Shotcrete Placement Automation

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Title: Shotcrete Placement Automation

Author(s): Maxime Monfort, Julien Schaeffer, Jongbeom Kim, and Marc Jolin

Publication: Concrete International

Volume: 48

Issue: 1

Appears on pages(s): 47-50

Keywords: planetary motion, placement automation, rebound, rheology, dry-mix, shotcrete

DOI: 10.14359/51749389

Date: 1/1/2026

Abstract:
To facilitate the shotcreter’s task, partial or full automation of the placement process is of interest, which is why the Shotcrete Laboratory at the Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada, acquired a six-axis robotic arm in 2019. The arm can repeat predefined spraying patterns with practically flawless accuracy. This robot, combined with a data acquisition system that measures rebound during a standardized spraying session, is the starting point of a large research project, “SPARO – Shotcrete Placement Automated by Robot."

Related References:

1. Morgan, D.R., and Jolin, M., Shotcrete: Materials, Performance and Use, first edition, CRC Press, United Kingdom, 2022, 510 pp.

2. Ginouse, N.; Jolin, M.; and Bissonnette, B., “Effect of Equipment on Spray Velocity Distribution in Shotcrete Applications,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 70, Nov. 2014, pp. 362-369. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.07.116

3. Siccardi, P.; Laradh, A.; Bérubé, S.; and Jolin, M., “The Influence of the Nozzle Tip on Shotcrete Spray Performance,” Shotcrete, Spring 2020, pp. 16-19.

4. ACI Committee 506, “Shotcrete—Guide (ACI PRC-506-22),” American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, 2022, 52 pp.

5. CP-60(15), “Craftsman Workbook for ACI Certification of Shotcrete Nozzleman,” American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, 2015, 92 pp.

6. Germain, T., “Automatisation et optimisation des techniques de mise en place du béton projeté,” MS thesis, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada, 2021, 107 pp.

7. Schaeffer, J., “Automatisation du procédé de béton projeté: Contrôle du rebond et vision numérique,” MS thesis, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada, 2022, 112 pp.

8. Monfort, M.; Kim, J.; Schaeffer, J.; Pastorelli, F.; Germain, T.; and Jolin, M., “Sprayed Concrete Automation: A Unique and Complete Digital Fabrication Method,” Digital Concrete 2024 - Supplementary Proceedings, D. Lowke, N. Freund, D. Böhler, and F. Herding, eds., 9 pp.

9. Pastorelli, F., “Automatisation du procédé de béton projeté: Robotisation et optimisation,” MS thesis, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada, 2021, 112 pp.

10. Jolin, M.; Beaupré, D.; and Mindess, S., “Test to Characterise Properties of Fresh Dry-Mix Shotcrete,” Cement and Concrete Research, V. 29, No. 5, May 1999, pp. 753-760. doi:10.1016/S0008-8846(99)00071-X.

11. Lemay, J.-D.; Jolin, M.; and Gagné, R., “Ultra Rapid Strength Development in Dry-Mix Shotcrete for Ultra Rapid Support in Challenging Mining Conditions,” Shotcrete, V. 16, No. 4, Fall 2014, pp. 14-19.

12. Laradh, A., “Mise en place, énergie et rebond dans le béton projeté,” MS thesis, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada, 2020, 106 pp.

13. Paquet, S., “Caractérisation du béton projeté par voie sèche: Une approche rhéologique et énergétique,” MS thesis, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada, 2021, 109 pp.

14. Dionne-Jacques, S.-I., “Le rebond en béton projeté par voie sèche: Influence de la rhéologie et de l’énergie sur le comportement de la surface réceptrice,” MS thesis, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada, 2024, 190 pp.

15. Kim, J.B.; Monfort, M.; and Jolin, M., “Shotcrete Placement – Report on Recent Research from Rheology to Robotics,” Shotcrete Convention & Technology Conference, Austin, TX, March 3, 2024




  

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