I'm a concrete contractor and I speak to many people out estimating and considering work with my business. Many times people think stamped concrete is completely different than regular concrete and it's really a completely different product. This is somewhat true, but the basics of both are the same plus they are usually specified the same, when used in the same application. For example, if stamped concrete or regular concrete is used for a driveway, they'll generally function as same thickness and have exactly the same design strength.
Regular concrete can be your everyday concrete found in sidewalks, driveways, patios, roads, and anytime regular pavement is constructed. It's generally placed on some form of gravel or native soil base that's compacted. The area is then formed with lumber or manufactured forms. Reinforcement is usually installed in the bottom which is usually rebar or wire mesh. The concrete is specified to a desired thickness which is created for its application. For example, a driveway that handles car and light trucks is normally poured four inches thick. The concrete mix can be specified that is usually a 4000 psi mix here in areas that have severe winters. That's the strength the concrete reaches in 28 days. Concrete is placed, striked off, bull floated then gets a non slip finish, just like a broom. After that, the concrete is cured with either water and burlap, or the easy way with a membrane forming curing compound.
Stamped concrete is very similarly placed to regular concrete. Generally all the steps are the same except the finishing steps. The concrete can be colored which is usually added to the mix. It can also be colored with a color hardener, but most contractors use an intrinsic color. After bull floating is when things the procedure changes with stamped concrete. Some contractors go one step further and trowel the concrete to get the concrete really smooth. We use air entrained concrete in our area because of the harsh winters, which isn't supposed to be troweled so we usually just obtain it smooth as possible with a magnesium bull float. After the concrete sets to a desired hardness, the concrete is imprinted with the rubber like stamps. A release agent that is an antiquing colored release, or liquid release agent can be used to help keep the stamps from sticking to the concrete. Some contractors will put curing paper on the concrete to cure it till the very next day when the concrete will undoubtedly be washed and sealed with a high gloss sealer which is also a membrane forming cure.
So in summary stamped and regular, there is not much difference between the two apart from what they appear to be on the surface. concrete contractors think stamped concrete is just not as durable as regular concrete and that's not the case. The thing that could make it less durable may be the texture of the stamped concrete. In an environment that gets snow, stamped concrete will get damaged by snow removal equipment like snow plows.