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As the Inside Sales Manager for Alchemy-Spetec, I am responsible for keeping our lead, customer, and project data in order.  Our busy sales and marketing team needs to access this information quickly and accurately.  Precise, contextual, and quick accessibility of these systems gives our team a powerful, painless, and rapid advantage over our competitors that are stuck using outdated technology and processes.

We can organize all of our leads, customers, and potential projects by using some type of Customer Relationship Management software. In fact, we are currently using two separate CRM software programs for our sales department. Our main customer database is stored in Salesforce.  The entire team has access to this platform and can log in regularly for up-to-date customer information, sales numbers, etc.

In order to keep our Salesforce database lean and relevant, our inside sales efforts are conducted within the fast and efficient Salesmate CRM to track opportunities as they develop.  Salesforce can be extremely powerful for larger organizations who require limitless customization and reporting, while Salesmate is an excellent intuitive and lightweight CRM for organizations with a smaller budget.  Contractors looking for a CRM may also want to consider the Alchemy-Spetec custom version of Estimate Rocket. Estimate Rocket is a multi-purpose tool for creating job estimates, calculating material needs, generating financial reports, tracking customers/projects, and more!  The Alchemy-Spetec customized version of Estimate Rocket features our geotech material estimation calculators built in.  Read more here.

These are just a few of the many CRMs on the market. We strongly encourage you to do your own research and choose the CRM that best suits your business needs. If you have any further questions on the subject, feel free to call Alchemy-Spetec at 404-618-0438 and ask for the Inside Sales Manager, David Park. We offer a unique understanding of proven and innovative CRM solutions that can optimize your sales efforts moving forward.

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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: What’s some of your favorite equipment to work with? Favorite pumping systems?

Charlie Lerman: I’ve always been a fan of the airless paint sprayers (a.k.a. modified electric injection pumps). They’re just a good workhorse and have been the industry standard. So I like those and that’s what I used most of my career. I’m dealing a lot more now with acrylate type products. And I do really like the pumps that we use for those, the plural component stainless steel pumps. Finally, I’ve seen some that are not difficult to use, which is nice to find one that’s easy. It’s still a complex machine but it’s broken down and very easy. I’d say that’s one of them that’s coming up right now. But still, it’s hard to just go away from that old reliable Graco or a Titan 440.

Jim: Yeah, for sure. It’s pretty much the status quo out there.

Charlie: But Jim, let me add - to jump on the other side of that, and we offer these pumps, it’s not like I’m badmouthing a competitor or something like that but there’s the drill pumps. And while they have their place these little drill pumps, I believe that they actually are hard for contractors because a lot of the people that look at getting the drill pumps are first-time grout users and they’re trying to save some money. So they’re getting a drill pump rather than an airless paint sprayer to save a couple hundred dollars there. The problem is that using that drill pump takes a little more technical expertise. So if it’s your first job, that’s not always the good pump to cut your teeth on. It’s got it’s good position and stuff like that and it’s light and it’s easy to move around but it does take a little more skill. That’s one of the pumps just kind of to watch out for.

Jim: Yeah, as you and I have been pretty open about, not everybody has the same experience with different equipment. You’ve pumped a lot more grout than probably all of us, but I have quite a bit of experience with the drill pumps. I agree with you. Probably the benefit that I see is that they’re easy to take apart. So, when there are issues with it, which can happen to any pump that you’re pumping chemical grouts with, you’re looking at seven Allen screws and you’re into the ball and spring assembly - so you’re pretty much in the guts of it with seven screws. That’s the only thing that I really like about it just from a maintenance standpoint. I agree completely that if you’re doing this a lot, you’re probably not doing yourself justice with it. Especially if you’re getting into higher volume sort of stuff. I mean, for any curtain or soil grouting it’s just not relevant. And you’re mixing a lot. You’re mixing small volumes all the time. As you know from being on site, especially on large volume applications, keeping product mixed can be a huge functional manpower issue. Because you just don’t account for all the time needed for having that guy keeping things mixed. I see the pros and cons for it. But it’s well noted that you’re not a huge fan.

Charlie: No and it’s still a great product. There is a niche for it though. And really that’s my main concern. And I think also that comes from my history because often times I’m either on giant projects and that’s where they’re demanding to have that customer service out there. And they’re not even looking at these pumps because, like you said, they’re just not high volume. And then the other times where I’m training people is a lot of times when they’re brand new. And it’s just not a great pump for someone brand new. But it’s light, it’s easy to maneuver and that is an advantage a lot of times when you’re just setting up and if you’re doing a residential area or you’re doing something small or you’re doing something that’s off the beaten path and you don’t want to have to carry a whole bunch of equipment.

