Alchatek Blog

In what is becoming an annual tradition, we are re-posting this classic Christmas blog from our Southeast Regional Manager, Andy Powell.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us here at Alchemy-Spetec.

This time of year, most people will spend a little extra time with their loved ones.  It is also a time to reflect on the loved ones we miss that are no longer with us.  Like most of us, I know people who have either been lost or have suffered through a loss.  In those cases there was nothing that could have been done to stop it.  However, there are things that we can do to guard against job related safety hazards.

I've been fortunate enough to spend time in an OSHA safety training class.  It was required in order to be present supervising a project at a chemical facility.  Signing in at 6 AM, I’ll admit I was not looking forward to spending all day there.  By the end of the day I was glad that I went.

In an intro video, the narrator said that every morning when you kiss your loved one goodbye before you go to work, keep in mind that someone, somewhere will not come home from work that day.  Workplace accidents are almost entirely preventable.  Investigations typically find the cause quite easily. 

The class I attended contained a dozen or so modules, each one with a video case study followed by the teaching.  Every case study module covered a different accident where people didn’t come home from work that day.  All of them could have been prevented.  I learned about fire, electrical and chemical safety; as well as confined space, ladders, scaffolds, and working in trenches.  I have worked in the construction industry since my teenage years, so it was sobering to look back and think about some of the close calls I had.

If you're a contractor or industry related business owner looking for a good investment, send your employees to one of these classes.  It’s an excellent opportunity for them to learn safety principles that can protect you, your other employees, and your business from being lost.  It’s a gift that will keep on giving.  You don’t need Christmas as a reason to do this, but in the spirit of the season, you may want to make it the reason.  

Click here to find an OSHA safety class near you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Alchemy-Spetec's Geotechnical consultant Andy Powell and Bayset Specialist Trade Suppliers recently conducted Geotechnical concrete repair training programs in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane Australia. 

The training agenda included:

• Geotech Product Line Overview
• Soil Stabilization
• Geotech Product Mixing
• Rig & Mobile System Overviews
• Geotechnical Accessories
• Slab Lifting Live Demo
• Deep Lift™ Overview
• Maintenance Discussions
• Pricing / Estimating / Cost Savings
• Open Discussions

We'd like to thank Bayset and Andy Powell for working together to get contractors down under trained in the use of polyurethane for slab lifting, soil stabilization and the Deep Lift™ process!

Want information on future Alchemy-Spetec training opportunities?

I just came off my first ever solo field service as a consultant for one of our contractor customers.  The story starts as all good ones do... 

I'm on a parking garage renovation project in Sacramento, California. It’s cold, it’s loud. This is my contractor's first time ever touching polyurethane injection resin.

I arrive with our regional distributor.  We have several pails of Spetec PUR H100 and Spetec PUR F400 (our rigid and flexible foams) in tow.  We begin the process of curatin wall grouting a part of the parking garage that will eventually be converted into an IT server room.

The injection process seemed to be going along just as planned, when suddenly...well...let's just say I’ll never forget the face of one of the crew as some injection resin shot out of the wall and 10 feet through the air!

The fun thing to take from this is that I very quickly remembered a crucial part of my safety training: I need to keep my arms covered. This is not a profession in which you want to walk around a job site with short sleeves. It turned out I had a very expensive wax treatment to go along with my field service!  Aside from this little mishap, the job went well and the customer was extremely happy due to the high-quality tech service provided.  (In addition to my extensive training, I have all the senior Alchemy-Spetec leak seal experts on speed dial).

I said during my Alchemy-Spetec job interview that some day I wanted to be like our Director of Technical Services - Leak Division, Charlie Lerman.  Well here I am, traveling, servicing, succeeding...and occasionallly scraping off the resin afterward.

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal products?

Continuing with our tradition of hiring the most technically adept professionals in the industry, we're proud to announce the arrival of Tony Alfano as Regional Geotech Lead - Northeast. As a project engineer, Tony Alfano been very effective in a variety of industries including soil improvement, infrastructure/environmental remediation, renewable energy, small business consulting, co-generation, manufacturing and biomedical. Tony joins Alchemy-Spetec as an experienced ground improvement project engineer. Tony also has professional experience in installations of commercial and residential solar electric systems, and solar hot water systems, as a senior project engineer.

Tony began his career as a mechanical engineer for Ingersoll Rand, Inc. and managed installation projects for their Northeast territory. Tony’s background with highly technical RFQ and RFP response will help provide quick turnaround on project bids with the details required to ensure successful project completion. Tony holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, is OSHA 10 Certified, OSHA Confined Space Entry, SWAC Card Holder, a TWIC Card holder, and is MTA NYC Track Safety Certified.

