So, you have another clog in your boot? Well, your grain elevator boot that is. This means shutting down to clean your grain elevator. Which means loss of production, loss of grain, and delays. Drains and sump pumps clog and can be unreliable. 

A grain cooperative in Washington state contacted Kodiak Concrete Lifting. Alchemy-Spetec's Leak Seal Division Director of Technical Services, Charlie "The Grout Geek" Lerman, met Kodiak on-site and inspected the leaking boots in question. One was poured concrete and the other was poured concrete with a metal interior liner. Both had multiple areas of water intrusion and sumps that were not able to handle the leakage. Charlie worked with Kodiak on developing a grouting plan and an estimate for the co-op.

Powerful Polymer

Spetec PUR HighFoamer was the ideal grout for forming a positive side waterproof barrier known as a curtain wall without having to excavate and with very little downtime.

Spetec PUR HighFoamer is a highly expansive grout (40x-50x) and it is also NSF 61-approved for potable water use.

Painless Procedure

Pumping polyurethane grouts is done with a modified airless paint sprayer. Since this pump is lightweight, it is easy to mobilize in remote or difficult-to-access locations. Normally, the technicians would set up a 2’ on-center grid pattern for curtain wall grouting. With the elevator equipment layout, they had to adjust the spacing. By pumping hole to hole they ensured water-tight grout coverage even with the irregular port spacing.

Rapid Result

A few weeks later, Charlie Lerman and Kodiak met back on-site for the installation. While working in a grain elevator pit and working with urethanes can be a bit messy, the injections went well and the water intrusions were stopped in both pits on time and under budget.

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