3/8/2017

Shotcrete – Guide and Specification

This Webinar is sponsored by ACI. The ideas expressed, however, are those
of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of ACI or its
committees. The audience is expected to exercise judgment as to the
appropriate application of the information.
Please adjust your audio level at this time.

WEBINAR 6

• For continuing education credit, attendance for the entire duration of the
webinar will earn you a certificate of completion for 1 PDH (0.1 CEU).
Your certificate will be available in ACI University under the Certificates
tab within two days.

• For those who cannot join us live; the on-demand recording and quiz will
be made available about a week after the LIVE presentation. Successful
completion of the quiz will earn the certificate.

• Certificates will be available in ACI University under the Certificates tab.

• Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be

addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.

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American Concrete Institute is a Registered Provider with The American

Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems (AIA/CES).
Credit(s) earned on completion of this online course will be reported to
AIA/CES for AIA members.

The online course based on this webinar is registered with AIA/CES for
continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that
may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA
of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using,
distributing, or dealing in any material or product.

The American Institute of Architects has approved this course for

1 AIA/CES LU Learning Unit.

The American Institute of Architects has approved

this course for 1 AIA/CES LU learning unit.
ACI is an AIA/CES registered provider.

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Shotcrete – Guide and Specification

Course Description:
Shotcrete is becoming much more widely used for new structural concrete construction,
as well as a variety of repair and repurposing applications. ACI Committee 506 has a
variety of documents to inform design and construction professionals about shotcrete
placement’s unique characteristics. Two key ACI 506 documents are the Guide to
Shotcrete (506R-16) and the Specification for Shotcrete (506.2-13). This webinar will
highlight the changes in the new ACI 506R and further discuss how the new Guide
serves as a companion document to the ACI 506.2.

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Shotcrete – Guide and Specification

Learning Objectives:
• Recognize the basic topics covered in the ACI 506R-16 Guide to Shotcrete
and ACI 506.2-13 Specification for Shotcrete.
• Identify the current changes to the Guide from the previous version.
• Describe how 506.2 is intended to be used in construction projects.
• Explain how to use of the Specification and Guide together as a
specification and supporting commentary.

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Lars Balck, P.E.

Lars Balck, P.E. is a concrete consultant and ASA/ACI
Nozzleman Examiner. He recently retired from CROM,
LLC, as a Senior Vice President. He has been involved in
the design and construction of prestressed concrete
tanks built with shotcrete for over 40 years. He is Chair of
ACI Subcommittee 506-C, Shotcreting-Guide; a past
Chair and current member of ACI Committee 506,
Shotcreting; and several other ACI technical and
certification committees.

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Shotcrete – Guide and Specification

March 7, 2017
Lars Balck, P.E. Charles Hanskat, P.E., F.ACI, F.ASCE
Consultant, Board Member ASA Executive/Technical Director, ASA

WEBINAR 12

ACI 506R-16

Guide to
Shotcrete

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Shotcrete

• Shotcrete: Concrete or mortar conveyed through a hose and

pneumatically projected at high velocity onto a surface
• Two types
• Dry-Mix: Dry mixture of aggregate and paste are conveyed
pneumatically through a hose and water is added at nozzle
• Wet-Mix: All ingredients are mix and pushed through a hose
and air is injected at the nozzle to provide velocity

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Background

• 1907 Carl Akeley introduced pressurized machine to spray

mortar
• 1911 Akeley patents dual-chamber gun and “Cement Gun”
company formed
• 1916 Samuel Traylor munitions manufacturer bought Cement
Gun company (which was nearly bankrupt)
• Needed company that specialized in placement of shotcrete
• Engineering data proving shotcrete’s attributes

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History of Shotcrete

Carl Akeley
Original Shotcrete Gun

Dry-Mix Shotcrete
1920’s

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Cement Gun Bulletins

• Compressive strength dry-mix (gunite) 10,000 psi

• 1920
• Concrete strength with 1-2-3 was 3,000 psi
• No concrete pumps so shotcrete gave contractors a means to easily
transport concrete
• 1916-1920
• Reputation improved sales increased
• Units sold overseas
• 1945
• Imitators built other machines
• Inexperienced contractors = poor quality
• No standards which lead to many failures

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History of Shotcrete

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ACI founded 1904

• 1951 ACI Standard “Recommended Practice for the Application

of Mortar by Pneumatic Pressure (ACI 805-51)”
• 1960 ACI established Shotcrete Technical Committee 506
• Committee members engineers and contractors
• 1966 ACI 506 produced ACI 506-66 “Recommended Practice
for Shotcrete”
• Purpose: To educate engineers, owners and contractors
about shotcrete and provide standards to improve quality
• Updated 1985, 1990, 1995, 2005 and now 2016

