Rockwork by ROCKARTuk

A brief history into ROCKARTuk's preferred product for the construction of Artificial Rock. Shotcrete, then known as gunite, was invented in the early 1900s by American taxidermist Carl Akeley, used to fill plaster model of animals. He used the method of blowing dry material out of a hose with compressed air, injecting water at the nozzle as it was released. This was later used to patch weak parts in old buildings. In 1911, he was granted a patent for his inventions, the "cement gun", the equipment used, and "gunite", the material that was produced. Until the 1950s when the wet-mix process was devised, only the dry-mix process was used. In the 1960s, the alternative method for gunning by the dry method was devised with the development of the rotary gun, with an open hopper that could be fed continuously. Shotcrete is also a viable means and method for placing structural concrete. The nozzleman is the person controlling the nozzle that delivers the concrete to the surface. The nozzle is controlled by hand on small jobs, for example the construction of small swimming pools. On larger work the nozzle can sometimes be held by mechanical arms where the nozzleman controls the operation by a hand-held remote control.

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