Sprayed Concrete

Structural repair and reinstatement at scale, delivered by trained applicators

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Service Overview

Sprayed concrete, also known as shotcrete, spray concrete or gunite, is a pneumatically applied concrete used to reinstate structural section, strengthen existing elements and repair large areas efficiently. Where hand-placed repair mortars become impractical due to scale, geometry or access, sprayed concrete is often the right technical and commercial answer.

CRS delivers sprayed concrete across the full range of applications used in the UK. Structural repair to bridges, retaining walls, tunnels and infrastructure. Concrete jacketing of columns and piers. Full-depth reinstatement of degraded or fire-damaged sections. Overlay of car park decks and industrial slabs. Face support in temporary and permanent applications. Both wet-mix and dry-mix processes are available depending on the specification, structure and access.

Materials are selected from approved system suppliers including Sika, Weber and Mapei, with sprayed concrete formulations designed for the application. Steel or synthetic fibre reinforcement is added where the design requires it. Bonding agents, primers and finishing systems are specified and applied to match the substrate condition and the intended service environment.

Sprayed concrete work is technique-sensitive. Nozzle distance, angle, application pressure and layer thickness all affect the finished quality. CRS operatives are trained to industry standards and the manufacturer’s system requirements, and every application is delivered to a written method statement with quality holds at agreed stages.

We work directly for asset owners, main contractors, consulting engineers and their representatives, across the UK.

What this service covers

Structural Repair & Reinstatement

Full-depth reinstatement of degraded, damaged or lost concrete section using sprayed structural repair mortars. Suitable for beams, columns, walls, soffits and vertical faces.

Concrete Jacketing

Sprayed concrete jacketing to columns, piers and walls where section enlargement is required for strengthening, confinement or protection. Reinforcement added and encased to engineer’s specification.

Bridge & Infrastructure Repair

Large-scale sprayed concrete repair to bridge soffits, abutments, retaining walls and tunnels. Delivered with appropriate access, traffic management and phasing arrangements.

Fire Damage Reinstatement

Reinstatement of concrete section lost to fire damage, including reinforcement replacement, spalled concrete removal, and sprayed reinstatement to restore load capacity and cover.

Deck & Slab Overlay

Sprayed concrete overlay to car park decks, industrial slabs and other horizontal surfaces where reinstatement or upgrade of the wearing surface is required.

Fibre-Reinforced Sprayed Concrete

Steel and synthetic fibre-reinforced formulations where crack control, tensile capacity or improved durability are required by the design. Suitable for tunnels, retaining structures and industrial applications.

Why choose Concrete Repair Solutions?

Technical depth

Sprayed concrete is a technique-sensitive process. Our operatives are trained to system supplier and industry standards, and every application is delivered against a written method statement with quality holds at agreed stages. Where design input is needed, our consultancy service supports the engineer directly.

Whole life of the structure

CRS surveys, repairs, protects and maintains. The same team that specifies and applies the sprayed concrete returns for future inspections and maintenance cycles. Clients get one point of accountability across the service life of the asset.

Accredited and approved

SafeContractor accredited, with a CSCS-carded workforce and SSSTS-qualified site supervision. IRATA Level 3 rope access operatives for sprayed concrete work at height. Independent external HSQE consultancy oversight of health, safety, quality and environmental management on every project.

Track record

Sprayed concrete delivered across bridges, retaining structures, car parks and infrastructure assets throughout the UK. Live projects viewable in the Projects section.

Our process

1. Survey & Diagnose

Structural inspection, defect mapping and coordination with the engineer’s design. We identify what is failing, why, and whether sprayed concrete is the right technical answer for the structure and the scope.

2. Specify & Cost

A written specification setting out the sprayed concrete mix, application methodology, reinforcement provision and finishing requirements. Costed against a defensible bill of quantities. Coordinated with the engineer’s design where required.

3. Mobilise & Deliver

Site setup, access provision (including rope access where relevant), material handling, equipment mobilisation and application delivery. Quality holds at agreed stages. Progress reported at agreed intervals.

4. Protect & Hand Over

Curing, finishing, protective treatments applied where specified, and a handover pack covering the works completed, materials used, and recommended future inspection cycles.

Frequently asked questions

These terms all refer to pneumatically applied concrete, but with subtle distinctions. Shotcrete is the general international term. Sprayed concrete is the standard UK usage. Gunite historically referred to the dry-mix process where water is added at the nozzle, while wet-mix is now more common. In practice, most UK specifications use the terms interchangeably, and the choice of wet-mix or dry-mix is a technical decision made against the application, access and mix design.

Sprayed concrete is typically the right answer where the area is large, the geometry is complex, the section thickness varies, or access limits the use of formwork. It is commonly specified for bridge soffits, retaining walls, tunnel linings, deep column repairs and full-depth reinstatement projects. For small, isolated defects or where a precise formed finish is required, hand-placed repair mortars often remain the better option.

Yes, when designed and installed correctly. Sprayed concrete used for structural applications is specified to achieve the same compressive strength, bond and durability as conventionally placed concrete. Fibre-reinforced formulations add tensile capacity and crack control where the design requires it. Structural sprayed concrete work is always delivered against an engineer’s design and to a defined quality standard.

Where the design requires it, yes. Sprayed concrete can incorporate steel reinforcement (bars or mesh), steel fibres or synthetic fibres depending on the structural function. For reinstatement of existing reinforced concrete, the original reinforcement is exposed, cleaned or replaced, and encased in the sprayed concrete. For strengthening applications, additional reinforcement is added and encased to the engineer’s specification.

Yes. CRS can be appointed as Principal Contractor on schemes where required, with full CDM 2015 compliance. On projects where a different Principal Contractor is appointed, we work as their specialist sub-contractor and provide the technical and safety documentation their role requires.

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