Shotcrete Admixtures
Contractors for large-scale shotcrete projects are discovering the ability of carbon nanotube admixtures like EdenCrete® to boost long-term durability in shotcrete, and the improved creaminess improves the application process. The mix moves more easily through the pump and hose, using a lower hydraulic pump pressure to save fuel and wear on the equipment. With EdenCrete®’s help, shotcrete equipment can be used for a higher number of service hours and still pump efficiently over long distances. Because crews do not spend time clearing obstructions in the pump and hose, the application schedule is shortened and trucks can return to the plant more quickly. Air quality on the jobsite for personnel, especially for enclosed application spaces, is significantly improved because the mix produces less dust than conventional shotcrete.
Carbon nanotube shotcrete admixtures are in use at scale by public and private construction teams. Admixtures with carbon nanotubes — 117 times stronger than steel, 10,000 to 50,00 x smaller than the diameter of a human hair, and extremely lightweight — have been tested using ASTM standards to quantify performance improvements in categories such as resistance to abrasion, cracking, and scaling from deicer chemicals, permeability, strength, and toughness. Traditional fibers improve crack resistance, but reduce workability and increase water demand, making it more difficult to move, pump, and carve shotcrete unless water is added to the mix. EdenCrete®’s shotcrete admixture improves crack resistance, while also improving the ability to pump and carve the mix using lower hydraulic pump pressures. EdenCrete® can be used in combination with fibers for enhanced crack resistance, and has also been used to completely replace traditional fibers.
Intense testing to support specification in large-scale infrastructure work has led to carbon nanotube shotcrete admixtures being added to the approved products list (or similar) by almost half of U.S. Departments of Transportation. Because it ensures a smoother application and faster turnaround of truckloads, critical roadways and bridges can be completed in less time, while improvements in durability and sustainability show taxpayers their dollar is being maximized with innovative products and practices.
Shotcrete admixtures enriched with carbon nanotubes are being implemented for a wide range of commercial and public construction projects, including transportation infrastructure initiatives across the united states. The admixture supports design and construction goals of improving sustainability and resilience. The next-gen carbon nanotube admixtures like EdenCrete® have been successfully deployed in shotcrete projects including:
- Soil-nail walls
- Temporary earth-retention
- Permanent retaining walls
- Bridge shoring
- Reinforcement of caissons
- Tunnels
- Portal Entrances
- Architectural Elements
High-tech shotcrete admixtures for swimming pools, like EdenCrete®, can replace or be used together with traditional fibers. Many contractors have found that carbon nanotube admixtures streamline all phases of the job, requiring less water to achieve a creamier texture to accelerate application and finish work. Moreover, property owners can depend on superior durability and resistance to cracking for the life of their pool. EdenCrete® was tested rigorously in accordance with applicable ASTM International standards and demonstrated dramatic improvements in categories like abrasion resistance, permeability, and strength.