Sprayed concrete is one of the most versatile and durable construction techniques available today. Whether you’re reinforcing a tunnel wall, stabilising a slope, or creating a complex architectural feature, sprayed concrete delivers structural performance that traditional placement methods simply can’t match.
As specialist sprayed concrete contractors, we bring decades of hands-on expertise to every project from initial design through to final cure.
Sprayed concrete is also referred to as shotcrete or gunite and is a method of applying concrete pneumatically through a hose at high velocity onto a surface. Unlike conventionally poured concrete, it requires no formwork on the exposed face, making it ideal for complex shapes, vertical faces, and confined or restricted access areas.
The process binds the concrete directly to the substrate as it’s projected, creating an exceptionally dense, strong, and low-permeability layer. This makes it the preferred choice for ground support, slope stabilisation, swimming pools, tunnels, and structural repair.
There are two primary delivery methods used in the industry:
Wet mix (pre-mixed): Water is combined with cement, aggregates, and admixtures before pumping. This method provides consistent mix quality, lower dust, and reduced rebound making it well-suited to large-scale or high-output applications.
Dry mix (gunite): Dry materials are fed into the nozzle where water is introduced at the point of application. Dry mix offers greater flexibility on smaller jobs and where equipment access is limited.
Our sprayed concrete contractors are experienced in both methods and will recommend the right approach based on your ground conditions, volume requirements, and site constraints.
Sprayed concrete is also called shotcrete, gunite or sprayable cement depending on the sector and the mix method. The two delivery methods differ in where the water is introduced, and that single difference drives most of the specification decisions:
| Factor | Wet mix | Dry mix (gunite) |
|---|---|---|
| Water added | Batched with the mix before pumping | At the nozzle, at the point of application |
| Consistency | Controlled by batch, so quality is repeatable across large pours | Controlled by the nozzleman, so operator skill decides the outcome |
| Output rate | Higher, suits sustained production on large schemes | Lower, suits intermittent and smaller applications |
| Dust and rebound | Lower on both counts | Higher, which matters in confined or occupied environments |
| Access and set-up | Needs plant and batching logistics on site | More mobile, works in restricted-access locations |
| Typically specified for | Tunnel linings, shaft linings, large-scale stabilisation | Repairs, small or awkward areas, sites where plant cannot reach |
Neither method is better in the abstract. The right one follows the ground conditions, the access, the volume and the programme. We work with both and will advise on the method at design stage rather than after the scheme is priced.
Sprayed concrete is a critical material across a wide range of sectors. Its ability to conform to irregular surfaces and provide immediate structural support makes it indispensable in:
Sprayed concrete lining (SCL) is a sophisticated, design-led application of sprayed concrete most commonly associated with tunnelling. SCL involves the sequential excavation and immediate application of sprayed concrete typically reinforced with steel fibres, mesh, or lattice girders to form a structurally engineered lining system.
The SCL process generally follows these stages:
SCL is particularly well-suited to complex geometries junctions, cross-passages, enlarged headings where pre-cast concrete segments would be impractical or prohibitively expensive.
The quality of the finished lining depends heavily on the sprayed concrete lining equipment used. Modern SCL operations typically deploy:
Sprayed concrete is specified where the structure has to be self-supporting almost as soon as it is applied, often in live environments with no room for error. Fineturret has been delivering that work since 1975, for tier-one contractors and national infrastructure clients.
Farnworth Railway Tunnel is the clearest illustration of why the method gets chosen. In 2015 to 2016 we carried out reinforcement and shotcrete lining of an existing 370m, 8.00m internal diameter tunnel beneath the A666 dual carriageway, for J Murphy & Sons and United Utilities. The work had to fit around 10 weekend rail possessions, running double shifts with 90 skilled operatives on a 7-and-4 pattern. Poured concrete was not an option: there was no possession window long enough to erect formwork, pour and wait for strike strength before handing the line back. Sprayed concrete let excavation and lining proceed inside the same possession, in an open-faced drive.
Our wider project record includes Sellafield, where work is delivered to nuclear specification, and Hinkley Point C across onshore and offshore scope. We have also delivered tunnel and shaft works at Shieldhall Tunnel and Newark Tunnel for the BNM Alliance, alongside flood alleviation contracts for water authorities. You can see the full record on our recent projects page.
