Alchatek Blog

Continuing with our tradition of hiring the most technically adept professionals in the industry, we're proud to announce the arrival of Tony Alfano as Regional Geotech Lead - Northeast. As a project engineer, Tony Alfano been very effective in a variety of industries including soil improvement, infrastructure/environmental remediation, renewable energy, small business consulting, co-generation, manufacturing and biomedical. Tony joins Alchemy-Spetec as an experienced ground improvement project engineer. Tony also has professional experience in installations of commercial and residential solar electric systems, and solar hot water systems, as a senior project engineer.

Tony began his career as a mechanical engineer for Ingersoll Rand, Inc. and managed installation projects for their Northeast territory. Tony’s background with highly technical RFQ and RFP response will help provide quick turnaround on project bids with the details required to ensure successful project completion. Tony holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, is OSHA 10 Certified, OSHA Confined Space Entry, SWAC Card Holder, a TWIC Card holder, and is MTA NYC Track Safety Certified.

An avid outdoorsman, Tony gives back to the Engineering Community by spearheading STEM outreach programs, contributing best practices to the coastal, ports, oceans, and river engineering community, and by serving as Chair of the North Jersey ASCE COPRI Institute. Jim Spiegel, VP Sales and Business Development, adds, "Tony's technical knowledge of, and experience in, geotechnical grouting will provide immense value to our own team as well as customers.  We're excited to add such a strong team member to our Geotech Division and are looking forward to not only working with, but also learning from Tony."

Tony will be covering the following states: PA, WV, MD, DE, NJ, NY, VT, NH, ME, MA, CT, RI, DC

He can be reached at 917-588-0832 or talfano@alchemy-spetec.com.

World of Concrete 2020 is scheduled for February 4th - 7th, 2020 in Las Vegas, NV.  Alchemy-Spetec will feature the Leak Seal Division & Product Line in the South Hall at location S11307 and the Geotech Division & Product Line in the Silver Lots at location O40551.

Leak Seal Division Booth - South Hall

The Leak Seal booth features a presentation/demo stage with comfortable chairs for audience members and a separate meeting area for in-depth discussions with knowledgeable experts.  Look for the following educational activities:

• Polyurethane Leak Seal Overview Presentation
• Crack Injection Demos
• Crack Injection Presentations
• Curtain Grouting Demos
• Curtain Grouting Presentations
• Polyurethane Product Mixing Demos
• Acrylic Grout Presentation & Demo

Geotech Division Booth - Silver Lots

The Geotech exhhibit area features a fully equipped 20-foot lifting rig, a Polybadger compact slab lifting system, and a row of concrete slabs for live lifting.  Look for the following educational activities:

• Slab Lifting Demos
• Lifting Foam Product Mixing Demos
• MixMaster Gun Cleaning Demos
• Fully Equipped Rig Tours
• Polybadger Demos

Respecting YOUR time is important to us.  So, in addition to the action-packed lists above, you can schedule a one-on-one consultation with your regional rep for personalized product or equipment demos, tips and advice on building your business, etc.

Want a personlized one-on-one meeting at World of Concrete? 

Alchemy-Spetec Seeks Field and Phone Support Technician

We are a manufacturer of geotechnical soil and concrete repair foam and we use the same equipment to lift concrete slabs as you have been using to spray foam insulation. 

General Duties:

• Conduct hands-on in-field training of contractors and participate in evaluation of potential projects.
• Perform slab lifting and void fill projects.
• Manage customer service activities and support the technical sales team at Alchemy by becoming an internal expert on the company’s products, applications and customers with the goal of being able to answer most general and technical incoming questions from customers, prospects, and engineers.
  More specifically:

• Answer incoming calls and respond to website inquiries
• Coordinate customer orders and related documentation
• Be a proactive and hands-on learner about Alchemy’s products, customers, partners and processes so that candidate can properly and independently respond to questions in a timely manner.

• Develop positive working relationship with all parties by properly representing the company.
• Participate in other marketing related activities such as trade shows and industry events for the purpose of furthering company’s profile in the industry.
• Other activities and duties may be assigned. 

Are You Right for This Job?

