Alchatek Blog

This article is an excerpt from Episode 10 of Alchemy-Spetec's podcast The Injection Connection, featuring Alchemy-Spetec independent rep John Ziebell. Formerly the Vice President of Operations for Deneef Construction Chemicals, Inc., John has 36 years of experience in the chemical grout industry and is currently a member of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI). (If you'd rather view or listen, an audio/visual version of this excerpt is posted at the bottom of the article.)

Charlie Lerman: What are then some of the most interesting or unique type of applications have you’ve seen for chemical grouting?

John Ziebell: All of them in their own way are unique. I think some of the big semiconductor jobs in Austin that we did with injection tubes were really pretty interesting because they were challenging due to the enormity of the project and the size of some of the walls and everything. I think some of the jobs that I've worked on down in the water table in general were probably the most interesting because when you're working in the water table, it's pretty unforgiving. You either do it right or you do it wrong. And when water is squirting up six, eight feet high all around you, that kind of gets your attention. I had a job in California back in my De Neef days, in Redwood City. In California, land is so valuable that even for shopping centers they build massive parking garages underground and we had a waterproof membrane failure in one of those garages. When we drilled our injection holes, the water squirted out eight to twelve feet. So now, you’ve got a problem of: how do you even get your grout to go in? So, we had to do things that you normally don't do, like set up relief valves and actually put faucets on them to control the rate of flow so we could get water into the rest of the holes. Things like that, I remember vividly.

I remember on a job right next to that one, where a contractor was actually putting a curtain under the bottom slab in a six-story parking garage. Believe it or not he actually heaved a five-foot thick slab in the bottom of a parking garage with an expansive chemical grout. That was kind of interesting because it was so improbable that he would be able to do it. I realize chemical grout, highly expansive grout, exerts 300, 400 PSI. I understand that but still, when you think five foot of reinforced concrete? But he did it.

What else was interesting? I mean, they've all been interesting, I kind of fell in love with chemical grout that first year I was in the business. And I'm just as excited today about working on a small job as I am working on a big one.

Charlie: I share that excitement, and one of the biggest compliments I get when I talk to people is when they say that they see that I'm passionate for it. It's because I find grouting very mentally stimulating. It's a game where you get to go out there, and you know your pieces and you know how your grout works - but you can't see into that wall. So, it's figuring out what's going on in there and sometimes it's not very intuitive, but it's exciting.

John: Actually, after all these years right now, I'm working on probably the most interesting or at least the most challenging job that I've ever had. It's on a dam, a huge dam built in the 30s in central Texas on one of the Highland Lakes. And we have leaks through the joints that approach five, six hundred gallons an hour. And these joints are 30 feet in the air on an arched dam. There all kinds of problems with access, working conditions, etc. So, even after all these years, this one really has my attention.

View the video version of this excerpt...

Want some information on Alchemy-Spetec products?

With the Covid-19 situation intensifying again as the weather gets colder, you may want to consider stocking up on Alchemy-Spetec Surface Cleaner - an essential supply for any workspace or household.

75% Isopropyl Alcohol Surface Cleaner

In addition to our hand sanitizer, Alchemy-Spetec is pleased to offer a surface cleaner to help reduce bacteria & viruses that potentially cause disease. It is an isopropyl-based formula that can be used to clean many types of surfaces. The cleaner can be applied directly to the surface or applied via a spray bottle (not included).

Applications for Surface Cleaner

• Door handles.
• Counter tops.
• Grocery carts.
• Bathrooms.

Advantages of Surface Cleaner

• 75% isopropyl alcohol by volume, plus hydrogen peroxide.
• Leaves no film or residue.
• Dries quickly.
• Sprayable for cleaning surfaces.

We are currently offering one standard packaging option:
A Case of Four 1-Gallon Jugs
(For bulk orders - please call 404-618-0438.)

Want to purchase Alchemy-Spetec Surface Cleaner online?

