DIY Shotcrete Machine
Shotcrete is a mixture of cement, sand, water, additives, aggregate and admixtures that are used in a shotcrete machine. This cement gun sprays the shotcrete to where it’s needed, making shotcrete applications more convenient. Shotcrete is heavily used when performing underground construction, when these structures need more support. It can be used to patch up weaker parts of buildings. These underground structures include mines, subways and underground storage areas. The shotcrete compacts when it strikes the surface, because of the velocity at which the machine fires it. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Shotcrete machine
- Water
- Compressed air
- Cement
- Sand
- Additives
- Aggregate
- Admixtures
Instructions
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1
Connect the shotcrete device to the compressed air source. Attach the water source to the pump. The pump will guide water to the delivery hose where the water mixes with the shotcrete before it arrives at the nozzle.
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2
Dry mix the cement, sand and stone as per the specifications of the product being used. The sand should be coarse.
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3
Feed the material into the hopper, using a feeder. The material travels from the mixer to the feeder. It travels to the shotcrete machine, where the compressed air, water and shotcrete combine. The compressed air fires the mix onto the surface, at a high velocity. With the wet mix shotcrete machine, the water is added to the mixer instead of being delivered to the machine via a pump. The hopper vibrates to mix the materials together. A revolving rotor moves the materials into the chamber by allowing them to fall. Also, upper airflow assists the materials.
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4
Spray the shotcrete near the base of the structure first, so the majority of the shotcrete found at the base is fresh shotcrete, rather than shotcrete that fell after being sprayed at a higher level, which will be partially hardened and not have as structural integrity. Shotcrete machines shoot dampened shotcrete out of a nozzle using compressed air. The nozzle directs the shotcrete to the location where it hardens.
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5
Let the shotcrete harden overnight after spraying the first layer. Apply a second layer the next day. Repeat this until five layers have been applied. For the last layer, start at the top and work your way down to ensure that the concrete is neat. Use a scraper between each layer to give the shotcrete a smooth finish.
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Tips & Warnings
Use steel rods, steel mesh or fibers to reinforce the shotcrete so that it remains stable and doesn't fall down.
