Over the years, we have had the pleasure of being part of a number of shotcrete retaining wall projects that have used a carved shotcrete ?nish.
Shotcrete Finds a Home at the New Home of the Detroit Lions
For 26 years, the Detroit Lions called the Silverdome in Pontiac, MI, their home.
Shotcrete Domes: A Versatile Bulk Materials Storage and Architectural Structure Solution
In the business of industrial bulk storage for large quantities of materials such as cement, fly ash, clinker, and fertilizer, maintaining product integrity is a primary consideration.
Terra Lago Bridge
Early in 2004, Gary Williams of SunCal Companies contacted Commercial Shotcrete, Inc. (CSI), to assist him with the design of a bridge for a project his organization was developing in Indio, CA, called Terra Lago
Overhead Shotcrete
When you say overhead, people invariably think of fixed costs, salaries, and the general costs of running a business.
Art, Animals, and Architecture: Shotcrete Builds National Aquarium in Baltimore
It has been widely known for several decades that shotcrete is an ideal material for constructing naturalistic habitats for animals. When fresh concrete is freed from the constraining requirements of a rigid form, it can be shaped and carved in much the same way a sculptor handles clay or a piece of marble, but on a dimensional scale that is only limited by money or imagination. Shotcrete is also an incredibly versatile building material, which means it can serve many purposes on a project that ambitiously demands the blending of architecture, engineering, and aesthetic innovation.
America™s National Aquarium is located in Baltimore, MD. The designers for the recent Pier 3 Expansion project aspired to replicate the water-shed forest of rural Maryland and, in contrast, the
Quality Management of Shotcrete in North America
As for all construction materials, a proper program of quality management should be implemented in shotcrete construction to protect the owner™s investment. This article briefly examines typical shotcrete Quality Management (QM) practice in North America. QM can be considered to be comprised of Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) functions.
Advantages of Using Shotcrete for Arch Culverts
A rich structures have been used in various forms of construction for thousands of years. The earliest arch structures date back to ancient times when crude arch prototypes were constructed by building a corbelled arch in which projecting elements from a wall rose in steps to meet at the center. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all used the arch for various types of structures, including sewers, aqueducts, bridges, and ornamental architectural buildings such as palaces and churches. The fact that many of these ancient structures are still standing today is a testament to the durability and structural integrity of this design. Fast-forward 2000 years to modern construction practices, and the beneï¬ts of the arch design are still as valuable, relevant, and practical as ever.
Various Uses for Arch Culverts
Among the many modern-day uses of arch culverts are culverts, storm drains, bridges, cut and cover tunnels, pedestrian and equestrian underpasses, golf cart crossings, underground vaults and reservoirs, and environmentally sensitive wash-crossing structures. These types of crossings can be constructed on spread footings and without concrete inverts, thereby maintaining the natural integrity of the wash bed. Detailed engineering studies have veriï¬ed that arch culverts will have a similar life cycle to comparably reinforced concrete box culverts.
Beneï¬ts of Arch Culverts
The advantages of using shotcrete arch culverts over traditional formed and poured concrete box culverts, concrete pipe, and corrugated metal pipe are as follows.
Washington State’s Capitol Seismic Repair
Washington State’s Capitol Seismic Upgrade will surely rank as one of the top restoration projects of this decade and shotcrete proved to be essential to its success. As with most complex rehabilitations, many of the hurdles faced arose after the project had begun. The ability of the contractors, engineers, and architects working together to overcome these issues proved once again to be the crucial factor in the success of the project.
Shotcrete Foundation Walls at the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC
The National Portrait Gallery, located on the campus of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, is one of the oldest government buildings in that historic city. It was the original location for the U.S. Patent Office and it was used as the site of the inaugural ball celebrating the election of Abraham Lincoln in January 1861. When a recent renovation and expansion project was started on the building, shotcrete was selected as the material of choice