International Pools & Shotcrete, Inc. Turns to Terry Equipment, Inc. for their Putzmeister Thom-Katt Trailer Pumps for Faster and Smoother Shotcrete Installations By Brian Hoover, Senior Editor
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ccording to the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP), there were approximately 10.4 million residential and 309,000 public swimming pools in the United States as of 2020. That number increases by around 1.5% annually for an industry that reached $1.1 billion in 2020. Installing an inground pool requires much planning and several separate stages and processes. These include procuring a construction permit, planning and designing, excavating, installing plumbing and electrical systems and of course, pouring or shooting the Shotcrete floors and walls. Most pool contractors will tell you that shotcrete is the critical ingredient in building a new pool shell. The
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Photos provided by International Pools & Shotcrete, Inc.
Shotcrete material provides a sturdy concrete structure that interlaces with rebar to create a high-quality, long-lasting pool. Shotcrete provides a higher PSI rating than Gunite and is typically much more durable than traditional poured concrete. Many pool contractors subcontract the shotcrete work on their pools to companies like International Pools and Shotcrete, Inc. out of Chula Vista. International Pools & Shotcrete is owned and operated by brothers Arturo and Eduardo Padilla and was officially established in 2018. Both brothers, however, learned the trade from their father and have been in the business their entire adult life. “I have been doing this work for as long as I can remember,” says Arturo Padilla (Padilla). Our
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dad taught us the trade back when we used Gunite, and now we use shotcrete exclusively. Unfortunately, he passed away a year ago, but we will always carry his lessons and legacy with us on every job we perform.” International Pools and Shotcrete performs Shotcrete installations on an average of 12 to 13 pools a week. They work primarily throughout San Diego county with two five-to-six-person, experienced, professional crews. According to Padilla, each pool build will utilize anywhere from 20 to 200 yards of shotcrete, with an average pool calling for around 38 cubic yards. “After everything is formed and all the plumbing is in place, we come in and shoot the shotcrete. The process is such that the shotcrete is sprayed at a high
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