Once the material is selected, an appropriate piece of equipment must be selected for dispensing the material. For most polyurethane injection resins, single component high-pressure piston pumps are required. These are typically electric airless design, but can also be pneumatic, drill-operated, or hand powered. Alchemy-Spetec offers the full line of Titan pumps with various ranges of pressure and volume. The Titan 440 is a good pump for small injections, or to act as a water flush pump to clean drill holes and to ensure drill hole intersects the crack or joint. For higher outputs, it is recommended to use the Titan 640 or PowrTwin 8900. These pumps will be much better equipped for large volume applications such as curtain grouting, or for single component soil injection applications. For small cracks and joints, Alchemy-Spetec offers the Drill Pump. The Drill Pump is drill-operated and capable of handling pressures as high as 5000psi. It is easily maintained and produces very minimal waste due to the small hopper size and mixed batches. For acrylic injections, a stainless-steel pump, the Alchemy-Spetec Gel Pump is required. Due to the oxidizing nature of the B-side sodium persulfate, stainless equipment is required.
The coupler at the end of the hose set will be dependent upon the type of zerk fitting discussed in part 2 of this blog series. A button-top valve requires a sliding coupler, the Alchemy-Spetec ACP-2204, or the standard zerk coupler, ACP-2201. It is always recommended to have several couplers on-site as the injection grouts will eventually cure in the couplers and prohibit the passage of material. It is also recommended to keep a spare piston kit or packing kit for any pump and to have received training on the appropriate replacement technique should it need to be changed.
Chemical grouting for leak seal applications can provide contractors a specialty repair service that will always have relevance and demand in below-grade structures and water-holding structures. By following these steps for product, packer, and pump selection, you will be on the right path to a successful leak seal repair.
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