A Century of Shotcrete Solutions

Allentown Shotcrete Technology, Inc. is celebrating its 100th anniversary in the sprayed concrete industry.

In the early 1900s, Allentown’s pioneering technology was first developed for taxidermy purposes when its originator Carl Akeley, a famous hunter and professor, devised a method for spraying plaster onto a wire frame. The outcome was a strong, thick plaster coating that didn’t slump from the frame or set before being fully placed.

The equipment was subsequently used to patch deteriorated concrete using a dry mixture of sand and cement. The results were excellent, and patents and trade names were applied for in 1910 for the new “Cement Gun” and the “Gunite” material it produced.

Forty years later, a new process was developed involving the use of pressure tanks to force stiff mortar through a hose. This new wet-process became known as shotcrete - and the rest is history.

“In this day and age, very few companies are able to succeed in business for 100 years,” says Patrick Bridger, president of Allentown. “We are very proud of our longevity, and see it as a testament to our reputation for quality, and the value we have brought our customers for a century.”

Since the 1950s, the Allentown name has been synonymous with the process of spraying mortar at high velocity onto surfaces in the refractory, underground, mortar and civil industries. The equipment line has expanded to include a wide range of Gunning Machines, Pre-dampeners, Dosing Pumps, Pumps, Combination Mixer-Pumps, Mixers, Chemical Additive Pumps, Nozzle Carriers, Mortar Machines, Concreting Machines and parts and accessories.

Throughout the years, Allentown has experienced numerous milestones, which have strengthened its position in the market:

• 1900s - Carl Akeley develops method for spraying plaster onto wire frames.
• 1910 - First Cement Gun introduced at New York Concrete Show.
• 1911 - Patents and trademarks issued for the Cement Gun and its Gunite process.
• 1950s - Wet-process shotcrete application developed.
• 1960s - Dry-process rotary gun developed.
• 1970s - Swing-tube technology used on wet-process shotcrete equipment, making application and use more practical.
• 2007 - Company acquired by Putzmeister America, Inc., resulting in most comprehensive line of sprayed concrete equipment. Name changed from Allentown Equipment to Allentown Shotcrete Technology, Inc.
• 2008 - Allentown becomes exclusive United States distributor of the Sika/Aliva family of wet- and dry-process shotcrete equipment.
• 2009 - Putzmeister America’s Special Application Business forms partnership between Allentown, Esser Pipe Technology and Maxon Industries, Inc., creating a comprehensive systems approach for tunnel and mining, dam and power generation, transportation, marine and off shore projects. MacLean Engineering, in partnership with Allentown, develops new self-contained shotcrete spraying machine.
• 2010 - Allentown Celebrates 100^th Anniversary.

Allentown Shotcrete Technology: the only name you need to know for shotcrete.