StructuralQ I have an unfinished (dirt) basement with a stacked stone and mortar foundation. Can I shotcrete the existing dirt walls and floor with shotcrete MS (micro silica enhanced) and have it adhere to the dirt portion of the basement? If so, what method would be best?
Shotcrete would work well for the overlay of the walls. In most cases, floors are placed by a conventional cast-in-place method. Either the wet- or dry-mix procedure would work well for the walls. To ensure good bond of the shotcrete to the walls, the walls should be cleaned and prepared to assure that the shotcrete is bonding to sound material rather than contaminates such as dirt or weathered material. You might also want to consider reinforcing the walls, but you should consult with an engineer on how to do this and with what material. If you were to use the wet-mix process, you could use the same equipment to place the floor as you are using for the walls.