This article is an excerpt from Episode 10 of Alchemy-Spetec's podcast The Injection Connection, featuring Alchemy-Spetec independent rep John Ziebell. Formerly the Vice President of Operations for Deneef Construction Chemicals, Inc., John has 36 years of experience in the chemical grout industry and is currently a member of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI). (If you'd rather view or listen, an audio/visual version of this excerpt is posted at the bottom of the article.)

Charlie Lerman: What are some of the pitfalls that you see for young engineers when they specify chemical grouting?

John Ziebel: That's an interesting subject because I've talked to a number of senior engineers about it and I'll use one as an example, the gentleman that's the senior structural engineer for this region for CDM Smith in Dallas. He and I were bemoaning the fact that the younger engineers, especially the millennial generation, want to conduct all of their business via the internet, email and the social media platforms. They don't want to meet anyone in person. They seem terrified if you ask them if you can stop - this is pre-pandemic - if you ask if you can stop by their office for a few minutes. It seems to just scare the hell out of them. And he told me that in tutoring the young engineers, he tells them, “If you have a job that goes south on the Friday after Thanksgiving and you need somebody out there at the job site from the manufacturer that day. If you have never met the guy, he has no idea who you are, and you call him up and say, ‘Could you come out here?’ He's going to tell you, ‘No, I'm with my family for Thanksgiving. I can come Monday.’ But if he's somebody you know and you've been down in the hole with and maybe had had lunch with or drank a beer with after work, he's very likely going to say, ‘Give me a couple hours and I'll be there.’”

So, I think the biggest pitfall is that they have no personal relationship with the technical representatives for the various products. The second pitfall is that when I have asked them if I can come see them about a job, they have often said, “Well, we'll get your information off your website.” And in my case, Alchemy-Spetec has an excellent website, very informative. But I tell them, “Well, that's true and it tells you all about the products but it doesn't tell you which product is the best for your situation.” And then they usually say, “We'll send you some pictures and you can email us your recommendation.” So, I think that the lack of personal contact and the lack of actual experience at the site with the products is probably the biggest shortfall of the young engineers today.

Charlie: I agree with you and I think they are not necessarily going at it the wrong way, it's just that they are inundated with so much information at their fingertips digitally that they assume they’ve got it all. But just because I read a book or watch a video on how to hit a home run, that doesn't mean I can go out there and hit a home run. It takes the field experience and spending some time out there and doing those things. Excellent, thank you.

View the video version of this excerpt...

Want some information on Alchemy-Spetec products?

Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic is intensifying again. Please consider protecting yourself on the job and in your daily life with a steady supply of hand sanitizer. Alchemy-Spetec Hand Sanitizer is manufactured in accordance with an isopropyl-based WHO-formula. It's Made in the USA, here at our Tucker, GA headquarters. We are fully registered with the FDA as a manufacturer with a National Drug Code (NDC) of 74826-812. It is also important to note that this formula does not include gel thickening agents. It can be used with a small amount applied to the palm, or as a spray or wipe. 

Advantages

This article, written by guest blogger Mic Ewart (Geotech Go-To and Victorian State Manager of Bayset Specialist Trade Suppliers) profiles a car park slab lifting job completed under a tight deadline. If you're an Alchemy-Spetec customer or distributor, and you'd like to discuss writing content for our blog, please send an email to marketing@alchemy-spetec today!

A car park slab in Sunbury, Victoria (Australia) had settled about 40 mm (1.57 in). This dangerous drop created both trip hazards and litigation risks. Because this property was normally in use five days a week, the client needed very quick turnaround. A tight deadline like this automatically rules out the options of replacing the slab and lifting with cement grout (a.k.a. “mudjacking).

The most efficient repair method for sunken slabs is lifting with polyurethane. The RevivaLift team from RevivaCrete specializes in this method of leveling concrete. In this case, they used the Alchemy-Spetec PolyBadger lifting unit to get the job done. The PolyBadger is a tough, compact pump on wheels that fits easily in the back of a pickup truck if needed. It’s ideal for small to medium projects that need to be completed quickly. RevivaCrete gets their slab lifting supplies & support from Bayset, Australia’s premier specialist trade supplier.

