Shotcrete nozzle assembly

A shotcrete nozzle assembly comprising:

• a tubular body having an open inlet body end, an open outlet body end and a body sidewall defining a central passageway extending between the inlet and outlet body ends along a longitudinal passageway axis centrally positioned in the central passageway, the body sidewall having an inner face facing inwardly towards the central passageway, the inlet body end being operatively connectable to a concrete source for providing dry concrete ingredients into the central passageway, the tubular body including:
• a concrete wetting section extending from the inlet body end towards the outlet body end, the concrete wetting section including:
• a water inlet defined in the body sidewall, the water inlet being operatively connectable to a water source, the water inlet being in fluid communication with the central passageway to allow water to be dispensed from the water source into the central passageway to mix the dry concrete ingredients passing in the central passageway with water to form fresh concrete;
• a plurality of water dispensing bores extending through the body sidewall between the water inlet and the central passageway to allow the water to be dispensed into the central passageway, each water dispensing bore defining an outlet opening in the inner face of the body sidewall, each water dispensing bore extending along a central bore axis, the plurality of water dispensing bores including:
• a first set of water dispensing bores positioned such that the outlet openings thereof are spaced apart from each other and are disposed in a first bore opening transversal plane extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal passageway axis, the first set of water dispensing bores being oriented such that the central bore axes of at least a portion of the first set of water dispensing bores extend in a non-radial direction relative to the longitudinal passageway axis;
• and
• a second set of water dispensing bores positioned such that the outlet openings thereof are spaced apart from each other and are disposed in a second bore opening transversal plane spaced longitudinally from the first bore opening transversal plane and towards the outlet body end, the second set of water dispensing bores being oriented such that the central bore axes of at least a portion of the second set of water dispensing bores extend in a non-radial direction relative to the longitudinal passageway axis, and such that an orthogonal projection of the central bore axes of the first set of water dispensing bores onto one of the first and second bore opening transversal planes forms a plurality of first projected central bore axes and an orthogonal projection of the central bore axes of the second set of water dispensing bores onto the one of the first and second bore opening transversal planes forms a second plurality of projected central bore axes which intersect the first projected central bore axes at a first non-zero angle;
• and
• a stream controlling section extending from the concrete wetting section to the outlet body end, the stream controlling section including at least one helicoidal conduit defined within the body sidewall, each helicoidal conduit extending helicoidally around the central conduit between an air inlet end and an air outlet end coinciding with the outlet body end, the air inlet end being operatively connectable to a pressurized air source to force air through the helicoidal conduit, the helicoidal conduit being twisted around the central passageway to guide the pressurized air exiting through the air outlet end in an helicoidal airflow extending out from the outlet body end and twisting around the stream of fresh concrete exiting the outlet body end to thereby accelerate a plurality of fresh concrete particles located in an outer layer of the stream of fresh concrete.

A shotcrete nozzle assembly comprising:

• a tubular body having an open inlet body end, an open outlet body end and a body sidewall defining a central passageway extending between the inlet and outlet body ends along a longitudinal passageway axis centrally positioned in the central passageway, the body sidewall having an inner face facing inwardly towards the central passageway, the inlet body end being operatively connectable to a concrete source for providing dry concrete ingredients into the central passageway, the tubular body including:
• a water inlet defined in the body sidewall, the water inlet being operatively connectable to a water source, the water inlet being in fluid communication with the central passageway to allow water to be dispensed from the water source into the central passageway to mix the dry concrete ingredients passing in the central passageway with water to form fresh concrete;
• and
• a plurality of water dispensing bores extending through the body sidewall between the water inlet and the central passageway to allow the water to be dispensed into the central passageway, each water dispensing bore defining an outlet opening in the inner face of the body sidewall, each water dispensing bore extending along a central bore axis, the plurality of water dispensing bores including:
• a first set of water dispensing bores positioned such that the outlet openings thereof are spaced apart from each other and are disposed in a first bore opening transversal plane extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal passageway axis, the first set of water dispensing bores being oriented such that the central bore axes of at least a portion of the first set of water dispensing bores extend in a non-radial direction relative to the longitudinal passageway axis;
• and
• a second set of water dispensing bores positioned such that the outlet openings thereof are spaced apart from each other and are disposed in a second bore opening transversal plane spaced longitudinally from the first bore opening transversal plane and towards the outlet body end, the second set of water dispensing bores being oriented such that the central bore axes of at least a portion of the second set of water dispensing bores extend in a non-radial direction relative to the longitudinal passageway axis, and such that an orthogonal projection of the central bore axes of the first set of water dispensing bores onto one of the first and second bore opening transversal planes forms a plurality of first projected central bore axes and an orthogonal projection of the central bore axes of the second set of water dispensing bores onto the one of the first and second bore opening transversal planes forms a second plurality of projected central bore axes which intersect the first projected central bore axes at a first non-zero angle;
• and
• a plurality of annular grooves defined in the inner face of the body sidewall and extending circumferentially around the central passageway, each annular groove extending in a corresponding bore opening transversal plane such that the outlet openings of the corresponding set of water dispensing bores disposed in the corresponding bore opening transversal plane are defined in the annular groove.