Should Week Old Shotcrete look sandy?

[DCD]

Hi y’all. Our builders completed shotcrete on Tuesday. My concern - it’s a mess. Small loose rocks/sandy along the tops of the walls. Is this normal? Should I be concerned? The picture included is one example in the spa area. I appreciate the feedback!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

It looks fine. Are you keeping it watered?

After tile and mason's are done, the plaster crew will do a thorough cleanup job right before they shoot the plaster. Each sub prep's the shell in their own way so you can expect the tile and mason crews to do some surface cleanup and prep prior to their work.

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

Looks dry to me.

 

[Freddypop]

I don't see any issues. No need to be worried at this stage..

 

[DCD]

On a diligent watering schedule.

Thanks for the feedback. So loose pebbles are normal, nothing to worry about.

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

Yes loose pebbles are normal and the plaster crew typically is who throughly clean the shell prior to application.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The shell is structural not cosmetic. It’s 10 to 12” of high strength concrete encasing a rebar cage. It’s purpose is to contain all the forces from tens of thousands of pounds of water. The surface appearance of the concrete matters very little. Any unevenness in the surface or along bond beam will be corrected by the tile crew and masons by applying waterproofing barrier layers, thin-set adhesives behind the tiles, and bedding mortar when placing the coping. It will all be leveled out and made clean. Shotcrete can have a very variable looks to it’s surface finish ranging from smooth and sandy all the way to rough with visible aggregate. There can even be minor shrinkage cracks along the surfaces. It’s all part of the process and nothing to be concerned about.

 

[DCD]

The shell is structural not cosmetic. It’s 10 to 12” of high strength concrete encasing a rebar cage. It’s purpose is to contain all the forces from tens of thousands of pounds of water. The surface appearance of the concrete matters very little. Any unevenness in the surface or along bond beam will be corrected by the tile crew and masons by applying waterproofing barrier layers, thin-set adhesives behind the tiles, and bedding mortar when placing the coping. It will all be leveled out and made clean. Shotcrete can have a very variable looks to it’s surface finish ranging from smooth and sandy all the way to rough with visible aggregate. There can even be minor shrinkage cracks along the surfaces. It’s all part of the process and nothing to be concerned about.

Thank you joyfulnoise for all your feedback and educating this novice pool builder/owner.