That matters when you are appointing a subcontractor. Sprayed concrete quality is decided by the crew holding the nozzle, and a contractor who has worked to nuclear specification on a live national infrastructure scheme brings a different standard of control than one who has not.
Sprayed concrete is a skilled trade. Poor application leads to rebound waste, inadequate cover, delamination, and structural deficiency. Selecting an experienced, accredited sprayed concrete contractor protects your project programme and your budget.
Our team holds relevant accreditations and has delivered sprayed concrete on projects ranging from single-structure repair schemes to major infrastructure programmes.
Farnworth Railway Tunnel. J Murphy & Sons for United Utilities, 2015 to 2016. Reinforcement and shotcrete lining of an existing tunnel: a 370m open faced drive at 8.00m internal diameter, running beneath the A666 dual carriageway, including construction of the launch and reception portals. Delivered across ten weekend rail possessions on double shifts, with 90 skilled operatives supplied to the project. See the project.
Newark Tunnel. BNM Alliance. Tunnel caulking, shotcrete works and pipe jacking. See the project.
We work as a specialist subcontractor to the main contractors delivering UK tunnelling and water infrastructure, including Costain and Vinci at Shieldhall Tunnel, and Balfour Beatty Marine at Hinkley Point C. More of our work is on our recent projects page.
A question we’re frequently asked is: what is sprayed on new concrete after it’s poured? Once fresh concrete is placed and finished, it is common to apply curing compounds a liquid membrane sprayed onto the surface immediately after finishing that seals in moisture and prevents premature drying. These appear as a white or colourless film and are the most common cause of the white residue people notice on freshly poured slabs.
If you’ve ever wondered what the white stuff sprayed on new concrete is, the answer is almost always a curing membrane and it’s entirely normal. This forms part of good concrete practice to protect early strength gain.
Sprayed concrete is unusually dependent on the contractor. The same specified mix can produce a dense, durable lining or a delaminating one depending on application. Five things are worth confirming before you appoint:
Health and safety sits above all of it. It is paramount on every scheme we deliver, and on the kind of confined, live-environment work sprayed concrete is specified for, it is not negotiable.
Sprayed concrete rarely arrives on its own. It usually sits alongside tunnelling, shaft sinking, pipe jacking and civil engineering scope, and we can resource the whole package with our own specialist labour rather than subcontracting it on. For the full technical detail on tunnel applications, see our guide to sprayed concrete lining (SCL).
We work across the UK on civil engineering, infrastructure, and specialist building projects. If you have a project requiring sprayed concrete, shotcrete, or SCL expertise, our team is ready to advise from feasibility through to completion.
Contact us today for a project discussion or competitive quotation.
Sprayed concrete (also called shotcrete or gunite) is a construction method in which concrete is pneumatically projected through a nozzle at high velocity onto a prepared surface. It forms a dense, strong layer without traditional formwork on the receiving face, making it ideal for tunnels, slopes, pools, and structural repair.
The terms are interchangeable. Shotcrete is more commonly used in North America and Australia, while sprayed concrete is the preferred term in the UK and European standards. Both refer to pneumatically applied concrete in either wet or dry mix form.
The white substance commonly seen on freshly poured concrete is a curing compound a membrane-forming liquid sprayed onto the surface immediately after finishing. It seals in moisture to support hydration and early strength development.
Sprayed concrete typically achieves compressive strengths of 25–50 MPa at 28 days. With accelerator admixtures, early strengths of 1–2 MPa can be achieved within minutes a critical property for ground support applications.
Sprayed concrete is inherently low permeability due to its dense microstructure. For fully waterproof applications, additional admixtures or secondary waterproofing membranes are specified.
The cost varies depending on volume, mix design, site access, application method, and reinforcement requirements. Contact our team for a project-specific quotation.
Nozzleman competence is the single biggest factor, because application technique decides density, rebound and reinforcement cover. Beyond that, check prequalification accreditations, evidence of delivery under the same specification regime you are working to, and whether the contractor can resource your scheme alongside their existing commitments.
Yes. We deliver civil engineering, concrete remedial works and resin injection to nuclear specification, including work at Sellafield and at Hinkley Point C across onshore and offshore scope.
Yes. We deliver civil engineering, concrete remedial works and resin injection to nuclear specification, including work at Sellafield and at Hinkley Point C across onshore and offshore scope.
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