I am a structural engineer and we have recently begun work with a shoring contractor. We have been designing soil nails, micropiles, soldier piles, and so on with temporary and permanent shotcrete facings. The contractor has requested that some of our future designs use chain-link mesh in lieu of welded wire mesh, particularly in temporary situations with walls under 10 ft (3 m). I understand that chain link is a cost-effective alternative and, according to the contractor, handles the shotcrete well. Do you have any experience with this type of design/installation process? Can you point me to any literature on the use of chain-link reinforcement in shotcrete walls?

Some mines have used chain link mesh in shotcrete in severely deforming ground and claim that it is better in holding the ground than mesh after large deformations, in which the shotcrete sustains major cracking with deformations. Other than for such unusual applications, we do not recommend the use of chain-link reinforcement in shotcrete. It cannot be fixed “tight” and as such is susceptible to vibration and movement during shooting, resulting in shotcrete sloughing and formation of voids in the shotcrete. Also, the mesh interconnections are conducive to the formation of voids during shooting. Additionally, there don’t appear to be any consistent material standards on the strength, flexibility, or brittleness of the steel (or other materials) used in the fencing material, so a designer has no way to establish the tensile or flexural strength of the concrete sections. In brief, don’t use chain-link mesh if you want to produce quality, durable shotcrete.