Frequently, shotcrete contractors are required to shoot test panels at the beginning as well as throughout projects. Several tests are performed from these panels; however, compressive strength testing is the most common. This article will primarily address compressive strength testing. At some point, every contractor has missed a required break strength on a core extracted from one of their panels. Frequently, those bad results are not caused by bad material or poor workmanship. They are caused by poor test panel handling and improperly performed test standards. Often, the causes of those bad test results could have been easily avoided. Let’s discuss some of the more common test panel mistakes witnessed in the field
I live in a 10-story condo building built in the 1960s. The entire building is made of gunite. We use masonry drill bits for holes, but nothing seems to grip well. We have tried concrete screws, metal drywall anchors (which seem to work the best), and a plethora of other anchors and screws, but nothing seems to work. They all cause mushrooming and they either don’t grip or turn the wall to powder. What are the best tools to affix things to the walls?
Shotcrete is a placement method for concrete. Dry-mix shotcrete (the old tradename is gunite) using proper materials, equipment, and application techniques should have easily been able to reach a strength of 4000 psi (28 MPa) in the first month. After 10 years in-place the concrete should be even stronger. The level of concrete strength developed by quality shotcrete should easily accommodate drilling in anchors or concrete screws. In my experience it would have been highly unusual to build an entire 10-story building with shotcrete even in the 1960s. I’d suggest based on the extremely weak material properties and the wall turning to dust what you think is shotcrete may be sprayed plaster or stucco. Those materials don’t have near the same strength as shotcrete and would exhibit many of the problems you have mentioned.
The ASA Buyers Guide provides a detailed listing of the products and services offered by our Corporate Members.
Sustaining Member
Nationwide Shotcrete Inc
23638 Lyons Ave, Ste 273 Newhall, CA 91321-2513 United States
Neuman Pools Inc
W9684 Beaverland Pkwy, PO Box 413, Beaver Dam, WI 53916, United States
Nicholson Construction Company
2400 Ansys Drive, Suite 303 Canonsburg, PA 15317 United States
Normet Americas Inc
1414 S.Gladiola Street, Ste 100, Salt Lake City, UT 84104, United States
North County Gunite Co., LTD
13739 Highway 8 Business , El Cajon CA, 92021 United States
Sustaining Member
Ocean Rock Art Ltd
40141 diamond head road, Squamish British Columbia, V8B0G2 Canada
Olympic Pool Plastering & Shotcrete
2850 Simpson Circle, Norcross, GA 30071, United States
Palmetto Gunite Construction Company Inc
PO Box 388 Ravenel, SC 29470-0388 United States
Sustaining Member
Prestige Gunite and Shotcrete Inc
7228 Westport Pl , West Palm Beach FL, 33413-1683 United States
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