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We understand that chemical grouting is often not the primary focus of a construction or repair job, but a water leak can often bring the rest of the job to a screeching halt until it is sealed. Job costs then start to pile up, production or facility services stay shut down as time drags on, sometimes tempers begin to flare. Sound familiar?

It’s not an exaggeration to state that Alchemy-Spetec has the most experienced and responsive technical support squad in the industry. In the spirit of the famous postal service motto, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”, our approach is somewhat along the lines of, “Neither weekends nor evening hours nor holidays…”. In other words we strive, to the best of our ability, to be there for you when YOU need us.

For example, Alchemy-Spetec has provided technical support for critical infrastructure jobs over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. While on-site technical service response is based on availability and job circumstances, we have a track record of being there when it counts. In the chemical grouting industry, almost all other manufacturers have moved away from dedicated fulltime support personnel. We stand alone to help you when YOU need it.

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I often get asked about pre-drilling for crack injection. Pre-drilling is the practice of putting all the ports in position before injecting anything. This preparation procedure can often be very time efficient. Think of this an assembly line approach. Pre-drilling is often done when there is “shut-down” period on a job with a limited time to get the work done. You’ll encounter these types of jobs in subway systems, for example, when the work needs to be done while the trains aren’t running. That’s just one specific example, but you get the idea.

Drilling and injecting one hole at a time, on the other hand, allows you to follow the path of the water as you start to seal the leak. Here is how I described the process in my blog post Port Spacing and Location, “I start from the bottom, work my port, and then observe how far the grout travels. I then place next port to pick up where the grout left off.” With the drilling as you go approach, you usually end up with less holes and a more complete seal.

To pre-drill or not to pre-drill? That is the question. As you can see, the answer depends on the circumstances.

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Port spacing in the case of crack injection has nothing to do with the distance between a port in Miami and a port in Jamaica. In this case, we are simply discussing how far apart to place your injection ports. This is not a fixed distance, as proper port spacing varies depending on site conditions.

For estimating, 1’ on center is the standard and will cover you pretty well with the exception of hairline cracks. Typically, the tighter the cracks the closer the spacing.

I am not a big fan of predrilling the ports as you never know when you are going to hit that sweet spot and get 3’-6’ of travel. Or on the other hand when you have numerous dead holes or very little grout travel. So I start from the bottom, work my port, and then observe how far the grout travels. I then place next port to pick up where the grout left off.

I see predrilling done on shutdown jobs where time is of the essence. This may lead to some extra holes and wasted ports but can speed up the injection process. If it is not shutdown work, I prefer to be more methodical and drill as I go.

Lastly, whenever possible, stitch grout. This is the practice of alternating the sides of the crack to install your port. This helps prevent cracking and spalling of the concrete.

Crack injection is a thoughtful and methodical practice which is not for the impatient.

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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: One of the questions that I really want to start incorporating into a lot of these episodes is, "Who have you learned the most from in the industry? We’ll take a little opportunity to name drop a couple of people but who have been some of your beacons in the industry who have taught you what you’ve learned?

Charlie Lerman: There are two main names that come up real quick. First there is John Ziebell. I worked directly with him for the six years that I was at De Neef and he was quite the resource for me. And then Scott Anderson also taught me a good amount and just really helped me out. And really the only reason I probably didn’t get more from Scott Anderson is just that I lived in Houston and he lives up in the New England area. Those are the two main people. I really think that they gave me my foundation to build from. But where I learned the really cool minutiae stuff is from all the intelligent engineers and contractors that I deal with. Because again, when we sit down at the table and we try to design a job, it’s not just one person. I mean, when I got in this industry, I’d never worked on a dam before. But I’d done crack injection. I understood that. So when I went to my first dam project, I had a lot to learn about that structure per se but we had the engineer and the owners. They knew the dam. I knew my product. And then we had us coming together. So I’m in a unique position where I get to pick up all this little nuanced stuff. So when you look at someone who’s out there doing crack injection or doing chemical grouting every day, they’ve got a good routine and they know their stuff for that - but they’re typically looking at similar types of projects. Whereas I get to see anything from a dam to a manhole. I’ve actually consulted on a job where we drilled into a window and grouted between CMU block and glass. That is the kind of unique stuff that just comes from those kinds of travels.

