Alchatek Blog

We often get calls from spray foam insulation installers who are interested in adding slab lifting capability to their rig set up. If you're reading this article, you yourself may be looking for info on the matter. If so, we have good news for you. With just four additional pieces of equipment and one set of material, you can quickly and easily add slab lifting to your service offerings. Let’s take a look at exactly what additional equipment and material you'll need to get started...

Slab Lifting Equipment

MixMaster Pro Slab Lifting Gun
The MixMaster Pro is a two-component resin injection gun manufactured specifically for lifting concrete slabs, designed to handle back-pressure. 

Titan Impact 440 (Modified) Pump with Flush Hose
The Titan Impact 440 (Modified) pump is used for flushing the MixMaster Pro gun in between foam injections. (It's also used for pumping one-component material in soil stabilization and seawall repair applications.)

3/8” MixMaster Ports
These heavy duty ports create an airtight seal for injecting foam into drill holes. 

Dial Indicator Crane
This precision tool is used to measure the lift of the slab within 1/10” of an inch.

Polyurethane Slab Lifting Material

AP Lift 430, AP Lift 440, or AP Lift 475 (100 Gallon Unit)
Sunken concrete slabs can be lifted back into place with these two-component polymer foams designed to work in wet or dry conditions. The expansion force of these concrete leveling foams coupled with the pressure of a specialized pump generate enough controlled force to lift virtually any structure back into position with 1/8” precision.

AP Flush 125 (5 Gallon Unit)
Water based gun flush specifically used for flushing out the MixMaster Pro impingement gun. Also used to protect concrete from resin stains.

AP Lube 190 (5 Gallon Unit)
This product is a multi-purpose lubricant for use with both airless electric injection pumps and proportioner/reactor pumps.

Want more info on adding slab lifting to your rig setup?

The northeastern region of the United States faces a wide variety of infrastructure issues, caused by unstable soil, that contractors and property owners should be aware of.  These issues include:

• Freeze/thaw cycles.
• New construction compromising soil under neighboring structures.
• Frequency of intense rainstorms, which cause flash flooding and erosion.
• On coastal areas, erosion and soil disruption are also caused by rising sea levels.

How Does Polyurethane Soil Repair Help?

• Strengthens the Soil
  Alchemy-Spetec soil stabilization foam allows contractors to strengthen soil for support of heavy structures.
• Reinforces Eroded Areas
  Polyurethane foam displaces water and cures into a solid mass to reverse the erosion process.
• Compacts the Soil
  The Deep Lift™ process compacts loose soil to create a strong substrate.
• Fills Voids
  Polyurethane foam fills voids as it expands and before it cures, making it a great solution for instances of soil consolidation or biological decay.

What Are the Results?

• Use of Surface and Surrounding Structures on Same Day as Repair
  Alchemy-Spetec soil stabilization foam cures to 90% full strength in 15 min­utes. In most cases the site is ready for traffic after clean up. 
• Support for Up to 14,000 lbs/Sq. Ft.
  The Alchemy-Spetec series of geotech foams improves soil to support structural loads up to 14,000 pounds per square foot.
• Stabilization Lasting Decades
  Alchemy-Spetec structural foams are a permanent fix.

Environmentally Safe

Alchemy-Spetec polyurethane soil stabilization polymer products have received the official NSF seal of approval for contact with drinking water (this also protects water-dwelling wildlife as well). This designation ensures compliance with the Safe Water Drinking Act (SDWA) and guarantees peace of mind for in-the-field stakeholders on construction projects of almost any scope and size.

Want more information on polyurethane soil stabilization?

As Alchemy-Spetec's Northeast Regional Geotech Lead, I am the point-person for contractors and property managers in this area of the country.  I also represent the NJ coastal, oceans, ports, and river engineers through the NJ COPRI, the Institute arm of The American Society of Civil Engineers. COPRI is responsible for evaluating data on ports, providing them with report cards on inefficiencies, and making recommendations for improvements. COPRI members also meet with leadership in Washington DC to give expert testimony on how funding should be appropriated for sustainability of US coastal areas, ports, and rivers.

I have developed feasible procedures for seawall remediation using polymer grouts, and have consulted with engineers and contractors to develop the standards for polymer seawall repairs. These standards are used throughout the US, and I regularly give presentations on them at engineering lectures and conferences.

In this blog post, I provide a simple introductory overview of seawall issues in the Northeastern United States.

Tony Alfano
Mech. Eng., A.M. ASCE  | Chair ASCE NJ COPRI (Coastal, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute)

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Seawall Repair in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia

Many Seawalls along the northeastern United States are in a state of disrepair, for a wide variety of reasons. Rising water levels, corrosion, seasonal freeze/thaw cycles, storms and extreme weather events all contribute to seawall deterioration over time. Properly built seawalls include a drainage system to handle the daily influx and outflow of water from rain, tides and waves. Over time, these drainage systems can sometimes become clogged. Seawalls without an effective built-in drainage system face a unique problem in that the water has no way to escape except to force its way down and out from underneath the base of the wall. When this occurs, sinkholes will appear alongside the wall.

Seawall Repair Options

Property owners facing seawall deterioration have a few options:

• Do Nothing
  The problem with this option is obvious: longer you wait, the more expensive the eventual repair.
  
  
• Replace the Seawall
  Rebuilding a seawall (or even a section of a seawall) can be messy, time consuming and expensive.
  
  
• Repair with Cement Grout
  Cement grout seawall repair requires heavy equipment, large drill holes and the use of weighty cement grout which may sink over time.
  
  
• Repair with Polymer Foam
  The polyurethane seawall repair process is accomplished with small mobile equipment, durable material that doesn’t sink, and small drill holes. This procedure makes less of a mess than replacing the seawall or repairing with cement grout.

Alchemy-Spetec structural foams are stronger than crystalline bedrock. Combined with proper drainage, polyurethane seawall repair can greatly extend the life of the structure.

Environmentally Safe

Alchemy-Spetec polyurethane seawall repair resin products have received the official NSF seal of approval for contact with drinking water (this also protects water-dwelling wildlife as well). This designation ensures compliance with the Safe Water Drinking Act (SDWA) and guarantees peace of mind for in-the-field stakeholders on construction projects of almost any scope and size.

Want more technical information on Seawall Repair?