Case Study: A Facelift on Alcatraz Island

Words: Dan Kamys

May 2013

Case Study: Rehabs and Restorations

Case Study: A Facelift on Alcatraz Island

QUIKRETE Cos. recently supplied shotcrete in 3,000-pound bulk bags for a restoration project on Alcatraz Island, also known as “The Rock.”

The QUIKRETE Cos. recently supplied shotcrete in 3,000-pound bulk bags for a restoration project on Alcatraz Island, also known as “The Rock.”

Boulderscape, a design architect specializing in shotcrete application, used QUIKRETE Shotcrete MS – Fiber Reinforced and QUIKRETE Shotcrete MS to successfully repair and stabilize a failing slope on the 22-acre island.

In addition to facing dangerous application conditions, a condensed six-week shotcrete schedule was required to avoid disruptions to regular tour operations, while considering the habitat and migration patterns of local sea birds. “Navigating a variety of unique factors made this a very fulfilling project for everyone,” says Steve Jimenez, senior VP commercial sales for Boulderscape. “We couldn’t start until the indigenous birds migrated from the island in November, and we had to complete our portion of the work before the birds returned in February. “This meant everything had to be expedited, starting with the delivery of material,” he continues. “Beyond the challenging schedule, the application process was full of danger. The nozzlemen had to be hoisted more than 60 feet in lifts to spray-apply the shotcrete before sculptors repelled down the cliff to shape the material. The end result was a structurally sound slope that matched the surrounding environment.” In one weekend, 131 bulk bags of Shotcrete MS – Fiber Reinforced and 126 bulk bags of Shotcrete MS were delivered to Alcatraz Island for the project. QUIKRETE delivered16 truckloads of material to Pier 50 in San Francisco that were later shipped on two barges to Pier 33 on Alcatraz Island. It was offloaded at night by crane, one-by-one, before finally being transported to the jobsite on trailers pulled by four-wheel, all-terrain vehicles. Shotcrete MS – Fiber Reinforced is a single-component Micro Silica enhanced repair and restoration material that achieves more than 9,000 PSI at 28 days, and features very low rebound and permeability characteristics.
For more information on QUIKRETE and its products, visit www.quikrete.com, like it on Facebook and follow it on Twitter @QUIKRETE.
Return to Table of Contents
The Enduring Power of Structural Masonry
July 2025

Masonry has been holding its ground for millennia — literally. And thanks to the simple brilliance of arching action, it continues to do so with strength, style, and surprising efficiency. In an era of advanced modeling and fast-moving schedules, one time

Shayne Sanders
Read More
Outreach Outlook: Momentum in Motion
July 2025

As we move into the heart of summer, the masonry industry continues to thrive—fueled by innovation, partnership, and a growing commitment to excellence in education and workforce advancement. June has been a remarkable month, marked by events that not onl

Conner Birdsong
Read More
Building More: Slow, Fast, or Consistent. What is Tempo?
July 2025

It was a drizzly midweek day when I rolled up to the project we were working on just outside of town. The foreman paced the scaffolding, rain hood half-zipped, barking at two laborers who were sprinting bricks like they were late for a flight. Forty feet

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Belém Tower
July 2025

The Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, stands as a testament to stone construction's enduring artistry and technical prowess. Erected between 1514 and 1519, this iconic structure served as a defensive bastion at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremon

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More