Alchatek Blog

As a member of the ICRI Board of Directors, I'm happy to share the following information about the upcoming ICRI Webinar: Specifying Concrete Repair.

Time and Date:
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
1-2 PM CDT / 2-3 PM EDT

This webinar will review issues that should be addressed when preparing a specification for concrete repair. ICRI developed an editable specification titled “Guide Specification for Structural Concrete Repairs” that can be used by design professionals. The webinar reviews the specification and discusses decisions that should be considered when developing a concrete repair specification.

Learning Objectives

1. Become familiar with ICRI Technical Guide No. 110.1, “Guide Specifications for Structural Concrete Repairs,” based on the CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) Masterformat.
2. Understand the breakdown of key information in the three parts of the specification: Part 1: General, Part 2: Products, and Part 3: Execution.
3. Understand the decisions made by the committee during the development of the specification. 
4. Be introduced to the decisions that will need to be made by the Design Professional when using the specification.
5. Learn the standard practices commonly used in the concrete repair industry, with options and commentary, and how to require them through specifications.

About the Presenter

Karl Rickert, PE, was born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Arnold, Maryland.  Thanks to familial connections, his father was a structural engineer. Karl obtained a job at Lamprecht Consultants, a structural engineering firm in Baltimore, where he worked during the summer after his junior year in high school until about 2 years after finishing college.

Between 1971 and 1975, Karl attended Drexel University, participated in their cooperative education program and became a student member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.  Following graduation with a BS in Civil Engineering, Karl spent the next 11 years gaining experience as a structural engineer through work at Lamprecht Consultants, Skarda & Rickert Structural Consultants, and Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani.  In 1979, Karl became a registered professional engineer in the State of Maryland and is currently registered in eight states and the District of Columbia.  Karl completed an MS in structural engineering at George Washington University in 1984.

In 1986, Karl founded Rickert Engineering, Inc. and continues to serve as President of the firm.  Karl completed an MBA at Loyola College in Baltimore in 1994 and has maintained memberships in professional organizations including ACI, ACEC, AISC, ASCE, CSI, ICRI, and NSPE.  He has been an officer at the local level of several of these organizations and is currently active on committees (past-chair of Committee 110) at the national level of the International Concrete Repair Institute.  He is also currently serving on the Maryland Board of Professional Engineers.

In this post, we’re sharing our three most popular articles on sealing seawalls over the last 365 days.  Read the opening paragraph, and then click "Read more..." for the rest of the article.

1. Stop Erosion Through Your Seawall with Polyurethane

When it comes to seawalls, there is a lot more to learn than meets the eye. A seawall is like a living, breathing thing: especially in the way that it is designed to function. But like all living breathing things, they have a finite lifespan. For many of them, it's a mere 20 – 30 years. Depending on where you live, replacing a seawall can cost anywhere from $150 to $500 per foot. That's enough for some homeowners to choose to move instead of rebuilding their seawalls. Today however, signs of seawall distress can be solved before they get too bad through the application of polyurethane grouts to seal leaks, fill voids, and stabilize the surrounding soils. Read more…

2. An In-Depth Look at Polyurethane Seawall Repair

In this article we look at an innovative way to repair seawalls instead of replacing them by stopping high flow leaks, filling the voids behind concrete structures and binding loose soil with polyurethane foam. The underlying cause of seawall deterioration is as follows: As tidal flows rise and fall, water pushes its way in through cracks, joints, and defects in seawalls. The water pushes in on incoming tides and flows out on outgoing tides. As the water flows out, it carries sand and soil with it which causes undermining of the structure, voids to form, and deteriorates the structural integrity of the seawall. This cycle is exacerbated during periods of heavy rain which continue the outflow of soil. Read more…

3. Signs a Seawall is in Need of Repair

Salt corrosion, tidal action, currents, boat wakes, storm surges and sometimes hurricanes all deliver a constant beating on the seawall. Contrary to popular opinion, many of the forces also come from the side of the wall facing the land. Did you realize that rainfall/storm events create more hydrostatic pressure than rising and falling tides? Every time it rains or the irrigation system runs, and every time the tide goes out; all of the groundwater above the waterline needs a place to vent or equalize. Massive pressure can build up if that water is trapped, making it impossible for it to drain into the sea or storm water system. That is a recipe for disaster which can easily be avoided with proper surveillance. Read more…

Want more information on sealing seawalls?

Does Your Seawall Need Sealing?

In general, seawalls protect property from erosion over time and from damage during extreme weather. But this is only the case when the seawall is not leaking. If your seawall is compromised, consider having it sealed with polyurethane resin. (To determine if your seawall is compromised, see our blog post Telltale Signs Your Seawall May Need Repairs.) The key to keeping problems at bay is to actively anticipate them. Regularly inspect your seawall or call us at 404-618-0438 to help you find a professional to inspect it for you.

