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

According 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 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.

International Pools & Shotcrete, Inc. using their newest Putzmeister TK 60 from Terry Equipment to pump and pour preferred shotcrete mix at 2-inch slump with 3500 PSI.

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 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 velocity to reach the desired density level,” says Padilla. “The Shotcrete we use is a wet-mix material that is delivered to each of our jobsites from our supplier, Superior Ready Mix. The material is great for pools due to its amazing bond strength and porousness.” Wet-mix Shotcrete is manufactured using Portland cement mixed with sand gravel, water and other chemical admixtures as required or specified. A compressed air gun is used to shoot the shotcrete onto the pool surface using a feeder hose and nozzle. The material is typically considered water-tight at between 4,000 and 8,000 psi. In addition to pools, shotcrete is also utilized for other construction purposes, including facing soil nail walls, lining ditches and channels, paving slopes, constructing or repairing warped sections, and several other structural elements.

A Superior Ready Mix Truck delivering shotcrete mix at one of International Pools and Shotcrete’s jobsites.

The proper application of shotcrete sounds relatively simple, but in reality, the process requires a highly experienced nozzle operator and a skilled crew. According to Padilla, not all shotcrete or concrete pumps are equal. “We have used Putzmeister pumps exclusively and were always very impressed with its production,” says Padilla. “We when started our company in 2018, we tried other brands and quite frankly were not at all impressed. We went with Putzmeister and now own three units, including our brand-new Putzmeister TK 60.”

The Putzmeister TK 60 HP Tier 4 Final is new for 2021 and has many great standard features. These include a hydraulic remixer/agitator, hopper vibrator and radio remote to control base level, engine speed and output volume. The trailer is tandem axle with surge brakes and a pintle hitch. The Putzmeister TK 60 was designed specifically for the shotcrete contractor and provides plenty of power. At 60 hp and with a 131 hp engine, the TK 60 offers a maximum output of 60 yd3/hr, with 1,450 psi maximum concrete pressure and 1.50” maximum aggregate size. Shotcrete contractors favor the unit because it can push low slump shotcrete mixes long distances with little loss of volume. “We use our Putzmeister Thom-Kat trailer pumps with 185 CFM air compressors, metal slipline pipe, and 100 to 150-feet of hose,” continues Padilla. “We love our Putzmeister trailer pumps, and our operators appreciate just how fast and smooth they operate compared to the competition. They are competitively priced, and the folks at Terry Equipment have always taken great care of us with parts and service available at a moment’s notice. Having a pump go down is never a good thing, and that is why we lean on the reliability of Putzmeister and Terry Equipment.”

International Pools & Shotcrete, Inc. performing shotcrete startup of a geometrical pool on Coronado Island.

Terry Equipment, Inc. has provided contractors and municipalities throughout the western states with construction equipment and services for over 30 years. In addition to Putzmeister, Terry Equipment is also the distributor for Gomaco, Midland Machinery, Wyco, Greystone, Global Sweepers, Multiquip, Concord Road Equipment, Miller Curber Co., Minnich Mfg, Bunyan Industries, Allen and many other brands of equipment, parts, and components. Terry Equipment recently became the new Super Products dealer for Northern California and Reno and the exclusive dealer for Trio-Vision for all of California and Nevada. The company is headquartered in Bloomington, with additional sales and service facilities in Sacramento and Las Vegas. For more information on Putzmeister or Terry Equipment’s many other brands, please visit www.terryequipment.com or call (800) 350-9230. Cc