A typical question on projects using shotcrete placement is, “How do you deal with cold joints when shotcrete placement is interrupted?” The brief answer is that we don’t have cold joints — when we properly prepare the joint…
The Advantages of Completing the Pool Floor First: A Hybrid Construction Method for Large Commercial Shotcrete Pools
As commercial swimming pools continue to increase in size and complexity, contractors are continually looking for ways to improve production without compromising quality…
Committee Chair Memo – The Strength Behind the Nozzle: Why Great Shotcrete Crews Build Great Projects
Walk onto almost any exceptional-looking shotcrete project and ask who gets the credit: Chances are the answer will be the person holding the nozzle. While the shotcreter certainly carries tremendous responsibility, anyone who has spent years in this industry knows…
Executive Director Update: What is ASA?
In my travels and presentations as Executive Director over the years, I often get the question — What is ASA? If it’s a brief encounter, my elevator pitch is an expansion of our mission statement: “ASA is the American Shotcrete Association, a nonprofit trade association dedicated to…
ASA President’s Message: There Is No ‘I’ In Team
I’m writing this article while watching another great playoff match in the World Cup. Two teams of different nations are playing for national pride, national honor, and of course a little prize money. Most of the team members play the season for a club team somewhere in the world…
Sculpted Shotcrete Solution Supports Retail Redevelopment in Maryland
The redevelopment of a former Sears building in Hagerstown, Maryland presented an unusual stabilization challenge: Engineers had determined that the building’s exterior wall had effectively become a retaining structure, supporting the roadway above it…
Don’t Pull the Pin: Snap Couplings in Shotcrete Applications
Shotcreting is changing; not only where it’s used, but in how it’s delivered. Today’s projects demand longer reach, tighter schedules, and more consistent placement. Crews are pushing concrete farther by hose — often hundreds of feet — into areas that are harder to access and less forgiving…
Advances in Silicate Accelerators for Shotcrete
Sodium silicate has long history of use in construction and geotechnical applications due to its versatility and reliable performance. In shotcrete placement, sodium silicate solutions were widely used as…
Automated Shotcrete Application in Tunnelling
The tunnelling industry has again been working toward the automation of shotcrete application for some years now, after research and development stalled around 2005. Robots had been developed with the capability of…