Polyurethane Products for Seawall Sealing

AP Fill 700 and Spetec PUR H200 are both semi-rigid hydrophobic polyurethane foams that react with moisture in the soil and expand to fill voids while permeating sandy soil to form a solid, strong, watertight mass.  These are the two most commonly used foams for sealing seawall cracks, voids and defects (as well as for filling voids and stabilizing soil).  

Andy Powell summed it up perfectly in Signs a Seawall is in Need of Repair...

If you live along the water, it is always going to be man against nature. That seawall is keeping your property from damage and from disappearing altogether. The key to extending the life of your seawall is the advanced polyurethane technology from Alchemy-Spetec. For more on the repair process itself, read An In-Depth Look at Polyurethane Seawall Repair. It's fast, clean, easy to install, and most of all, effective.

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec seawall repair products and applications?

Seawalls embody the very image of long-lasting endurance and stability. Without proper maintenance and repair, however, the reality can be a bit different.  If your seawall is showing any of the signs listed below, you may want to look into repair options.

Here some telltale signs your seawall may need repairs...

• Clogged Weep Holes
  Weep holes are small openings in concrete structures that allow water from behind the seawall to drain through it.  If these holes get clogged with debris, water pressure can build up and cause the wall to eventually crack and fail (or cause the water to find ways around the wall).

• Visible Rust Colored Cracks/Stains
  Rebar that has been exposed to water will stain the surrounding area. This causes the rebar to expand, further introducing cracks into the seawall and risking failure.
  
  
• Sinkholes or Settling Concrete Near the Seawall
  Sinkholes or settling concrete appear due to loss of soil. This is essentially a feature of a compromised seawall in that water is seeping through or underneath the seawall, weakening the structure and contributing to soil erosion.
  
  
• Sand or Soil Deposits on the Water Side of the Seawall
  These deposits will typically show up at the joints and are a sign that you are losing soil from behind the seawall.

Solution - Polyurethane Seawall Repair

I summed it up in this previous blog post An In-Depth Look at Polyurethane Seawall Repair...

Polyurethane installation equipment and procedures allow for a non-invasive, clean approach to repair that often allows the property owner to continue use during the process. In all cases, the property owner can resume activity on and around the structure within hours after a repair. As explained in our blog post Alchemy-Spetec's NSF Certification Spells Environmental Protection, most of our products have been rigorously tested not only for contact with typical recreational and commercial bodies of water, but even for contact with drinking water. So there is NO doubt about the environmentally friendly advantages of Alchemy-Spetec seawall repair materials.  Read more...

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec seawall repair products and applications?

Using oakum with chemical grout is a way of sealing gushing leaks, as well as sealing the area (annular space) around pipes passing through concrete structures. When a pipe passes through a concrete structure and the annular space around the pipe is large, the saturated oakum technique can be used to seal off the water infiltration. Oakum saturated with grout can be used alone to seal off water flow. It can also be utilized to build a surface seal or “dam” behind which grout can be pumped. 

Procedures

This is a two-person process.

1. Clean the crack or space to be sealed of any loose debris and foreign material.
2. Cut the oakum in various lengths to fit the perimeter requirements of the area to be sealed.
3. Soak the oakum in the grout.
4. One person will wring out the soaked oakum and hand it to the other person, who will...
5. Dip the oakum into a pail of water to activate the grout and then place the activated oakum into the crack or space using a screw driver or a similar tool.

After the space has been packed with saturated oakum, you can inject grout behind the seal with an injection needle. 

For more information, see our previous post on this subject and call us at 404-618-0438.

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal products?

Don't miss out on the AP Lift 430 and MixMaster Pro slab lifting gun product bundle offer!

AP Lift 430 Concrete Leveling Foam

AP LIFT 430 is a two component, high strength, high density, hydro insensitive slab lifting foam. 

• Traffic ready in 15 minutes.
• High strength.
• Works in wet environments - displaces water.
• Bonds with soil and concrete.
• Closed cell.
• Certified by Truesdail Labs to NSF/ANSI 61-5 (approved for contact with drinking water).

MixMaster Pro Concrete Leveling Gun

Two-component resin injection gun manufactured specifically for lifting concrete slabs, designed to handle back-pressure. As the essential piece of foam jacking equipment for Alchemy-Spetec’s expanding polyurethane foams, the resin injection gun provides highly-efficient concrete leveling. 

