page_title: Béton brut
section_title: Fabrication
hierarchical_section_title: Béton brut / Fabrication
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Belgique - Louvain-la-Neuve - Place des Sciences - béton brut aux abords des Auditoires des Sciences This photo of immovable heritage has been taken in the Walloon Region
context_page_description: Béton brut is a French term that translates in English to “raw concrete”. The term is used to describe concrete that is left unfinished after being cast, displaying the patterns and seams imprinted on it by the formwork. Béton brut is not a material itself, but rather an architectural expression of concrete.
context_section_description: After being cast, concrete will usually have a finishing treatment that smooths its surface, ridding it of any imperfections. In the case of béton brut, the concrete is left unfinished, expressing the pattern left by the formwork. Formwork is used in concrete construction as the frame for a structure in which fresh concrete is poured to then harden and take on the desired shape. Aesthetic of concrete surfaces can be varied with different formwork sheathing (e.g. board shuttering, smooth formwork, form liner, form moulds, filter fleeces). The type of material used to create the formwork (i.e. glass, wood, steel etc.) will have effects on the appearance of the final product. When Corbusier coined the term, he was specifically responding to board-marked concrete, which he used to construct many of his post-World War II buildings.
  When the formwork is lined with wood it is called board form. When lumber is used to create the formwork, the concrete picks up the grain structure as it sets, resulting in a texture on the poured concrete that resembles the wood. It is important to use the same type of wood throughout the job, especially on larger buildings where the molds may get repeated uses, because the lumber can absorb moisture, which may possibly affect the color of the concrete. Other raw patterns can be created by using textured metal formwork, or having the aggregate bush or pick hammered. Wood-imprinted concrete is still popular in landscaping, especially in some western European countries.
  Surface processing techniques (e.g., washed concrete surfaces, photo concrete, acidified surfaces) can also be used to create the aesthetic of béton brut. Particularly high-quality poured concrete, achieved by leaving enough room between the formwork and the reinforcing bars for the concrete to flow freely, is called Sichtbeton in German and cemento a vista in Italian. Both terms translate roughly to "concrete for viewing".
caption: Closeup of board form concrete
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