Yes, those curved urban benches are striking—and I’ve looked into installing them on concrete myself. The good news is that you can absolutely install them on concrete, but they do need a bit more attention than just plopping them down. Here’s the honest scoop:
First, many curved benches come with pre-drilled holes in their metal or steel base plates. These plates are designed to be mounted flush onto concrete. For a straightforward install, you’ll typically need concrete anchoring bolts—like wedge anchors or sleeve anchors—not a special custom base. A hammer drill with a masonry bit will be your best friend for drilling into cured concrete. Standard practice: mark the bolt pattern from the bench, drill holes about 1.5 times deeper than the anchor length, clean out the dust, then insert the anchors and tighten the bench down.
However, if the bench is large or has a complex curve that makes it top-heavy, you might want to consider a reinforced base plate. In those cases, the manufacturer often provides a metal sub-frame that widens the footprint. This isn’t a “special base” in an exotic sense—it’s just a larger steel plate that you concrete-anchor first, then bolt the bench onto. This adds stability, especially in windy public spaces.
If you’re installing on polished or indoor concrete, you may also need to use chemical anchors (epoxy) for a cleaner look and stronger hold. For outdoor concrete, standard wedge anchors are more than sufficient and much easier to work with.
In short, no magical or expensive special base is needed—just proper tools, the right anchor type for your load (check the bench weight), and a solid drill. Give it an hour of work, and you’ll have a sturdy, gorgeous curve that’ll last for years.