• Completely mechanical actuation
• No side seals or O-rings in the mixing block to replace
• Integrated rebuildable check valves to save your whip hose
• Easy break down and clean up at the end of the day
• Utilizes smaller 3/8” injection port
• Uses water based flush

Call 404-618-0438 to order your Slab Lift Product Bundle NOW!

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec Geotech products?

Today’s guest blogger is Bill Stivers, an experienced salesman at Alchemy-Spetec distributor Sunshine Supply.

As a Salesman at Sunshine Supply, I’ve dealt with a lot of leak seal products over the years.  But I don’t often get the chance to try them out on my own property.  I recently, however, had an issue with a leaking swimming pool in my own back yard.  Water was draining through the seams between the slabs of my pool deck and causing erosion.  In addition, ground squirrels and rabbits had been digging around the area over the years, causing further issues with soil displacement.  The pool deck was destabilized along with the wall surrounding the pool.  They had both slipped about a half an inch down a small hill on one side.  Some bricks around the pool had settled about 2 inches.  My extensive experience in this field told me that this was just the beginning of a much more serious problem.  The leaking water had to be contained and the soil around the structures had to be stabilized immediately.

Due to my position at Sunshine Supply, I am familiar with a wide range of leak seal products, and there was one that I knew would be ideal for this job: Spetec PUR H200.  We injected deep into the soil on the hillside via 6-foot injection pipes.  We used an F-Valve to simultaneously inject water along with the resin to jump-start the reaction process.  (The wet soil would have caused the resin to react anyways, but the added water kick started the reaction process for a quicker install of the material.)  This process prevents the wall and pool deck from further slippage by stopping the seeping water and stabilizing the supporting soil.

If you live in any of the following areas and want to buy your leak seal supplies from distributors with expert knowledge of the products, make sure you contact Sunshine Supply at any of the following locations:

• Anaheim
• Denver
• Ontario
• Salt Lake
• San Diego
• San Marcos

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal products?

The new stainless-steel block for the MixMaster Pro concrete leveling gun is an option you may want to consider. This stronger, more durable gun block was developed to prevent stripping of injector ports (which can sometimes happen with the aluminum block if the ports are over-tightened). 

There are no problems with the aluminum block as long as all your crew members are trained not to over-tighten the ports.  But if you would like that extra level of projection and durability, consider spending a little more for the stainless-steel option.

Want more info on the MixMaster Pro concrete leveling gun?

It's important every now and then to take a look at what's popular on the Alchemy-Spetec blog.  Topics that are important to other customers may be important to you.  Our 3 most popular blog posts in the last 30 days are:

• Hydrophobic vs Hydrophilic: Polyurethanes
• Stop Erosion Through Your Seawall with Polyurethane
• An In-Depth Look at Polyurethane Seawall Repair

The Hydrophobic vs Hydrophilic post always been popular.  It's critical to understand the difference between hydrophobic and hydrophilic resins if you want to choose the right product for the job at hand.  The other two top performers in the last 30 days are seawall repair articles.  That's no surprise as we are smack-dab in the middle of the summer season.  People are more likely to be spending time in the water around their property and noticing seawall issues.  If you're contractor, refresh your seawall repair knowledge by reading those articles!  If you're a property owner with a seawall issue, read those articles to educate yourself and then call us to help you find a contractor!

In addition to checking out those three currently popular posts, you can browse all our posts by topic:

• Seal Leaks (125)
• Lift Slabs (112)
• Stabilize Soil (71)
• Business Tips (66)
• Equipment & Accessories (45)
• Repair Seawalls (30)
• Waterstop (23)
• Deep Lift (18)
• Repair Cracks (14)
• NSF Certification (13)
• Floor Repair (9)
• Fill Voids (1)

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec products?

Leak Seal & Geotech Products & Procedures

October 9th & 10th, 2019 at Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA

Get ready for a thorough education in Leak Seal, Slab Lifting, Soil Stabilization and the Alchemy-Spetec Deep Lift™ process. You’ll get hands-on training from a technical staff with decades of on-the-job experience.

Wednesday - Leak Seal

• Leak Seal Product Line Overview
• Curtain Grouting
• Permeation Grouting
• Leak-Seal Product Mixing
• Pump & Packer Overviews
• Leak-Seal Accessories
• Municipal Applications
• Live Injection Demos
• Open Discussions

Thursday - Geotech

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

Participants receive a Samsung tablet loaded with training material.

Your Instructors:

Stephen C. Barton (President/CEO), Jim Spiegel (VP Sales & Business Development), Andy Powell (Southeastern Regional Manager), Anthony Sandone (Eastern Regional Manager), Charlie Lerman (Western Regional Manager), and Michael Binyaminov (Western Sales Representative).