The 20th annual Carl E. Akeley Award was presented to Andy Thompson for his article, “Shotcrete as Final Liner — Design Considerations,” which was published in Shotcrete magazine, Volume 27, Number 3, 3rd Quarter 2025. The article discusses how shotcrete (often called sprayed concrete) is increasingly used worldwide as…
North America’s Tallest Façade Retention System – 2025 Honorable Mention Project
In the heart of downtown Toronto, ON, Canada, a full city block at 481 University Avenue and 210 Dundas Street West has become the site of one of the most complex heritage preservation efforts ever attempted in North America. The development of the United Bldg., a 50-story mixed-use tower, required the complete in-place retention of the façades of two historically significant heritage sites…
Humber College Station Shotcrete Construction: Design, Sustainability, and Execution – 2025 Outstanding Infrastructure Project
Humber College Station is located at the west end of the 6.4 mi (10.3 km) Finch West LRT, which includes 16 stops and two below-grade terminal stations. The Humber College Station is constructed below grade, however open to daylight, which presented unique logistical, structural, and architectural challenges…
Winter 2025 Follow up on Early Strength Testing
In my last column, I discussed the need for early strength testing in underground shotcrete…
Shotcrete Makes for Smoother, Safer Skateboarding
Early skateparks may have been made out of wood, but as the sport grew in popularity, concrete became the recommended material, providing a smoother, safer, and more durable surface. Shotcrete, specifically, became the best placement option for concrete because…
Shotcrete Placement for Initial Support: Climate Pledge Arena Tunnel Project
The Washington State Coliseum was an arena built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. More than half a century later, in 2019, a $1B construction program began to redevelop and expand the arena. The redeveloped building, with a new name — Climate Pledge Arena — retains the historical roof, but below the surface is another story…
Shotcrete as Final Liner — Design Considerations
The use of shotcrete placement (often called sprayed concrete) for the final permanent structural lining of underground structures and facilities continues to increase around the world. Where non-uniform shapes are required, shotcreting provides…
Practical Benefits of Shotcrete on Geotechnical Projects
This article covers the advantages of using shotcrete placement for soil nail projects. In permanent soil nail structures, shotcrete offers a wide variety of architectural finishes that can be produced economically and efficiently. This is in stark contrast to…
Lessons Learned on Spillway Shotcrete Overlay
The original Request for Bids specified that cast-in-place concrete be used, with no substitutions provided. After multiple site visits to better understand staging and access, debris removals, and placement logistics, KISC began to develop a value-engineered approach involving the use of air-entrained wet-process shotcrete to replace the cast-in-place specification…