1. Are you mechanically inclined and detail oriented?
2. Do you have an entrepreneurial personality?
3. Do you thrive on producing professional results?
4. Are you comfortable with a casual dress code?
5. Do you like occasional travel?

Are We Right for You?

1. We maintain a laser-like focus on serving our customers.
2. We care more about the results you achieve than how you achieve them.
3. We enjoy our work and we work hard.
4. We are a small team doing big business on a global scale.

Overview:

Alchemy-Spetec is headquartered in Tucker, GA outside of Atlanta. We manufacture polyurethane grouting technologies for the construction and engineering industries. As part of our growth both domestically and internationally we have a need to bring on an additional support technician.

This customer support position represents an excellent opportunity for a career-minded, technically oriented individual who is an outgoing self-starter, enjoys multi-tasking and wants to deliver results with accountability in an entrepreneurial environment.  This role is a career development position best suited for savvy candidates who are interested in professional growth with a growing company.

General Requirements:

• At least 5 years of experience with technical industrial products is a must - reference industries include spray foam application, general construction, materials, engineering or automotive.

• Ability to easily interface with technically oriented people at all levels of a company, domestically and internationally.

• Friendly, outgoing personality that must be able and comfortable to work independently in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment and maintain a can-do attitude.

• Possess a strong focus on customer service and teamwork.

• Solid written and verbal English communications
• Flexibility to travel (up to 50%) as well as work on some weekends when needed

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Applications.

• Other key skills: quick study, thoroughness/attention to detail, deadline-oriented, ability to resolve problems and find creative solutions.

Competitive compensation and benefits available based on relevant professional experience.  

Application Instructions:

Please contact Jim Spiegel via LinkedIn and/or email him at jspiegel@alchemy-spetec.com for job descriptions or questions. 

A Microfine Cement from Alchemy-Spetec

AP Microfine 10 is a blast furnace slag ultrafine cement intended for use in specialty grouting applications. With a D95 particle size of ten microns and a D50 particle size of three microns, this microfine cement is able to penetrate very small openings such as soil pores and microscopic rock fissures in order to improve strength and reduce permeability.

Advantages

• Excellent permeability.
• Environmentally friendly.
• Long-term durability.
• Highly adaptable.
• Brine tolerant.
• Highly predictable.

Applications

• Pre and post-excavation grouting.
• Water cut-off grouting.
• Dam and embankment grouting.
• Foundation stabilization, new and existing.
• Soil consolidation.
• Oil and gas well remediation.
• Hazardous waste containment grouting.
• Maintenance grouting of existing dams and tunnels.

Packaging

• 44 lb (19.96 kg) plastic pail.
• 6 oz (0.17 kg) bottle of plasticizer included.

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec Geotech products?

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec products?

Alchemy-Spetec is proud to announce that Charlie Lerman "The Grout Geek" will be shifting roles to start up our North American Leak Seal Technical Services Department. Charlie not only brings two decades of specialty waterproofing and construction experience to his new role as Director of Technical Services - Leak Seal Division, but he also brings nine years of service in the US Navy. He understands the value of teamwork and is dedicated to the mission.

While the trend in the last few years for chemical grout manufacturers has been to reduce or eliminate their technical service roles, Alchemy-Spetec understands the needs of the specialty waterproofing contractor and is committed to customer success. Leveraging Alchemy-Spetec’s quality products, strong distribution, and our rapid response technical service is what gives our contractors the edge they need in today's fast-paced market.

Please let us know how we can assist you with your next waterproofing challenge. Whether you need help with product selection, hands-on field training, or creative grouting solutions, Alchemy-Spetec is here for you.

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal products?

As a member of the ICRI Board of Directors, I'm happy to share the following information about the upcoming ICRI Webinar: Specifying Concrete Repair.

Time and Date:
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
1-2 PM CDT / 2-3 PM EDT

This webinar will review issues that should be addressed when preparing a specification for concrete repair. ICRI developed an editable specification titled “Guide Specification for Structural Concrete Repairs” that can be used by design professionals. The webinar reviews the specification and discusses decisions that should be considered when developing a concrete repair specification.