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I recently provided on-site technical support on a job with Foundation Repair of Western Colorado. A post-tension residential slab had some interior settlement issues. (Post-tension slabs are constructed with embedded high-strength cables that keep them from cracking or moving.) It looked like the settlement was due to an issue with the cables, either a faulty installation or failure to properly stretch them after the install.

Are Post-Tension Slabs Dangerous?

When working on a slab containing post-tension support cables, you must be extremely careful. These cables are typically stressed to greater than 30,000 lbs tension. If you accidentally drill through or cut a tensioned cable, it can likely rip out of the concrete with a sudden whip-like motion. Consequences could include slab destruction, equipment damage, serious injury, or even death. A few years ago, I witnessed a geotechnical engineer accidentally cut a post-tension support cable when drilling through a slab for a soil boring sample. We were inside a building. The cable snapped with a sound like a massive gunshot. It shot out from the exterior of the foundation wall. Fortunately, no one was standing near that area at the time. Nor was there any valuable equipment nearby. However, serious damage was done to the slab.

How to Repair Post-Tension Slabs

While consulting on this job with Foundation Repair of Western Colorado, we used ground penetrating radar to locate the cables before doing any post tension slab drilling. The crew then marked the “no-drill” areas and was able to safely drill through the slab for polyurethane injection. In addition to locating the post-tension cables, we used the GPR system to locate rebar within the slab and check for underground utility lines.

Ground Penetrating Radar uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. It is a non-intrusive method of surveying the sub-surface to locate underground utilities such as electrical conduit, plumbing, duct work, cables or masonry. GPR can also often identify the location of voids under the slab, providing helpful information in the injection process.

This slab lifting job went very well. The crew used AP Lift 430 to level the slab. The settlement was remedied, and the customer was very happy with the results.

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As we stated in a previous blog post, Lifting Slabs in Cold Weather, there are plenty of jobs that need to be done in the winter. This is just as true for sealing leaks as it is for slab lifting. So let's take a look at those cold weather leak seal markets. We'll also review some special considerations for conditioning leak seal material and equipment. Then we’ll leave you with a few cold temperature leak seal application tips.

Cold Weather Markets

You have a variety of options for seeking jobs that are inside, out of the elements, during the winter months.  Hopefully these ideas will spark more brainstorming on your part. First up we have tunnels, both pedestrian and vehicle. Tunnels often leak, sometimes significantly enough to result in quite a big job. Aquariums are another possibility. As you can imagine, there are infinite potential leak problems in a structure holding that much water. Other possible large jobs could include mines and water treatment plants (which have plenty of interior spaces with potential leak issues). On the smaller side, there are utility vaults, lift stations, manholes and elevator pits.

If you’re still up for working outside during the winter months, you’re in luck because concrete contracts during colder weather. The contraction makes cracks open wider. Wider cracks make leaks more apparent to the property owner and make them easier to repair.

Conditioning Materials and Equipment

One important point to understand is that cold weather requires you to make an extra effort to keep your materials and equipment warm. Cold material reacts slower and gets thicker. Be sure to store your materials and equipment in a heated room the night before the job. When on the jobsite, there are many ways to keep everything warm. Use an enclosed vehicle, like a box truck, enclosed trailer or pickup truck with a camper top or bed cover. Keep as much material and equipment inside the vehicle as possible when working. Use a portable heater to maintain a warm temperature. You can also use electric pail heaters to keep your resin ready for action.

Remember that it won’t do you any good to heat the resin if you’re pumping it through cold equipment. The cold steel inside the pump and the cold hose will literally suck the heat out of the resin before it gets where it needs to be. This will increase the viscosity, making it harder to mix with the water and it will slow down the reaction dramatically. So don’t neglect the equipment side of the equation!

Cold Temperature Application Tips

If you’re using a product with an accelerator, you may need to use a faster accelerator or increase your percentage. Also, bring lots of oakum. You may have to use more if the cold temperature slows down the material or the contracted concrete has made the cracks wider.

If your job requires you to inject into a structure underwater (and the water’s cold), you can use a technique called twin streaming. In this approach, you hook two valves together in parallel fashion – then inject warm water along with the resin to kick start it reacting before hitting the cold water.

Conclusion

I hope this overview has helped spark some ideas on your part for finding leak seal work during the winter months. Just remember to keep your materials and equipment conditioned and you should be fine. Have more questions about polyurethane leak seal in cold weather? Call us at 404-618-0438.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in 2019 as Polyurethane Leak Seal in Cold Weather.