An avid outdoorsman, Tony gives back to the Engineering Community by spearheading STEM outreach programs, contributing best practices to the coastal, ports, oceans, and river engineering community, and by serving as Chair of the North Jersey ASCE COPRI Institute. Jim Spiegel, VP Sales and Business Development, adds, "Tony's technical knowledge of, and experience in, geotechnical grouting will provide immense value to our own team as well as customers.  We're excited to add such a strong team member to our Geotech Division and are looking forward to not only working with, but also learning from Tony."

Tony will be covering the following states: PA, WV, MD, DE, NJ, NY, VT, NH, ME, MA, CT, RI, DC

He can be reached at 917-588-0832 or talfano@alchemy-spetec.com.

Unstable Loading Dock Slabs

The soil beneath a loading dock slab needs to be stable and strong on a consistent basis.  Sinking or rocking slabs can cause injury and litigation risk that no property owner should have to deal with.  The good news is that you have a choice, even if your slabs are not sinking or rocking yet!

Loading Dock Slab Repair with Polyurethane

As the premier manufacturer of polyurethane lifting and stabilization products, we sell to slab repair contractors all over North America.  Wherever your property is located, we likely know a contractor in your area who can provide an estimate for repairing your loading dock.

Alchemy-Spetec's network of factory-trained contractors can fill voids, stabilize soil and lift sunken slabs with high-strength polyurethane foam.

If you own or manage a building with loading docks, do NOT ignore the risk of injury and litigation that stems from unsupported, unstable or sinking slabs.  We can help you find a well-trained contractor, specializing in loading dock concrete repair.

Call Alchemy-Spetec now at 404-618-0438 or...

Click below, fill out a form for a slab lift brochure & we'll contact you ASAP.

World of Concrete 2020 is scheduled for February 4th - 7th, 2020 in Las Vegas, NV.  Alchemy-Spetec will feature the Leak Seal Division & Product Line in the South Hall at location S11307 and the Geotech Division & Product Line in the Silver Lots at location O40551.

Leak Seal Division Booth - South Hall

The Leak Seal booth features a presentation/demo stage with comfortable chairs for audience members and a separate meeting area for in-depth discussions with knowledgeable experts.  Look for the following educational activities:

• Polyurethane Leak Seal Overview Presentation
• Crack Injection Demos
• Crack Injection Presentations
• Curtain Grouting Demos
• Curtain Grouting Presentations
• Polyurethane Product Mixing Demos
• Acrylic Grout Presentation & Demo

Geotech Division Booth - Silver Lots

The Geotech exhhibit area features a fully equipped 20-foot lifting rig, a Polybadger compact slab lifting system, and a row of concrete slabs for live lifting.  Look for the following educational activities:

• Slab Lifting Demos
• Lifting Foam Product Mixing Demos
• MixMaster Gun Cleaning Demos
• Fully Equipped Rig Tours
• Polybadger Demos

Respecting YOUR time is important to us.  So, in addition to the action-packed lists above, you can schedule a one-on-one consultation with your regional rep for personalized product or equipment demos, tips and advice on building your business, etc.

Want a personlized one-on-one meeting at World of Concrete? 

Georgia led the nation with nearly 200 high-hazard dams in unsatisfactory or poor condition, according to the AP's analysis.

Among them is Reservoir No. 1 in Atlanta, a 180 million-gallon water supply dating to the late 1800s that has been out of service much of the past few decades. The city made repairs and brought it back online in 2017, only to shut it down again after leaks were noticed.

If the dam were to catastrophically fail, the water could inundate more than 1,000 homes, dozens of businesses, a railroad and a portion of Interstate 75, according to an emergency action plan.

Excerpted from AP: At least 1,680 dams across the US pose potential risk
By David A. Lieb, Michael Casey And Michelle Minkoff

Warnings and stories similar in tone can be found in countless articles all over the web.  Just Google "infrastructure problems North America" and see for yourself.  This excerpt above describes a situation in Georgia - the home state of our headquarters and main office.  Needless to say, we can relate to communities everywhere who take this issue very personally.  The good news is that countless repair professionals across the land are tirelessly working to improve the condition of our infrastructure.

In the tradition of Thanksgiving, we would like to express our profound gratitude toward the hardworking crews on job sites all over this continent.  If you are one of those repair professionals, THANK YOU!  You consistently put yourself on the front lines of the infrastructure battle - repairing roads, railway beds, bridges, tunnels, water treatment plants, sewer systems, and countless other essential concrete structures.  Our deep belief in this cause is what motivates us to work so hard in support of your efforts.

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec products?

The Alchemy-Spetec PolyBadger mobile slab lifting system (named in honor of the mighty honey badger) is tough and compact. 

The Polybadger is Tough

The PolyBadger slab lifting system is built to last:

• The cabinet is constructed from powder coated carbon steel and the frame is constructed from carbon steel box tubing. 
• The durable hose is constructed with a Teflon core and a stainless-steel braid. (The system can operate with up to 200 feet of hose.)
• Essential elements (heaters, electronics, auto calibrator) are self-contained and protected in a metal cabinet.

