Many people use different definitions for the term “Shotcrete”. To clarify, the International Building Code (IBC), Section 1910 clearly defines “Shotcrete” as “…a mortar or concrete that is pneumatically projected at high velocity onto a surface.” The American Concrete Institute (ACI) ACI 506 (Guide to Shotcrete) further defines shotcrete as a “wet-mix” process and “gunite” as a “dry-mix process”. Both shotcrete and gunite are defined as “Shotcrete”.
From the terms above, you can see that shotcrete is purely a method of placement. It is not a design process. Therefore, whether the pool shell placement method is shotcrete or cast-in-place, the design method is still the same. Don’t let anyone tell you there is a difference in the design. There is not!
