GeneralSlump – The Most Misunderstood Characteristic of Wet-Mix Shotcrete
Oscar Duckworth
Read MoreIf asked, could you accurately explain why the choice of slump is so important to a wet-mix shotcrete material’s hardened properties?
ArchitecturalGeneralChihuahuan Desert, El Paso Zoo
Steve Kanoza
Read Morelocated in El Paso, TX, the El Paso Zoo sits on 35 acres (1400 m2 ) of land and houses over 220 animal species from around the world. Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the El Paso Zoo’s mission is to celebrate the value of animals and natural resources and create opportunities for people to rediscover their connection to nature. Locally recognized as the “Best Place to Take Your Kiddos,” the El Paso Zoo features family favorite attractions like African Star Train, Foster Tree House Playground, and now home to the award winning Chihuahuan Desert exhibit.
UndergroundGeneralThe Value of VR Training for Today’s Shotcrete Nozzlemen
Matthew Wallace
Read MoreRecruiting, training, and retaining skilled shotcrete nozzlemen is mission-critical for a company’s success. Virtual, immersive training offers an effective, engaging mode of learning that supports the modern trainee. For beginning nozzlemen, virtual reality training gives them a safe, repeatable experience that can be completed in a classroom, free of job costs. Practice without cost or risk also helps improve job performance and satisfaction. These disruptive virtual reality (VR) technologies can provide safe, hands-on learning experiences without the field costs associated with hands-on training. Virtual learning is also valuable in today’s socially distanced world with its shifting remote learning requirements. Interactive digital tools will deliver meaningful, adaptive training for skilled trades now and in the future. Though some level of hand nozzling experience is still needed the best nozzlemen will be trained, in part, using virtual reality.
RepairStructuralGeneralY Not Try a Double Nozzle System
Derek Pay
Read MoreAlthough many shotcrete workers “claim” to be capable of placing massive amounts of concrete in a daily shift, or shooting with the pump turned “wide open,” in reality, the nozzleman tends to ultimately be the limiting factor on production speed and daily placement volume. Plain and simple they get tired. Shooting too fast diminishes accuracy and overall quality.
GeneralAll Those Small Numbers We Ignore – What Do They Mean?
Oscar Duckworth
Read MoreWe have all seen those small letters and numbers that mark practically everything we use in construction. To most, these are meaningless markings that are meant for someone else. However, with shotcrete, nothing could be farther from the truth.
GeneralGetting Back to Work
Ted W. Sofis
Read MoreThe COVID-19 Pandemic affected our lives in ways none of us have ever experienced in our lifetimes. I’ve been in construction for 45 years and I have never seen our economy shut down, businesses closed, or people required to stay at home. In 2001, the attacks of September 11th temporarily shut down air travel and the stock market, but the American economy remained intact and air travel resumed within a couple of weeks. However, COVID-19, has affected our lives in ways that we could never have imagined. Schools and universities were closed; professional, collegiate and high school sports seasons were suspended and canceled; and restaurants and businesses were closed. We were told to stay home and work remotely, if possible, and businesses across the country followed those directives.
GeneralOSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Rule on Shotcrete Operations – Revisited
Charles S. Hanskat
Read MoreThis is a revised version of the original article printed in the Summer 2016 of Shotcrete magazine before the OSHA rule was put in place. This revision has added site measured values for air monitoring of crew members on shotcrete projects, as well as ASA’s response to OSHA’s request for information in August 2019. Also, included is a short section on applicable respirators. With this revision our intent is to put the current information you need about the OSHA rule and its impact on shotcrete operations in one place for ready reference.
GeneralDealing with COVID-19 Article
Ted W. Sofis
Read MoreThis year, 2020, we have been challenged in a manner unlike anything we have experienced in America since the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed millions worldwide. The coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified in Wuhan, China, after initially being reported as a cluster of pneumonia cases in
GeneralNew Application Method Article
Satoru Kobayashi
Read MoreThe decline in the number of workers in the construction industry is a severe problem in Japan. Formwork is indispensable for concrete structures, but due to the shortage of carpenters, formwork assembly tends to be slow and can cause project delays. To deal with this
UndergroundGeneralASA Real-Time In-Situ Article
Benny Chen, Christian Reich, Peter Ayres, and Nicholas Carter
Read MoreConstruction of sprayed concrete lining (SCL) ground support across the world utilizes the construct, verify and rework cycle. This methodology typically requires survey verification of the as-built result against design for each stage of the ground support installation. However, processing and analyzing the measurement data