Saturday, August 17, 2013

Everything You Need To Know About Shotcrete Equipment

By Cara Torres


The industry of construction is one of the fastest growing division of technology that is shocking the world with their innovations. We are now digging tunnels anywhere in the world and even the ocean has been conquered with subways made underneath it. All these marvelous things would have never been possible with the aid of a shotcrete equipment.

Shotcrete is a construction technique wherein a concrete passing through a hose is projected in a high velocity into a surface. This was once called cement gun because of its ability to spray cement on the wall. It is an extremely useful technique for building tunnels which save the lives of many miners because it strengthens the wall of any tunnel.

Carl Akeley invented it in the early 1900s and it was used to fill plaster models of animals. He used the technique of blowing dry material out of a hose with an air, then a water injected at the nozzle as it was released. He was motivated to make because he was satisfied with the how the carcass of the animals preserved in the museum.

Back in 1911, the invention of what became known as the cement gun was patented by Akeley and developed further by the Allentown Cement Gun Company. Forty years after, a Austrian tunnel engineer realized that concrete sprayed invention could effectively reinforce tunnel walls, providing protection against collapse. This tunneling technique, now has been known as the new Austrian tunneling method, has become widely used around the world.

Nowadays, it is commonly used as providing underground support for mining, tunnel excavation and constructions. It is also widely known to provide support in permanent opening such as ramps, shaft stations and some crusher chambers. Do not be confused if some people call it gunite because it is popularly known with that name as well.

The technique is divided into two that is the wet and dry mixes. The dry mix method involves placing the dry ingredients into a hopper and then conveying them through a hose to the nozzle. The liquid and the dry mixture is not mixed completely, but is completed as the mixture hits the surface. Advantage of the dry mix process is that the water content can be adjusted instantly allowing more effective placement without using any accelerators.

Wet mix involves pumping of a premixed concrete. Compressed air is introduced at the nozzle to expel the mixture into the surface. The wet mix procedure generally produces less waste and dust compared to the dry mix procedure. The biggest advantage of the wet mix process is that larger volumes can be placed in lesser time.

Technological advances has a way of turning conventional technologies to completely convenient machinery. Shotcrete is not exempted to this progress because a newly developed Robotic Shotcreting Machine is widely used in any construction now. It has many advanced features introduced that makes the work a breeze.

Who would have thought that what started out as a simple invention can become a critical achievement in the progress of construction industry. Shotcrete equipment is a prime example that started from humble beginnings to greatness. Such technology has a boundless potential in the future.




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