Marvelous Technological Wonder Of Shotcrete Equipment To Construction

By Cara Torres


Along with the progression of the world, the ways of the construction industry is fast evolving as well. People are finding new ways to simplify their work in building complex structures. One of the most useful invention that has made been recently is shotcrete equipment.

For starters, shotcrete is actually a construction technique that uses a concrete to be projected on any surface using a high velocity compressed air. Cement gun it was once called because of the ability to spray cement on any wall surface. It is vital for the miners and tunnel engineers because it reinforced the wall of the tunnel therefore preventing it from collapsing.

For starters, if you think this has been recently discovered it is not. It is actually a century old technique that brought us back in early 1900s wherein it was accidentally discovered by a American taxidermist named Carl Akeley. History says he use a technique where a device blow a dry plaster out of a hose with a compressed to the skin of an animal that he wants to preserve.

In 1911, Akeley was granted a patent for his invention, the cement gun is the equipment used, and gunite is the material that was produced. Forty years has pass when a Austrian engineer discovered the potential of such technology as an effective reinforcement to tunnel walls, providing protection against cave ins. It formed a new technique of a safer soft earth tunnel construction that is now known as new Austrian tunneling method.

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.

This method is divided into two types which sometimes people interchange with each other. The first one is the dry mix that involves any dry material in a hopper. Sometimes it is dampen by some small liquid to avoid any dusty particles. The rotating barrel is where the material is transferred and sprayed to any surface wall by using a delivery hose.

Furthermore, wet mix type involves premixing the materials with water. It is then delivered on a concrete pump to be sprayed on any surface with an aid of a compressed air passing through a nozzle. This is perfect for mining projects that require making deep shafts and long tunnels.

The latest upgrade for this invention now is the highly advanced Robotic Shotcreting Machine. It is highly capable of spreading the mixture and compact in the same time. The powerful nozzle is capable of spreading the mixture evenly on the required surface. Any unskilled operators are capable because it is so easy to handle.

This technology is just one of the many engineering marvels in our generation. It has some humble beginnings in the hands of a taxidermist and now shotcrete equipment is saving lives and creating beautiful structures. The future of its advancement is full of endless possibilities.




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