Synthetic Mesofibers: The Sustainable and Practical Solution for Shotcrete´s Pool Industry

The construction industry has witnessed a paradigm shift in recent years with a growing emphasis on innovative materials and techniques. One such advancement that has gained significant attention is the use of synthetic fiber-reinforced shotcrete (SFRS) in the construction of swimming pools. Traditional concrete structures face challenges such as volume change due to drying shrinkage, as well as moisture and temperature variations. This article explores using synthetic fibers in shotcreted concrete, a highly versatile construction material, to enhance the durability and performance of pool structures.

We are having a pool installed and would like to know if shotcrete should be placed when severe weather is forecasted for late in the day or the next day? Is it possible to cover the area after application to protect it?

Shotcrete is a method for placing concrete. Concrete has a set time that provides hardness of the in-place concrete. Final set may take anywhere from an hour to several hours depending on the concrete mixture and the weather.

Hot weather has a faster set time than cold weather with the same concrete mixture. If the pool is shot in the morning, it may be hard enough to tolerate a rainstorm in the late afternoon. The concrete should certainly be set by the next day unless there is a very cold overnight temperature or a problem with retarder in the concrete mixture. Tarps could be placed over the vertical walls to protect them from a sudden rainstorm. The floor may be harder to protect as the rainwater wouldn’t necessarily drain off the floor.

If concrete is exposed to rain and the surface isn’t washed off in any way, the concrete should be good. Similarly, if you are expecting freezing temperatures overnight, the fresh concrete must be protected from freezing. This may require using vented heaters and insulated blankets. The goal of the cold weather protection is to keep the surface temperature of the fresh concrete above 50°F (10°C). More details on cold weather protection can be found in ACI PRC-306-16 Guide to Cold Weather Concreting available directly from ACI’s bookstore (concrete.org/store.aspx).

Water’s Edge

The Water’s Edge pool project was a contracted water feature that drew its contemporary design from the architecture of the new house addition. The house is a modern version of the old coastal mansions once built and adorned by the Rockefellers, Morgans, and Vanderbilts. The house, with its surrounding architecture and landscape architecture, incorporates a contemporary, strict linear version of the old-world construction.

Shaw Residence

How does one provide a backyard transformation that includes a water-in-transit pool, complete with all the outdoor living amenities one could ask for when facing a 75° waterfront sand cliff located on an ever-shifting chain of barrier islands susceptible to a multitude of severe weather patterns?

THUNDERBIRD FALLS

Building a swimming pool on the edge of a cliff can be an exciting and challenging project, especially when using shotcrete as the main building material. Shotcrete is chosen for its strength, durability, and ability to create complex shapes, which is essential for a pool in such a unique location.

SOUTH EAST ASIA JUNGLE TRACK AUCKLAND ZOO

Aqua-Environs Construction was subcontracted to provide shotcrete installations as a part of our broader scope of work: construction services to create a naturalistically themed terrestrial and aquatic habitats for Auckland Zoo’s new South East Asia Jungle Track (SEAJT), the Zoo’s most ambitious project in its 99-year history. Our company utilized shotcrete to help create natural, realistic animal habitat areas as well as public spaces to achieve engaging natural environments for animals and fish in the zoo’s care and for the zoo’s visitors.

Watershape University: Filling a Void

Swimming pools are so commonplace; it’s easy to take them for granted. When we step back and consider, in specific terms, what the industry is about and what it does, however, we find a profound and even surprising need for education as well as licensing and certification.