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ACI 506 Shotcrete

• ACI 506R-16 Guide to Shotcrete

• ACI 506.1R-08 Guide to Fiber–Reinforced Shotcrete
• ACI 506.2-13 Specification for Shotcrete
• ACI 506.4R-04 Guide to Evaluation of Shotcrete
• ACI 506.5R-09 Guide to Specifying Underground Shotcrete

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ACI 506.2 Specification for

Shotcrete
• For years engineers would require shotcrete to be placed in
accordance with early Guide
• 506.2 Specification in standard 3-part format
• General, Materials, Execution
• Guide now serves as commentary for specification
• Additional information on equipment, crew organization,
sustainability

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ACI 506R -16

• Key changes from earlier versions of the Guide

• Serve as commentary to 506.2 Specification
• Engineer must specify structural or nonstructural
• Shotcrete inherently has more applications than form-and-pour
concrete including many nonstructural applications
• Polymer shotcrete not addressed or recommended
• Submittals
• Preconstruction testing

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Preconstruction testing

• Important tool for

engineers and contractors
• Mock up can determine if
contractor’s crew is
capable of:
• Adequate encasement
of congested steel
• Meet material
requirements
• Obtain agreement on
surface finish

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Testing during construction

• QA/QC program should be suited to the project

• Guide provides guidance when developing QA/QC program
• Shotcrete is concrete placed at high velocity
• For compressive strength testing cores must be taken
• Cylinders taken of the shotcrete mix does not test shotcrete,
just mix capability

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QA/QC

• Shotcrete placement causes changes to concrete

• Consolidation
• Lower air content
• Higher strength
• Excellent bond

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Shotcrete panels

• Panels must be shot then cored

• Three types
• Material either ASTM or
ACI506.2
• For testing material properties
• Mockup to test steel
encasement
• Nozzlemen certification to
qualify nozzlemen only

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Admixtures

• Having a dramatic impact on concrete

• For placement 2-4 inch slump
• Allowing for lower w/cm ratios yet mix is still pumpable
• Shotcrete mixes require:
• More cementitious material to coat finer aggregate and
lubricate smaller diameter delivery line
• Low w/cm to adhere to vertical or overhead surface

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Air content

• Shotcrete both dry-mix and wet-mix has demonstrated excellent

freeze-thaw durability
• For saturated concrete exposed to freeze-thaw conditions wet-
mix shotcrete must have 6% air entrainment before pumping to
achieve at least 3% air content and a 0.01 spacing factor
• Shotcrete placement removes some entrained air but entraps
some air
• Air entrainment can be provided in prepackaged dry-mix

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Bond Strength

• As with all situations requiring good bond, the substrate must

be properly prepared (sound material rough, clean and SSD)
• Shotcrete abrades the surface and physically drives fresh paste
into the exposed substrate
• Bond strength typically over 145 psi

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Multiple Layers

• Added section to help engineers who may confuse cold joint

concrete placement and placement of multiple layers of
shotcrete.
• The excellent bond produced by the high velocity impact and
abrasion of the substrate inherent in shotcrete placement
produces concrete sections that act monolithically
• Studies have proven multiple layers of shotcrete achieve
excellent bond

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Finish

• The default finish is a “natural gun finish” (no finishing)

• All other finishing required two steps
• Rod surface to grade
• Apply finish with specified tool (sponge float, trowel, etc.)
• Shotcrete has lower w/cm and can be harder to finish
• Where appearance is important confirm desired finish prior to
construction

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Sponge Steel Trowel

Float Gun

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Tolerance

• ACI 117 Specification for Tolerances for Concrete Construction

and Materials specifically excludes shotcrete
• Shotcrete has greater variety of applications
• Engineer should specify tolerances to meet project
requirements
• Shotcrete can meet or exceed ACI 117 tolerances but may cost
more.

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Sustainability

• Shotcrete placement enhances a structure’s sustainability

several ways
• Repair that extends structure’s life
• Less formwork required
• Reduced time of construction
• Promotes creativity by allowing virtually unlimited shapes
• Easily allows variable section thickness for maximum
efficiency

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Conclusion

• The ACI 506R-16 Guide serves as commentary to the ACI

506.2 Specification
• The Guide provides more information on:
• Submittals,
• Preconstruction testing and QA/QC in general
• Air content
• Multiple layers of shotcrete
• Sustainability

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Charles Hanskat, P.E., F.ACI,

F.ASCE
Charles Hanskat, P.E., F.ACI, F.ASCE is Executive
Director of the American Shotcrete Association. He
has been involved in the design, construction and
evaluation of a wide variety of shotcreted concrete
structures for over 40 years. He is an active member
of a number of ACI technical and certification
committees including ACI Committee 506. Charles is
also a Board and committee member in the Strategic
Development Council, member of ASTM C09
committee, and AREMA Committee 8.

