In the U. S. it is mainly used for pavers or stepping stones however it can also be used for footpaths, decorative vertical walls and many different types of pre-cast concrete ranging from concrete blocks, pavers, decorative patio flagstones to large construction panels for commercial building sites.

Exposed aggregate remains each extremely popular as it combines the strengths of concrete, ease of mould manufacturing with the decorative appeal of the aggregate and relatively low cost production.

This form of manufacture is ideally suited to small local manufacturing providing the additional savings of freight.

An additional saving is built into this form of production in that the aggregate is normally the most expensive component of concrete and by limiting its use to the top layer of the finished precast paver you have the best of both worlds.

There are two methods of producing an exposed surface:

" Press the decorative aggregate into the top of the freshly poured concrete.

" Wash away the top surface of the concrete to expose the aggregate to a depth of 2 to 5 mm