Shotcrete is a form of concrete that was invented in the early 20th century by Carl Akeley. It can be applied to horizontal or vertical surfaces and used as a patch or filler. There are two methods of creating shotcrete: the dry method and the wet method. Steel rods or mesh screens are often used to reinforce the surface.
As a structural material, most people are familiar with concrete. However, not everyone is familiar with the form of concrete known as shotcrete. Here’s some background on shotcrete, including how it’s used in construction projects today.
Essentially, shotcrete is shotcrete. Originally conceived in the early 20th century, shotcrete was created as a means of using concrete to fill molds. The concrete itself was a dry mix that was blown directly into the mold using compressed air.
As the concrete was released, the dry mix was moistened, allowing it to settle and set in the mold. The inventor of this method, Carl Akeley, received a patent in 1911 for both the concrete gun he developed and the material that was produced, which he called gunite.
Other applications for shotcrete were immediately obvious. Since shotcrete could be applied to a horizontal or vertical facing, shotcrete could be easily applied to the sides of buildings, shotcrete could be used as a patch and as a filler in case of cracks in walls or foundations. The method also expedited the construction of walkways in many front yards and back gardens, as shotcrete could be laid in a fraction of the time it takes to mix and apply concrete by hand.
The dry method of creating shotcrete remained in effect until the mid-20th century and continued to be perfected. Still in use today, the dry method involves placing the dry mix into a hopper, where it is run through a hose with a water attachment at the end of the hose. As the concrete is ejected from the pipe and into the gun mechanism, the operator adjusts the amount of water that is added to the dry mix. The result is an easy-to-manage concrete mix that will dry and harden in the same time as any method that uses concrete.
By the mid-20th century, an alternative method of creating shotcrete was developed. Called the wet method, this process involves the use of ready-mixed concrete. As with the dry method, compressed air is used to force the concrete mix through a hose and out a nozzle. With wet mixing, the operator does not have the ability to adjust the mix of water and dry concrete, as that process has already taken place. Fans of this method point to the fact that there is no possibility of introducing too much water into the mix, creating a poor texture of the concrete. Proponents of the original dry method claim that properly mixed concrete and water produce a finished product that is superior to the premix used with the wet method.
In both applications, steel rods or steel mesh screens are often used to help hold and reinforce the surface receiving the shotcrete treatment. By providing something extra for the concrete to hold on to while it dries, shotcrete parts or facades tend to last much longer.
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