The PolyBadger is Compact

The PolyBadger slab lifting system is durably built and designed to go where other lifting systems simply cannot venture:

• The PolyBadger is smaller in size than most of the competition, at 30" wide and 48" long. Now that's what you call portable!
• This is one of the few systems powered through a common 120-volt wall outlet (vs the usual 240-volt requirement). Compatibility with common wall outlets exponentially increases your location possibilities.
• The entire system is very maneuverable, resting on two swivel and two fixed 6-inch pneumatic castor wheels.  The wheels are are filled with light weight polyurethane instead of air, so they don't go flat. 

The Auto Calibrator

Another essential feature is the auto calibrator. It keeps the flow of A-side and B-side slab lifting material on ratio, eliminating the possibility of crossover clogging in the gun or the whip hose. The two low-pressure transfer pumps and auto calibrator are literally the only moving parts in the whole system. That means less downtime, less maintenance, and more productivity on the job. This system is easier to use and a more affordable than many options on the market.

Want more info on the PolyBadger?

World of Concrete 2020 is right around the corner - February 4th through 7th, 2020 in Las Vegas, NV. 

Alchemy-Spetec is going the extra mile to make sure your Leak Seal and Geotech interests are served to the fullest extent possible.  We'll be dedicating an entire booth to the Leak Seal Division & Product Line in the South Hall at location S11307 while retaining our usual outside exhibit area for the Geotech Division & Product Line in the Silver Lots at location O40551.  Each booth will be staffed by experts in each respective product line.

Leak Seal Division Booth - South Hall

The Leak Seal booth features a presentation/demo stage with comfortable chairs for audience members and a separate meeting area for in-depth discussions with knowledgeable experts.  You can look forward to the following educational activities:

• Polyurethane Leak Seal Overview Presentation
• Crack Injection Demos
• Crack Injection Presentations
• Curtain Grouting Demos
• Curtain Grouting Presentations
• Polyurethane Product Mixing Demos
• Acrylic Grout Presentation & Demo

Geotech Division Booth - Silver Lots

The Geotech exhibit area features a fully equipped 20-foot lifting rig, a Polybadger compact slab lifting system, and a row of concrete slabs for live lifting.  You can look forward to the following educational activities:

• Slab Lifting Demos
• Lifting Foam Product Mixing Demos
• MixMaster Gun Cleaning Demos
• Fully Equipped Rig Tours
• Polybadger Demos

We look forward to seeing you there!

Dams Across the U.S. in Dire Need of Repair

On a cold morning last March, Kenny Angel got a frantic knock on his door. Two workers from a utility company in northern Nebraska had come with a stark warning: Get out of your house.

Just a little over a quarter-mile upstream, the 92-year-old Spencer Dam was straining to contain the swollen, ice-covered Niobrara River after an unusually intense snow and rainstorm. The workers had tried but failed to force open the dam's frozen wooden spillway gates. So, fearing the worst, they fled in their truck, stopping to warn Angel before driving away without him.

Minutes later, the dam came crashing down, unleashing a wave of water carrying ice chunks the size of cars. Angel's home was wiped away; his body was never found.

"He had about a 5-minute notice, with no prior warning the day before," Scott Angel, one of Kenny's brothers, said.

State inspectors had given the dam a "fair" rating less than a year earlier. Until it failed, it looked little different from thousands of others across the U.S. — and that could portend a problem.

A more than two-year investigation by The Associated Press has found scores of dams nationwide in even worse condition, and in equally dangerous locations. They loom over homes, businesses, highways or entire communities that could face life-threatening floods if the dams don't hold.

Excerpted from AP: At least 1,680 dams across the US pose potential risk
By David A. Lieb, Michael Casey And Michelle Minkoff

Specialty Grouting of Dams with Polyurethane

The recently released news story excerpted above is bringing major attention to the widespread problem of deteriorating dam infrastructure. In most cases, cementitious grout is used to repair dams at risk. But there are certain types of geologies that cementitious grout cannot penetrate or gets washed out of. This is where specialty grouting with polyurethane (and microfine cement) comes in. The following products can be used alongside cementitious grout for optimal results:

Spetec PUR F400
This is a is a solvent and phthalate free, water reactive, hydrophobic, closed cell, low viscosity, shrink-free, flexible, one-component polyurethane injection resin.  It can be used to seal fine cracks in dams that cementitious grout cannot reach.

Spetec AG200
This is a is a three-component, water-swelling hydrogel based on acrylic that hardens into an elastic product.  It can be used to stablize loose soil around dams.

AP Microfine 10
This is a microfine cement that penetrates very small openings such as soil pores and microscopic rock fissures in order to improve strength and reduce permeability.  It can be used in conjunction with Spetec AG200 to add strength to soil stabilization repairs around dams.

While cemententious grouting is the most common grouting method used to stop water flows and strengthen soils for dams, specialty grouting with polyurethane and/or microfine cements can be used to supplement or even replace standard centmentious grouting in areas it has troubles in.

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec products?