Friday, July 20, 2012

Blowing in the Gunite

At our pool project, as promised last week, the re-bar caging was finished and inspected, and the project was ready for the pool shell to be formed.  This was my first up-close view of this part of the process, and it was fascinating!

The shell is created from Gunite, which is actually dry gunned concrete.  A mixture of cement and sand is mixed and transported to the site dry, then water and this concrete-sand material are mixed at the point of delivery, and blown under pressure onto the rebar frame.  As quickly as the forms are covered, workers come behind to "carve" the shape of the pool with trowels and other large bladed tools.  Take a look at the process.


You can see how quickly the former has to work before the Gunite material sets up.



This video shows the two processes happening simultaneously.  The "shaper" has string guides to outline the exact pool shape, and a level in his pocket which he uses frequently to insure that the pool walls aren't moving out of plumb.

Here are some views of the finished shell the next day.  You can see that we were lucky to get the shell done between rain showers.


I am loving the way this pool is shaping up!  Oh, and other good news...the rear wall is now good as new!

This has been a good news week.  I can't wait to see the surface of the pool start to take shape!

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