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Contrary to popular opinion, as a contractor, you don’t have to put up your equipment and rigs due to cold weather. There are many jobs to be done and many ways to keep your material conditioned. Use this season to your advantage and gain valuable business.

Cold Weather Markets

Seasonal attractions such as theme parks are a great place to start looking for winter work. Many of these parks (the ones that aren’t in Orlando) shut down for the winter and this is the time they do maintenance and repairs. Think of all the concrete lifting and leveling that can be done.

Factories can be less active in the winter months with production slowing down in many industries. This is a good time for them to do maintenance and floor repairs as well.

Warehouses typically operate year round, so there is always work available. Warehouse floors are used and abused on a daily basis and will sooner or later need some form of repairs done to keep business running at a steady pace. In addition, many warehouses have dangerous voids beneath their floors that require repair.  

Exterior concrete slabs are still worth considering, even in the cold weather. These slabs experience the most wear and tear from the environment itself (think erosion) and daily traffic. You’ll need to lift concrete slabs before the ground freezes and only after your materials have been thoroughly conditioned.

Conditioning Materials

Your slab lifting equipment probably has built in heaters and a heated hose. Each brand and model of pump has different sized pre-heaters and different ∆T (∆ = Delta and T = Temperature). This sounds complicated, but is actually quite simple.  ∆T is simply the change in temperature.  Let’s say your material has been sitting in a cold trailer all night and the temperature has dropped to 40 degrees F. If the required temperature of your B side material is 120 degrees F, then your pump better be rated with a ∆T of at least 80 degrees. However, if your material is preconditioned to 70 degrees F, then your machine only has to be rated for a ∆T of 50 degrees. As I said, every machine is rated differently based on the size of the heaters. What is important to know is that there are limitations to how much heating your machine can do.

Keeping your materials conditioned in the winter months is a lot easier than it sounds. The main point is to keep your AP Lift products above 60 degrees at all times. Keeping the polyurethane at or above that temperature can be accomplished in a number of ways.

If you have an insulated rig, it should stay around 40 degrees warmer than outside temperatures. Most foam rigs have built in electric heaters that require an extension cord to a power outlet at the job site or at your facility for overnight storage. Alternately, you could buy an electric radiator heater. Other available heating devices include drum band heaters and heated drum mats (be careful not to scorch the polymers by turning band heaters up too high). For a more DIY approach, you could build a hot box around the material storage area in your rig.

Heat Sink

Another consideration when lifting cold slabs is the heat sink factor. AP Lift products come out of the gun hot and get even hotter as they react. However, cold concrete acts as a heat sink and sucks the energy out of the foam as it starts to react. This can slow down the reaction speed of the foam. If you are pumping into a void, it will have little effect because most of the foam is not in contact with the concrete. If you are trying to lift a slab with little void, it will have more of an effect because more of the foam is in contact with the cold concrete and cold soil. More volume = more energy.

Conclusion

Don’t let common preconceptions deter you from slab lifting in cold weather. As noted above, there is no need to shut down completely for the upcoming winter months if you don’t want to. Opportunities still exist and one of them may just be the job you’ve been looking for all year. There are many ways to keep your equipment and materials conditioned to efficiently work in lower temperatures. Have more questions about slab lifting in cold weather? Call us at 404-618-0438.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in 2018 as Slab Lifting in Cold Weather.

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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.)

Charlie Lerman: I’m very honored and happy when people say, “You’re very passionate about this.” And I am. I do enjoy it. It’s a lot like a game to me. And you know I’m pushing 50 here and I still play video games. I’ve played video games all my life. And I just love the strategic element. Kind of like a chess game. I look at every grout job just like that. When I go out there, I know what my pieces do; what my product, what my pump, what my drill, I know what all those pieces can do. The thing is, the game is, that I can’t see into the wall or see into the substrate and know exactly what’s going on in there.

So I have to take my knowns and then rule out things that aren’t working or figure out why something is working. It’s a big game. And then, on the other side of that is I’m the hero. When you come out there and you help somebody with a project or something that they’re having trouble with and you’re successful, everybody is happy to see you, they’re buying you lunch. So, it’s a great thing because first off, it’s just mentally stimulating and you’re solving an issue the proper way. And then everybody is happy about it. So to me, it’s just a win-win all the way around with that.

Listen to the audio version of this excerpt...

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