Why You Should Consider Shotcrete

The shotcrete process involves pneumatically placing concrete and is a cost-effective alternative to traditional cast-in-place walls offering high strength, low permeability and high durability.  Also as it provides the same structural characteristics as cast-in-place walls, shotcrete can be used in a wide range of applications such as shear walls, retaining walls, architectural walls, slope pavement, and soil nailing.  Furthermore, because it eliminates the need for the forming process altogether, your project’s labor costs and time will be greatly reduced.

The application can be done as a wet or dry method and the process is often determined by availability of material and equipment, the site access and the preference of the contractor.  With the high-tech equipment available today, bond strength, compressive strength and durability are mostly the same regardless of whether wet or dry methods are used. 

Additional benefits of shotcrete are that it bonds extremely well with most substrates and offers instant or rapid capabilities, which is why it is often used on complex forms and shapes.  Also just like traditional concrete, it can be enhanced with additives or admixture such as silica fume, fibers, air-entraining admixtures, and accelerators. 

According to American Shotcrete Association, “shotcrete’s numerous benefits include:

·         Formwork savings of 50 to 100% over conventional cast-in-place construction;

·         Complex shapes require very little, if any, formwork;

·         Crane and other equipment savings or elimination;

·         Labor savings of at least 50% in repair applications;

·         New construction speed savings of 33 to 50%;

·         Speed of repair reduces or eliminates downtime;

·         Better bonding to the substrate, which enhances durability;

·         Adaptability to repair surfaces that are not cost-effective with other processes; and

·   Ability to access restricted space and difficult-to-reach areas, including overhead and underground.”

The Conco Companies are shotcrete specialists and can service jobsites that have extreme operating environments such as chemical plants, gas-fired electrical generators and hydroelectric plants.  We also have taken a leadership role in the developing field of sculpted shotcrete where our trained sculptors artistically use concrete as a canvas to make shotcrete walls that have structural integrity but are also aesthetically pleasing.  Contact us to learn more.  

The Conco Companies are a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western U.S. and got our start in the Bay Area in 1959 by offering clients the best value on a wide range of concrete services and products.  Since that time, we have taken a leading role as one of the top concrete contractors in the region. Our offices serve California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Nevada.

Source: shotcrete.org/whyshotcrete/index.htm