This article prepares clients for a major milestone in their swimming pool construction: shotcrete. It explains what shotcrete is, why it’s critical to the pool’s structural strength, and what to expect on shotcrete day — from concrete trucks and pumps to noise, dust, and site protection measures.
Before We Shoot Concrete
With excavation, forming, and steel reinforcement complete — and after passing all required pre-concrete inspections — your project reaches its most critical stage: shotcrete. Before any concrete is applied, the following inspections must be approved by the municipality:
- Pool bonding inspection
- Pre-concrete plumbing inspection
- Soil certification
- Steel reinforcement inspection
Once these are complete, your pool is ready for shotcrete.
Shotcrete day is when your pool goes from a cage of steel to a solid, permanent structure. It’s intense, but also one of the most exciting milestones in your pool’s journey.
What Shotcrete Is — and Why It Matters
Shotcrete is concrete pneumatically projected at high velocity through a hose and nozzle onto the steel cage. The impact compacts the material, producing a dense, high-strength structural shell.
There are two primary types:
- Dry-mix (Gunite): Dry sand/cement mix delivered to the nozzle, with water added at the point of application. This allows the nozzleman to control consistency.
- Wet-mix (Shotcrete): Pre-mixed concrete delivered wet from the truck and sprayed through the hose.
Both methods produce excellent results. At AQUAVIX, we typically use gunite (dry-mix), but we sometimes specify wet-mix shotcrete when groundwater is present and water-control techniques are needed.
Please keep parking available, and let neighbors know trucks will be there all day.
Why Shotcrete Day Is So Important
Shotcrete application is perhaps the most intense single day of the pool construction process. It’s noisy, messy, heavy construction — and it demands precision. A good shotcrete shell depends on:
- Proper nozzle technique and consistent material mix
- Adequate thickness around steel reinforcement
- Careful shaping of steps, benches, and spa walls
- Control of rebound and overspray
- Continuous quality checks during the pour
Our crews are trained to meet strict standards to ensure strength, durability, and finish quality.
What to Expect on Shotcrete Day
Here’s what clients should know and prepare for:
- Trucks & pumps: Typically 2 large concrete trucks will park in front of your property. Pumps will send material through heavy hoses into the pool cage. Please keep parking available, and let neighbors know trucks will be there all day.
- Noise & dust: The process is loud and dusty. Our crews wear protective gear and masks. For safety, clients, children, and pets must remain indoors. Only AQUAVIX personnel are allowed in the work area.
- Site protection: We install plastic sheets around the pool to shield walls, windows, and landscaping from overspray. Windows and doors may also be directly covered. Protection is removed once the job is complete.
- Street care: We cover portions of the street near the trucks to prevent spills and wash down the pavement at the end of the operation.
- Water supply: We’ll need access to a hose bibb with adequate pressure to supply the pumps. If the pressure is too low, we’ll discuss alternatives before the day of the shoot.
Timeline
- Duration: Most pools are shot in a single day. Large projects or weather delays may occasionally require us to finish the following day.
- Curing care: Concrete strength develops over time. For the first several days after placement, we return daily to water the pool shell, keeping it moist to promote proper curing. This step is critical to prevent cracks and ensure long-term durability.
- Frame removal: Wood frames are typically stripped away within 3–5 days of the shoot.
Once the wood frame is removed, we’ll move on to a partial backfill around the concrete shell, which prepares the site for underground perimeter plumbing. This step sets the stage for routing pipes, drains, and other essential systems before we complete the backfill. We describe this process — and what you can expect — in a separate blog article.