The RevivaLift crew pumped Alchemy-Spetec’s AP Lift 430 high-strength polyurethane foam underneath the slab. With precision technique, they gradually brought it back into place until it was completely level. AP Lift 430 sets up very quickly, reaching 90% full strength in 15 minutes and full cure into a solid mass in less than a day. Once cured, these foams offer thousands of pounds per square foot of support. As soon as the crew is done packing up their equipment, the slab is usually ready for traffic. Needless to say, the property owner was very happy with this fast, efficient, and durable repair.

Want more information on lifting slabs with polyurethane?

Want more information about the PolyBadger mobile lifting system?

On this episode of The Injection Connection, Charlie Lerman takes over the hosting duties, welcoming Alchemy-Spetec independent rep John Ziebell. Formerly the Vice President of Operations for Deneef Construction Chemicals, Inc., John has 36 years of experience in the chemical grout industry and is currently a member of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI).

Listen to the episode in its entirety below, or check it out on TheInjectionConnection.com and the following platforms:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• SoundCloud
• TuneIn
• Google Podcasts
• YouTube

Want info on Alchemy-Spetec products?

High-performance polyurethane concrete repair equipment is essential to the success of any contractor in this industry.  For that reason, I'd like to bring the Section 179 tax break to your attention.  According the Section179.org website...

Essentially, Section 179 of the IRS tax code allows businesses to deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment and/or software purchased or financed during the tax year. That means that if you buy (or lease) a piece of qualifying equipment, you can deduct the FULL PURCHASE PRICE from your gross income. It’s an incentive created by the U.S. government to encourage businesses to buy equipment and invest in themselves.  Read more at Section179.org.

Chris Fletcher's article, How much money can Section 179 save contractors on 2020 equipment purchases? from EquipmentWorld.com provides these essential details...

What equipment qualifies?
Almost all tangible business equipment qualifies: production machines and related equipment; office machines and furniture; computers and common software; safety equipment; most signage; business vehicles in excess of 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (including heavy equipment); and more.

Note: If you needed to buy equipment to modify your workspace for COVID-19, such as plexiglass dividers, air filtration systems, sanitizing stations, new servers for work-at-home people, etc., it’s very likely they are Section 179 eligible, which is great news. As always, ask your accountant for the final word.

How much money can Section 179 save me in 2020?
It depends on the cost of the equipment you purchase, and ultimately, your tax rate. But let’s say you buy $50,000 worth of equipment. With Section 179, you can deduct the entire $50,000 from your taxable income. At a 35 percent tax rate, that would result in a net tax savings of $17,500.  Read more at EquipmentWorld.com.

If you're currently considering an equipment purchase, you may want to buy before the end of 2020 so you can take advantage of the deduction on this year's tax return.  

Alchemy-Spetec offers a full selection of:

• Slab Lifting Pumps & Guns
• Custom Slab Lifting Rigs & Trailers
• Electric Injection Pumps
• Seawall Repair & Soil Stabilization Pumps
• Soil Testing Equipment

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec equipment & products?

This article is an excerpt from Episode 9 of Alchemy-Spetec's podcast The Injection Connection, featuring Charlie Lerman "The Grout Geek". Charlie is Director of Technical Services - Leak Seal® Division at Alchemy-Spetec. The Injection Connection is hosted by Jim Spiegel: Vice President of Alchemy-Spetec and Board Member at the International Concrete Repair Institute. (If you'd rather listen, an audio version of this excerpt is posted at the bottom of the article.)

Jim Spiegel: I always say to people is you should account for some exploration time. Everybody wants to go quick into, "What are the coverage rates, how many linear feet can I do in a day, how many people do I need, what’s the size of the crew, how many man hours as a prevailing wage." But I like to tell people let’s put half a day, even up to a full day depending on the job, into exploration. Would you agree with that?

