RepairQ I have been asked to recommend repairs to a fire-damaged brick wall. The wall is 12 in. (30.5 mm) thick and 14 to 16 ft (4.25 to 4.9 m) high. The fire caused spalled brick—3/8 in. (10 mm) deep—and soft mortar joints. The damaged side of the wall is exposed to weather. I plan to recommend tuck-pointing the mortar joints but am wondering if shotcrete is appropriate to repair the spalled brick. The brick could be cut out and replaced, but shotcrete would seem to offer the advantage of repairing and reinforcing the brick wall.
Shotcrete would be an excellent process to repair or overlay your wall. You are correct in saying that it could not only repair but also reinforce and enhance the strength of the wall system. It is important to remove all deteriorated brick and sandblast or water-blast the surface if you are looking for a good bond between the shotcrete and the existing brick. Dowels epoxied or grouted into the existing brick are often used to mechanically tie the shotcrete overlay to the brick wall and also stabilize the new reinforcing steel in the shotcrete overlay.
