Shot Blasting Is Best for These Projects

Shot blasting is a concrete preparation method that uses metal beads “shot” out of a machine against a surface to “blast” away the top layer.

It’s powerful, efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly. Plus, equipment variations make it useful for projects of all shapes and sizes.

Shot blasting can be utilized in many different ways, whether it’s for cleanup, safety improvements, preparation for coatings, or much more!

Here’s a beginner’s guide to shot blasting and the projects it works best for.

First off, how does shot blasting work?

Shot blasting machines work by spinning metal beads through a centrifugal wheel, which shoots them out at the concrete surface.

The metal beads bounce off the concrete, chipping away at the surface until they turn to dust, which is collected through a vacuum into a dust collector.

Shot blasting project applications

Generally, shot blasting is used in the construction industry, for a variety of projects. However, they all have one thing in common, they need to remove the top layer of concrete or an existing coating.

Though this one trait is shared, the end goals can be very different. Some projects only need shot blasting to “clean” the concrete, getting rid of epoxy coatings and stains, and some require complete resurfacing.

Shot blasting to clean concrete

As mentioned before, shot blasting is great for cleaning concrete. The high velocity of the metal beads allows shot blasting machines to work much more effectively than other methods.

Chipping away at the top layer of concrete gets rid of stuck-on contaminants such as oil, grease, paint, or coatings that couldn’t be scraped off.

Shot blasting for roads and sidewalks

Concrete surfaces may need to be resurfaced due to wear and tear, reduced grip, or other forms of damage.

Roads and sidewalks often require shot blasting to restore their texture to allow for proper drainage, grip, and other specifications.

Shot blasting allows this to happen without having to rip up the entire surface and pave it again.

Shot blasting for bridge construction and repair

Shot blasting is also a very common resurfacing technique for bridge construction and repair.

It’s cost-effective and saves municipalities both time and money, as lanes don’t have to be closed for as long as other techniques.

Shot blasting is chosen for these settings because bridges often have concrete as their paving material, with epoxy coatings for increased weather durability.

Shot blasting is a fast and effective method for preparing the concrete for these coatings, as they provide extra grip and better adhesion.

Shot blasting for parking garage surfaces

Similar to bridges, parking garages are usually paved with concrete. They also have epoxy coatings on them to provide extra durability and grip.

Shot blasting is great for these surfaces, as it creates a clean, grippy work area for epoxy coatings to be applied onto.

Just like how they create grip for foot traffic and vehicles on roads and bridges, the metal beads carve “dimples” that make epoxy installations safer and more effective.

These “dimples” create a rougher texture with more surface area for the coatings to stick to.

This means there will be less chance that the epoxy coating will wear down sooner than it should, avoiding expensive repairs in the future.

Shot blasting for warehouse and factory flooring

Warehouse and factory floors need to be as safe as possible, to keep productivity and vigilance at a high level at all times.

Like with parking garage floors, many of these surfaces require epoxy coatings to make them even safer for grip or sealing purposes.

Shot blasting is a great way to prepare these floors for epoxy coatings, or simply to clean them from years of wear and tear.

Since it’s non-toxic, only using metal beads instead of harsh chemicals or materials, shot blasting is extra advantageous in these environments where cleanliness is even more important.

Additionally, warehouses and factories may have fixed structures that can’t be moved to clean the floor around them. Shot blasting machines come in both ride-on and walk-behind models, so it’ll be easy to reach all sorts of nooks and crannies.

How a Multi-Purpose Chassis Makes Shot Blasting Easier

As we mentioned, shot blasting is a very versatile industrial process. It’s great for a wide variety of projects, from large to small.

Whether you require riding on the machine for wide-open spaces with a lot of surface area, or need to get under conveyor belts, shelves, or into small corridors, there’s a piece of equipment for you.

For ride-on machines, a multi-purpose chassis makes this all much easier. Since shot blasting is often followed by other processes like scarifying or grinding, it’s a huge time-saver when you can switch out your equipment on-site.

We are the only manufacturer with an all-in-one interchangeable chassis for your concrete surface preparation needs.

You’ll be shocked at how effortless it is to switch between shot blasting, scarifying, and diamond grinding, saving you time and energy.

You’ll no longer have to wait for additional equipment to be delivered, since you’ll have one machine that can handle it all.

With our Multi-Purpose Chassis, your business will finally have the power to execute tasks with multiple capabilities faster, and with great results.

Project management will become streamlined since you’ll be able to switch between shot blasting, diamond grinding, and scarification operations without bringing in new machines.

Your maintenance and repair costs will also be reduced, now that you’ll only need to maintain a single chassis, rather than multiple machines.

By saving you precious time and money, and improving your performance capabilities, BW Manufacturing’s equipment will empower you to bid for more jobs.

Want to learn more about our Multi-Purpose Chassis? Click the link and see how you could be doing your job better than ever before.

Conclusion

Shot blasting is a cost effective, safe, and versatile way to clean and resurface concrete.

Whether it’s to simply clean a surface, provide grip for vehicles on bridges, or prepare flooring for epoxy coatings, shot blasting will help you get the job done right.

It’s non-toxic, can be carried out in a plethora of worksite settings, and there’s plenty of equipment available to suit your project needs.

Additionally, our multi-purpose chassis will make your ride-on concrete preparation methods much more cohesive, and will empower you to switch between jobs like it’s nothing.

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