3.

Uses of Sprayed Concrete

3.2 Stabilization
Sprayed concrete is the perfect material for excavation stabilization. Its unique flexibility in the
choice of application thickness, material formulation (fiber), output capacity, very early strength
development (dry and/or wet) and the ability to respray at any time makes sprayed concrete the
complete material for excavation stabilization.

A distinction is made between full excavation and partial excavation according to the load-
bearing properties and stability of the substrate. Excavation is done by drill and blast or
mechanical methods. In line with the old saying about tunneling: “It is dark in front of the
pickaxe”, preliminary bores or narrow pilot tunnels often precede the main construction in
difficult ground conditions. These exploration tunnels are then incorporated in the excavation of
the future tunnel or used as parallel tunnels for many different purposes. In all these applications
sprayed concrete is used for stabilization if the excavated face is not sufficiently stable. A thin
base course in the form of a fine skin can be built up very quickly with sprayed concrete. If
the load-bearing properties of the sprayed concrete are not sufficient, it is strengthened with
reinforcement (fiber/steel reinforcement). By using steel rings and mesh, sprayed concrete
becomes the lattice material between the beams. By using bolts, the load-bearing properties

Shotcrete Shotcrete
Fleece/Drainage Fleece/Drainage
Membrane Membrane Shotcrete
Concrete Shotcrete Shotcrete 2nd layer

Fig. 3-5: Tunnel lining with Fig. 3-6: Tunnel lining with Fig. 3-7: Tunnel lining with shotcrete
shotcrete, membranes, concrete shotcrete, membranes, shotcrete

12
3. Uses of Sprayed Concrete

Use
of the sprayed concrete skin can be linked to the increased load-bearing properties of the
substrate near the excavation. If there is high water penetration and/or heavy fracturing of the
rock, injection and preliminary waterproofing with gunite and drainage channels will create the
conditions for applying the sprayed concrete layer.

Like all construction methods, underground construction has evolved historically on a regional
basis. What is different about building underground is the varying geological conditions in the
different regions. Because of this and the variety of projects involved (in cross section and
length), different methods have developed. In partial excavation, these are basically the New
Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), the German Core Method and the Belgian Underpinning
Method. The full section is divided into smaller sections which are each temporarily stabilized
and are only joined to form the full section at the end. In the full excavation application, partially
and fully mechanized tunnel systems have a huge potential for development. In the longer term
the constraints on use will be reduced solely to the economics of tunnel boring machines (TBM).
Sprayed concrete application systems will be permanently installed on tunnel boring machines.

Fig. 3-8: Side wall method Fig. 3-9: Driving of crown method

13