Charlie Lerman: 100%. Exploratory grouting is the way to go. And on smaller jobs a lot of times, that’s going to knock out the whole job anyway. But when you get to those larger jobs for curtain grouting and crack injection, just having that day to look at and say, “These are the parameters. We think we’re going to be between this and this mark and by this procedure.” You go out there and you find - well, did I fall in that, where did I fall in that and if so, how are we going to adjust out the rest of the job now that we know some specifics there? But until you get out there, it’s really all theory. I’m in tons of meetings where there’s all this theory crafting and people talk about this stuff. And while this theory crafting is great and we need to do it to wrap our heads around the situation, it comes down to it when you’re actually injecting, you don’t have precise control over your liquid, you don’t know exactly where it went. You can only see the result and make assumptions. Whatever I pictured in my mind is what I can say happened in there, but until we rip that open, which almost never happens, you don’t know exactly how it went inside. So again, all that theory and stuff, that’s all great to talk about. But until you put the wheels on the road and see what happens, you just don’t know. I’ve seen stuff where you just start scratching your head - how could this be going that way? But it does and you figure it out and work through it.

Listen to the audio version of this excerpt...

Want some information on Alchemy-Spetec Leak Seal® products?

Single-Component Geotech Pump Skid

The PolyShark is a custom pump skid system for installation of single-component polyurethane geotech resins. This world-class skid set up is essential for large scale seawall repair, soil stabilization, and void fill projects.

The PolyShark includes a gas-powered high-pressure injection pump, two hose reels, and flow meters.

Gas-Powered High-Pressure Injection Pump

A step up for projects that require greater power and output, this custom modified pump is our best-selling gas over hydraulic piston machine, favored by contractors who want to complete large application jobs in record time with high profit margins. The hydraulic ram fluid section is moved front and center in the configuration for easier maintenance and control.

High-Pressure Hose Reels with Stainless Steel Ball Bearings

High-pressure design guarantees durability when used with the high-pressure single-component pump. The construction is completely corrosion resistant and the stainless steel ball bearings, hardware, and manifolds are stronger than the aluminum parts on standard hose reels. The ball bearing-driven hose reels operate smoothly because they contain no bushings. (Bushings easily wear out.)

Flow Meters

Two high-pressure flow meters are capable of recording the exact amount of product pushed through the hoselines. This allows for precision material-use tracking.

Want more information on this seawall repair/soil stabillization skid?

This post is part of the Alchemy-Spetec Contractor Lens series, featuring views, news & case studies written by our customers.  This article, originally posted on the Dalinghaus Construction Blog, explains the basics of polyurethane concrete leveling.  If you're an Alchemy-Spetec customer and you'd like to discuss writing content for our blog, please send an email to marketing@alchemy-spetec.com today!

Lifting concrete with polyurethane is a process that takes a lot of simple physics into play.  The amount of recovery that you are able to get out of a slab of concrete is dependent on a lot of underlying factors.  Not only does the amount of area that is needing to be recovered play a role, but also the construction of the slab plays a massive role in what can actually be recovered.  Let's dive into how the process actually can lift a sunken slab of concrete.

When you are looking at a sunken piece of concrete you first have to envision of how this slab of concrete will react once you start the lifting process.  Once you do so, you can then figure out where you are going to perform you first injection.  We will then inject polyurethane through a drilled hole until we start to see movement out of the slab.  We continue drilling and injecting until the slab has been set back into place as it was when it was initially poured.

When the polyurethane is first injected through the slab it will typically fill any voids or cavities that are under the slab.  Once these have been filled the polyurethane will start to compact the soil that the slab was resting on.  It will continue to compact the soil until it gets to a point where the soil starts to become solid and the slab begins to lift.  The polyurethane will continue to compact the soil and lift the slab until the slab has been leveled to the desired elevation.  

It is a simple process if you think about it.  It is easier for the polyurethane to lift the concrete and its weight than to push and compact the soil further into the earth.  Although some looser soil requires more polyurethane to be injected, it will still eventually get to the point at which it is easier to lift the slab than to continue to push the soils downward.

Here are the steps simplified:

1. Analyze the area to be lifted
2. Drill a hole through the slab
3. Install a polyurethane gun
4. Begin injecting polyurethane material
5. Monitor slab movement 
6. Stop injection once recovery has been attained
7. Remove gun and port
8. Grout hole

Click here for more information on Dalinghaus Construction.

Want more information on polyurethane concrete leveling?