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ACI 506.2-13

Specification
for Shotcrete

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Why have a Specification?

• 506R: Guide to Shotcrete

• 506.1R: Guide to Fiber-Reinforced
Shotcrete
• 506.4R: Guide For The Evaluation of
Shotcrete
• 506.5R: Guide for Specifying
Underground Shotcrete

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Why have a Specification?

• ACI 506.2-13 Specification for

Shotcrete is mandatory language
• Is specifically and entirely intended for
the Contractor

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ACI 506.2 Scope

“This Reference Specification covers

the requirements for shotcrete as
specified by the Architect/Engineer.”

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ACI 506.2 Scope

Includes requirements for:
• Materials
• Proportioning
• Application of structural and
nonstructural shotcrete
• Structural and nonstructural fiber-
reinforced shotcrete.

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Differences from ACI 301

• Shotcrete as a placement method is not
directly addressed in ACI 301
• ACI 301 was developed for “Form-and-Pour”
placement
• ACI 506.2 could be considered a
supplemental specification

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Differences from ACI 301

• Many “basic” sections of ACI 301 are

applicable
• General
• Formwork
• Reinforcement
• Concrete Mixtures
• Handling, Placing & Constructing

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Differences from ACI 301

• Fresh concrete
• Air content – wet-mix and dry-mix
• Cold weather – 40°F and falling
• Slump – not needed

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Differences from ACI 301

• Hardened concrete testing

uses panels not cylinders
• Shotcrete specific ASTMs
• Compressive strength
(C1604 or C1140)
• Bond strength
• Boiled absorption

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Differences from ACI 301

• Fiber-Reinforced Shotcrete
• Flexural Strength w Fibers (C1609)
• Toughness (C1550)

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Differences from ACI 301

• Formwork is
significantly lighter
• Concrete mixtures
more tailored
• Aggregate (C1436 –
Shotcrete Matls)
• Pre-packaged
Shotcrete Matls
(C1480)

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Differences from ACI 301

• Placing is
fundamentally
different
• Preconstruction
mockups
• High velocity
• Rebound and
overspray
• Layers

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Differences from ACI 301

• Nozzleman certification is important

• Recommended for all
• Required for structural shotcrete
• Contractor and shotcrete crew foreman
experience
• Structural – five similar scope projects
• Non-structural – 3 years

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But What about the

Checklists?
• Guidance to the Specifier
• Mandatory
• Optional
• Submittals
• Are not part of the ACI 506.2
• Serve as flags
• Items Specifier evaluates in developing
the specific Project Specification

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But What about the

Checklists?
Mandatory Checklist Items
“indicates Work requirements
regarding specific qualities,
procedures, materials, and
performance criteria that are not
defined in ACI Specification 506.2”

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But What about the

Checklists?
Mandatory Checklist Items
“The Specifier must include these
requirements in the Project Specification.”

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But What about the

Checklists?
Optional Checklist Items
“identifies Specifier choices and
alternatives. The checklist identifies
the Sections, Parts, and Articles of
the ACI Reference Specification
506.2 and the action required or
available to the Specifier. ”

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But What about the

Checklists?
Optional Checklist Items
“Specifier should review each of the
items in the Checklist and make
adjustments to the needs of a
particular project by including those
selected alternatives as mandatory
requirements in the Project
Specification.”

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But What about the

Checklists?
Submittals Checklist Items
“identifies information or data to be
provided by the Contractor before, during,
or after construction.”

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Summary
• ACI 506R and 506.2 are similar to the “Code
and Commentary” of ACI’s Code documents

• The Guide is an excellent standalone primer

on all aspects of shotcrete

• The Specification is in terse, somewhat non-

descriptive mandatory language

• The Specification can be incorporated into

Contract Documents though the Specifier
must pay attention to the checklists

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Questions?
Shotcrete – Guide and Specification
This webinar is sponsored by the American Concrete Institute (ACI).
Thank you to our presenters: Charles Hanskat and Lars Balck.
Please use the question feature to submit your questions.
To earn continuing education for this webinar go to www.ACIUniversity.com.
For questions after the webinar, contact us at elearning@concrete.org.
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