminum, stearate, calcium myristate, calcium palmitate, calcium laurate and combinations thereof.

15. The concrete product of claim 4 , wherein said intermediate strengthening agent includes a material selected from a group consisting of silica sand, reinforcing fibers and combinations thereof.

16. The concrete product of claim 15 , wherein said reinforcing fibers are selected from a group of materials consisting of glass fibers, AR glass fibers, metal fibers, carbon fibers, natural fibers, polymer fibers, polyester fibers, polypropylene fibers, nylon fibers, PVA fibers, and combinations thereof.

17. A method of making a concrete product of claim 1 , comprising:

providing an ornamental surface layer in a product mold;

adding a strengthening layer to said ornamental surface layer in said mold;

adding a concrete substrate layer to said ornamental surface layer and said strengthening layer in said mold;

allowing said ornamental surface layer, said strengthening layer and said concrete substrate layer to cure; and

removing said product from said mold.

18. The concrete product of claim 1 , wherein the ornamental facing layer includes a pigmenting agent and the intermediate strengthening layer includes a pigmenting agent, wherein the pigmenting agent used in the intermediate strengthening layer matches the pigmenting agent used in the ornamental facing layer.