Broom Finish Test

Confirmation that broomed, fiber reinforced concrete should look excellent.

Broom Test Details

There were 2 sections placed (Figure 1), each 12’x80’, to test different brooms (Figure 2), broom timing & dosage rate of the highest quality macro fiber, 2 .” Forta Ferro.

Warning: Not all macro fibers will perform the same

Broom timing & type of broom affected the finish drastically, as you’ll see in attached pictures. The dosage rate of macro fibers did not.

Sections Broomed in A Variety of Ways: Early | On Time | Late

3 Different Brooms were used: Coarse (green), Medium (orange), and Fine (black).

Results:

ACI defines the following:

1) fine broomed: less that 1/32 inch, created with horsehair bristle
2) medium broomed: 1/32 to 3/64 inch, horsehair or synthetic bristle broom
3) heavy broomed: 3/64 to 1/8 inch depth with stiff-bristle concrete broom

ACI 310R-13 “Guide to Decorative Concrete” provides the definitions, but that document is very specifically NOT a specification – it relies on agreement between owner, architect and finisher.

Our recommendation for fiber-reinforced broomed concrete is to specify a fine-bristle broom.

The Marion Brush Company (Home of the Chameleon Broom) carries the brooms used in this test. Their bristles are made of a high-quality mendable resin material and are color-coded for stiffness. As seen in this test, our best results came from the black “fine-bristle” broom.

If you have questions regarding the Fiber Broom Finish Test, contact us at:
Dan Large, 262-685-7749 or dan.large@frcllc.us
Cole Large, 262-685-8949 or cole.large@frcllc.us