Shotcrete mix design is divided into wet mix and gunite to dry mix.

The bulk density of wet sprayed concrete can be 2200-2300 kg/m 3, The weight ratio of cement to
sandstone is preferably 1. 0: 3. 5 to 1. 0: 4. 0, the water-cement ratio is preferably 0.42 to 0.50, and
the sand ratio is preferably 50% to 60%. After the mixture for wet spraying is mixed, the slump
should be measured, and the slump should be 8 to 12 cm.

Raw Materials
1. Cement

Portland cement or ordinary Portland cement should be preferred.

2. Aggregate

The coarse aggregate should be made of hard and durable gravel or pebbles. The particle size
should not be more than 16mm, the aggregate grade should be continuous grading, the fine
aggregate should be hard and durable medium sand or coarse sand, the fineness modulus should
be greater than 2. 5, the water content should be controlled at 5% ~ 7 %.

3. Accelerator

The appropriate accelerator should be selected according to the cement type, water-cement
ratio, etc., and the initial setting should not exceed 5 minutes, and the final setting should not
exceed 10 minutes.

4. Water

Concrete water should meet the relevant standards for engineering water, and water should not
contain harmful substances that affect the normal condensation and hardening of cement. Do
not use sewage and acid water with a pH less than 4 and the amount of sulphate. This ratio is
based on domestic water.
Shotcrete mix design
The parameters include cement dosage, gray bone ratio, sand ratio, water-cement ratio, and
slump.

Cement dosage

The amount of cement used to control the amount of cement should be controlled at 400 ~
450kg / m3. If the amount of cement is too small, the amount of rebound is large, and the initial
strength increases slowly. When the amount of cement increases, the strength of shotcrete will
increase and the rebound will decrease.

Gray to bone ratio

The ratio of cement to aggregate should be different according to the construction process.
When dry spraying is adopted, the weight ratio of cement to sand and stone should be 1:4 -1:4.5.
When wet spraying is applied, the weight ratio of cement to sand and stone should be
1:3.5~1:4.0.

Sand ratio

The sand rate should be controlled at 50% to 60%. The practice has proved that the sand rate
affects both the construction performance of the shotcrete and its mechanical properties. When
the sand rate is lower than 50%, the rebound rate is high, the pipeline should be blocked, and
the strength of the shotcrete is highly discrete. When the sand ratio is too large, higher than
60%, the strength of the shotcrete is reduced due to insufficient coarse aggregate.

Water to cement ratio

The ratio of the water-cement ratio of the wet-spraying construction is from 0.42 to 0.50. The
size of the water-cement ratio affects the rebound rate and strength of the shotcrete. If the
water-cement ratio is too large, the rebound rate can be reduced, but the strength is reduced;
the water-cement ratio is too small, although the strength is high, the rebound rate is also
increased.

Slump

The slump is an important indicator for evaluating concrete fluidity, cohesiveness and water
retention. When wet spraying is applied, the slump is 8 to 12 cm. Practice has proved that the
slump has the lowest rebound rate of shotcrete in this range.

Spray concrete mix design method

The shotcrete mix design should include the conventional mix design and shotcrete field test
spray, adjustment two parts. The former part is based on the requirements of shotcrete, and the
reference ratio is proposed according to the conventional mix design of concrete. The latter part
is based on the reference ratio and adjusts, verifies and determines the mix ratio on site. The two
steps complement each other and are indispensable.
Grades of Concrete Ratios of Concrete mix design (Cement: Sand: Aggregate)

M5 1:5:10

M7.5 1:4:8

M10 1:3:6

M15 1:2:4

M20 1:1.5:3

M25 1:1:2

M30 1:0.75:1.5

M35 1:0.5:1

M40 1:0.25:0.5
 The following materials used in shotcrete

• Cement
• Sand
• Coarse Aggregates
• Water
• Chemical additives
• Compressed Air

the following additives can also be used:

 Superplasticizer @ 1 % by weight of cement

 Accelerator (say sodium Silicate) @ 5 % by weight of cement

Materials Quantity

Cement 450 kg/m³

Sand 1100 kg/m³ (0.70 m³)

Coarse aggregate (5 mm – 10 mm size) 500 Kg/M³ (0.30 M³)

Proportion by weight 1:2.44:1.11

Shotcrete Mix Design

The following grades of concrete and ratios of concrete mix design used in shotcrete:

Grades of Concrete Ratios of Concrete mix design

(Cement: Sand: Aggregate)

M5 1:5:10

M7.5 1:4:8

M10 1:3:6

M15 1:2:4

M20 1:1.5:3
 M25 1:1:2

M30 1:0.75:1.5

M35 1:0.5:1

M40 1:0.25:0.5

Sand, Crush
Cement Fibers, if any

Accelerator,
Mixer
if any

Feeder or Manual Feed

Compressor Shotcrete Machine Nozzle

Hose Pipe

Water Pump
 Figure 1 Dry Mix Method

Cement Sand, Crush Water Fibers, if any

Mixer

Feeder or Manual Feed

Air Compressor Feeding Unit Hose Pipe Nozzle

Accelerator Accelerator dosing Unit

Wet Shotcrete Machine

Figure 2 Wet Mix Method