Learning Objectives

1. Become familiar with ICRI Technical Guide No. 110.1, “Guide Specifications for Structural Concrete Repairs,” based on the CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) Masterformat.
2. Understand the breakdown of key information in the three parts of the specification: Part 1: General, Part 2: Products, and Part 3: Execution.
3. Understand the decisions made by the committee during the development of the specification. 
4. Be introduced to the decisions that will need to be made by the Design Professional when using the specification.
5. Learn the standard practices commonly used in the concrete repair industry, with options and commentary, and how to require them through specifications.

About the Presenter

Karl Rickert, PE, was born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Arnold, Maryland.  Thanks to familial connections, his father was a structural engineer. Karl obtained a job at Lamprecht Consultants, a structural engineering firm in Baltimore, where he worked during the summer after his junior year in high school until about 2 years after finishing college.

Between 1971 and 1975, Karl attended Drexel University, participated in their cooperative education program and became a student member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.  Following graduation with a BS in Civil Engineering, Karl spent the next 11 years gaining experience as a structural engineer through work at Lamprecht Consultants, Skarda & Rickert Structural Consultants, and Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani.  In 1979, Karl became a registered professional engineer in the State of Maryland and is currently registered in eight states and the District of Columbia.  Karl completed an MS in structural engineering at George Washington University in 1984.

In 1986, Karl founded Rickert Engineering, Inc. and continues to serve as President of the firm.  Karl completed an MBA at Loyola College in Baltimore in 1994 and has maintained memberships in professional organizations including ACI, ACEC, AISC, ASCE, CSI, ICRI, and NSPE.  He has been an officer at the local level of several of these organizations and is currently active on committees (past-chair of Committee 110) at the national level of the International Concrete Repair Institute.  He is also currently serving on the Maryland Board of Professional Engineers.

Using oakum with chemical grout is a way of sealing gushing leaks, as well as sealing the area (annular space) around pipes passing through concrete structures. When a pipe passes through a concrete structure and the annular space around the pipe is large, the saturated oakum technique can be used to seal off the water infiltration. Oakum saturated with grout can be used alone to seal off water flow. It can also be utilized to build a surface seal or “dam” behind which grout can be pumped. 

Procedures

This is a two-person process.

1. Clean the crack or space to be sealed of any loose debris and foreign material.
2. Cut the oakum in various lengths to fit the perimeter requirements of the area to be sealed.
3. Soak the oakum in the grout.
4. One person will wring out the soaked oakum and hand it to the other person, who will...
5. Dip the oakum into a pail of water to activate the grout and then place the activated oakum into the crack or space using a screw driver or a similar tool.

After the space has been packed with saturated oakum, you can inject grout behind the seal with an injection needle. 

For more information, see our previous post on this subject and call us at 404-618-0438.

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal products?

Don't miss out on the AP Lift 430 and MixMaster Pro slab lifting gun product bundle offer!

AP Lift 430 Concrete Leveling Foam

AP LIFT 430 is a two component, high strength, high density, hydro insensitive slab lifting foam. 

• Traffic ready in 15 minutes.
• High strength.
• Works in wet environments - displaces water.
• Bonds with soil and concrete.
• Closed cell.
• Certified by Truesdail Labs to NSF/ANSI 61-5 (approved for contact with drinking water).

MixMaster Pro Concrete Leveling Gun

Two-component resin injection gun manufactured specifically for lifting concrete slabs, designed to handle back-pressure. As the essential piece of foam jacking equipment for Alchemy-Spetec’s expanding polyurethane foams, the resin injection gun provides highly-efficient concrete leveling. 

• Completely mechanical actuation
• No side seals or O-rings in the mixing block to replace
• Integrated rebuildable check valves to save your whip hose
• Easy break down and clean up at the end of the day
• Utilizes smaller 3/8” injection port
• Uses water based flush

Call 404-618-0438 to order your Slab Lift Product Bundle NOW!

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec Geotech products?

The new stainless-steel block for the MixMaster Pro concrete leveling gun is an option you may want to consider. This stronger, more durable gun block was developed to prevent stripping of injector ports (which can sometimes happen with the aluminum block if the ports are over-tightened). 

There are no problems with the aluminum block as long as all your crew members are trained not to over-tighten the ports.  But if you would like that extra level of projection and durability, consider spending a little more for the stainless-steel option.

Want more info on the MixMaster Pro concrete leveling gun?