Shotcrete was invented in 1907 by a pioneering American taxidermist Carl Akeley (1864 – 1926) who used it to repair the facade of the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago (the old Palace of Fine Arts from the World’s Columbian Exposition), which was close to disintegrating.
Later on, shotcrete proved to be one of the best methods for manufacturing curved surfaces such as domes and tunnels. It is a mixture of cement, aggregates, and water that is usually reinforced by conventional steel rods, fiber, or even steel mesh. It is pneumatically projected at high velocity on the surface with the help of a hose. This article covers some important details about shotcrete and two basic methods of shotcreting. To know more, here is a read.
Shotcreting and two methods of shotcreting
Shotcreting is a technique of spraying concrete on the surface at high pressure and requires a special unit for the task. Are you planning to include shotcreting in your new construction project? Visit https://shotcretemelbourne.com/ for getting the job done flawlessly.
Now, let’s explore more about the shotcreting process. A mortar gun or concrete sprayer along with a compressor comprises the shotcrete unit. There are two basic methods of applying shotcrete. One is the dry mix process while the other is the wet mix process. Let us know more about them in detail.
Dry mix
For the dry-mix process, you have to mix cement, aggregate, and admixture, first pass it through a tube and later through a water ring in a nozzle. You need to spray water throughout the mixture uniformly. It proves very useful especially when the formwork is cost-prohibitive or impractical. The most common applications are for small to medium volume placements or in confined vehicle access conditions.
Wet mix
For the wet-mix process, you need to mix cement, aggregate, and admixture with water before passing through the shotcreting equipment. Usually, a concrete truck supplies a wet mix. It is a Cost-effective method for placing concrete and ideal for irregular surface applications. It allows easy material handling in hard-to-reach areas.
Advantages of shotcrete
Here is the list of some of the advantages of shotcrete:
- It does not require structure.
- Proves perfect for irregular surfaces and is a cheap process.
- Best for an area where you cannot reach properly.
- Easy start-up, shutdown, and cleaning which is amazing.
- Load-carrying capacity is pretty good too because of the redistribution of stress.
- Also provides corrosion resistance.
Things to Remember for Successful Shotcreting
Shotcreting has a lot of advantages as we have discussed above but we need to keep a few crucial aspects in mind to ensure there is no gap in the process. They are:
- The rainwater creates few problems as it washes away the cement from the surface. You need to have skilled laborers for the task.
- If you don’t utilize shotcrete properly, it can make the situation worse than how it was initially.
Conclusion
Shotcrete is cheaper than conventional concrete and also does not need much space for the construction. With low permeability and good thermal resistance mass, it proves one of the great options for construction sites. It requires less formwork and also it is very durable because cement concentration is high. The article discusses some of the important aspects of shotcrete. So now that you have explored the insights, don’t you think shotcrete is the right fit for your next construction task?