Case Study - Parking Structure Ceiling Leak Repair

A multi-level parking facility in downtown Los Angeles was experiencing significant water infiltration through its concrete ceiling. Building management had noticed increasing water staining and active leakage, particularly following rain events. The water migration around electrical conduits and light fixtures was most concerning, creating potential safety hazards with the electrical systems. Previous attempts to seal the ceiling using conventional surface treatments had failed to resolve the issue. With the structure serving high-end retail clients, the property management company required a solution to effectively stop the leaks while minimizing disruption to the facility's daily operations.

Initial Assessment

Inspection revealed that water was infiltrating through microscopic pathways in the concrete, with particularly noticeable intrusion around embedded conduits and penetrations. Engineers determined that concrete shrinkage had created tiny void spaces around these penetrations, some measuring only thousandths of an inch. Water was following these pathways, traveling along the outside of conduits and emerging at light fixtures and junction boxes installed in the ceiling. The ceiling showed distinctive water staining patterns radiating from these fixtures, confirming the migration pathway. Traditional polyurethane grouts would be too viscous to effectively penetrate these extremely small void spaces, requiring a material with exceptional flow characteristics.

Proposed Solution

Alchatek recommended using a specialized acrylic resin, Spetec AG 200. This material was selected specifically because of its extraordinarily low viscosity, significantly thinner than polyurethane alternatives, allowing it to travel through microfractures and voids that water could penetrate. Unlike thicker injection materials, acrylic resin can follow the same migration pathways as water, creating a waterproof barrier precisely where needed. The material's ability to travel long distances from injection points would minimize the number of injection ports required, reducing ceiling penetrations while ensuring complete sealing coverage around electrical conduits and other vulnerable areas.

Procedures

1. Technicians identified and mapped all water intrusion points in the ceiling, identifying migration patterns to determine optimal injection locations.
2. Strategic drilling and port installation were performed at intervals designed to intercept the water pathways, with particular focus on areas around electrical conduits.
3. Ports were installed in a pattern that would allow the low-viscosity material to flow along the same paths as the water infiltration.
4. Acrylic resin was injected through the ports, with continuous monitoring for material appearance at distant locations.
5. Injection continued at each port until the material was observed emerging from adjacent ports or known leak points, confirming pathway filling.
6. Engineers carefully monitored electrical systems throughout the process to ensure no disruption to the building's operations.

Results

The injection program successfully sealed the water infiltration pathways throughout the parking structure ceiling. Post-treatment monitoring through several significant rain events confirmed that all previously active leaks had been eliminated, with no further water migration observed around electrical fixtures. Most importantly, the acrylic resin's exceptional flow characteristics allowed for complete sealing with minimal disruption to the facility's operation. The property management company avoided spending an estimated $80,000-$100,000 that more invasive remediation methods would have required, while eliminating potential liability from water contact with electrical systems. The parking facility remained operational throughout the repair process, avoiding revenue loss that would have resulted from traditional ceiling replacement or excavation of the deck above.

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