Traditional face-up water-washed exposed-aggregate panels have been used in both loadbearing (Parkroyal Hotel Parramatta) and cladding (Cammeray Motor Registry) applications for many years.

With good detailing and sensible design, these simple panels have been used for some quite outstanding buildings, such as the Regent Hotel in Sydney.

Water-washed finishes can also be achieved in panels incorporating window openings. A typical example of this is the Commonwealth Bank Computer Centre.

Sandblasted exposed-aggregate panels offer a large range of exposure as well as more opportunity for moulded shapes since the units can be poured face-down.

A good example of sandblasted finish is seen on the Kent Telephone Exchange, while an example of its use on simple panels is illustrated in the Landmark Parkroyal Hotel facade.

Honed and polished finishes represent a vast range of colours and styles of finish because most aggregates are capable of honing and/or polishing.

In the Telecom Plaza building at 306 Pitt Street, a polished quartzite was used in both the facade and the foyer panels.

In contrast, a different colour and effect was achieved through the use of a polished reconstructed granite finish to the three towers of Central Plaza in Elizabeth Street.

Another large project involving polished reconstructed granite finishes is the Sydney Central office building. This project included some exceptionally large panels as well as two different coloured finishes.

Westin Hotel at No.1 Martin Place is an example of a polished reconstructed loadbearing facade with specified concrete strengths of up to 80 MPa. The facade finish was also carried through to the interior wall panels.