Alchatek Blog

Last week we lost one of our own. Jimmie Kays of Vidor Texas and Marsh Waterproofing left us suddenly, and much too early.  A big guy with a heart as big as the state of Texas he hails from.

I received word on Saturday night and it just didn’t seem possible.  Tuesday found me face to face with reality; having flown to Texas to be with our friends there.  We gathered at the small Baptist church in Vidor where Jimmie grew up and I listened to his closest friends and family tell stories about how he had touched them.   He was known for his great sense of humor, his habit of greeting everyone with a smile, and his willingness to sacrifice anything to help others.  We need more like him and I wish I had the chance to get to know him a little better.

The rain was pouring down on Wednesday morning, but that did not deter a standing room only crowd from gathering to honor Jimmie, pay their respects, and be there to support his loved ones.  The mile long procession of cars to his graveside, in such a small town, was a testament to how much he was loved and how badly he will be missed.  With his Dallas Cowboys hat and jersey on, and a Harley Davidson logo on his casket, Jimmie took his last ride, where he will now join a lot of other great Texans.

Sometimes reality slaps us in the face and reminds us that there are bigger things than making that next appointment, getting a project, or making a sale.  If you knew Jimmie, his family, or the folks at Marsh, keep them in your thoughts as they come to grips with this.  If you didn’t know him, make a point to appreciate everyone around you, and offer a smile or a friendly word…that’s what Jimmie would do.    

In this post I will share information resources for proper disposal and recycling of Alchemy-Spetec products and containers.

Polyurethane Disposal and Recycling Guidelines

The American Chemistry Council provides plenty of information on polyurethane disposal and recycling.  Here are a few links for your review...

• The ACC Web Page on Polyurethane Recycling
  
  
• The ACC Brochure: Guidelines for the Responsible Disposal of Wastes and Containers from Polyurethane Processing

Finding a Container Recycler

To find a recycling service that serves your area, simply do an internet search for "steel drum recycling", "IBC tote recycling" or "plastic pail recycling".  Be sure to inform them that your containers used to contain polyurethane.

Want in-depth info on Alchemy-Spetec products?

Do you follow us on YouTube yet? We work hard to make sure our content is relevant and helpful to your bottom line.

Here are two reasons you should subscribe right now:

Sharpen Your Polyurethane Concrete Repair Knowledge

• Watch slabs being lifted, seawalls being repaired and leaks being sealed.
• See experienced technicians demonstrate best practices.

Learn More About Alchemy-Spetec Products

• Watch informative sample demos.
• See the products in action under a variety of conditions.

If you are interested in Alchemy-Spetec products and procedures, following us on YouTube is a fantastic way to stay up to date!

Take a few seconds and subscribe to the YouTube channel today. You’ll be glad you did!

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec products?

As mentioned in the previous blog post, Kiawah Island is located in Charleston, South Carolina. Due to the makeup of this area, water flows abundantly in every area naturally. In this post I'll discuss a sinkhole that appeared on one of the island's bike trails. This was caused by the soil eroding away under an asphalt sidewalk. This particular bike trail rested on and around a pond that contained fresh fish. The only acceptable route to fix this issue was to use Alchemy-Spetecs’ H100, which has been certified as safe for contact with drinking water. (Other products often used for soil stabilization are AP Soil 600 and H40.)

We advised the contractor to slowly open up the sinkhole by chipping away the bad asphalt and driving probes down to the ground while simultaneously pumping H100. The contractor pumped in H100 until the grout reached a suitable level at the top of the void. The next day after the grout cured, the path was squared off and repaved using sand and stone.

Within 24 hours start to finish, they were able to eliminate the void and get the trail back in shape for public use - without harming the ecosystem of the pond and fresh water fish.

Want more information on sink hole repair and soil stabilization products?

Kiawah Island, located in Charleston, South Carolina, is home to about 5 championship golf courses. On this island there are a lot of corrugated metal storm sewer pipes that carry water from place to place. Many of these underground storm sewer pipes began to leak due to decay caused by aging.

To start this repair, the contractor used inflatable dams to stop the water from going through the pipes.  We then advised them to drive 8 foot long grout probes into the ground along the outside of the 72 inch sewer pipes. These probes were used to penetrate the surrounding soil and start plugging the active leaks from the outside with Alchemy-Spetec H100. With the inflated dams in place diverting the water, they were also able to climb inside the sewer pipes. While inside they pumped H100 through to the other side of the pipe, out into the soil. Next, they used spin casting to seal off the inside of the pipes. Spin casting is a method in which a small machine with a hose on one end spins around in a circle shooting a coating material to seal the pipe off after grouting.

With a combination of probe grouting and spin casting, they were able to complete this storm sewer pipe repair and ensure leakage no longer occurred.

Want more information on sealing leaks?

In this case study, I will share a story about waterproofing warehouse slabs. There was a distribution center in North Carolina sitting on land that had a high water table. Eventually, the slabs in this 100,000 square foot building began to accumulate moisture.

There were offices next to the warehouse area. The moisture that was seeping through the concrete slabs was first noticed as the carpet in the office area began to get damp.

To combat this issue, we helped the contractor come up with a plan to inject polyurethane chemical grout through the slab floors to create a positive side waterproofing membrane underneath. That was completed by injecting Spetec PUR H100 underneath the slab using a diamond pattern. This technique is called curtain wall grouting. The contractor was able to waterproof the warehouse slabs while simultaneously keeping the moisture out of the building. 

Want more information on curtain wall grouting?

In Manhattan, New York, a building site was facing unforeseen issues. An old building with an empty lot was being demolished for new construction, and underneath was mainly rock and stone. As the contractors began to penetrate the rocks, water began to spew out.

Grouting had to be done because of the water leaks that arose after penetration of the rocks. We advised the contractor to use our H100 resin to slow down the water. Ports were drilled into the horizontal slabs and rocks as a starting point. With the ports set into place, the second step was to inject the resin into the rock fissures (open cracks) to slow down the water and fill the large voids.

In the end, the contractor was able to slow down 80% of the water from the rock fissures. With the water down to a minimum, the concrete slab was able to be poured and a base was created for the new building. This is just one of the many ways our products can be used to repair damage on building sites in emergency situations.

Want more information on concrete leak seal repair products?

In Baltimore, Maryland, an office building housing EZ Pass toll booth administration personnel was facing a serious crisis. A 22 inch deep wall joint in their boiler room had a void and needed to be repaired. The joint was rapidly deteriorating.

We advised the contractor to use a combination of oakum and our H100 resin. The first step was to soak the oakum in the H100. Next, the soaked oakum was dipped in water for activation and then inserted into the joint. The cured material and oakum sealed off the front 15 inches of the joint. Then more H100 was injected behind the cured oakum, using a customized injection needle, to fill the back 7 inches of the joint for extra measure. The combination of H100 and oakum acted as a gasket to stop water from coming through the expansion joint while filling the void.

The job was finally finished off by inserting a caulk joint sealant to lock all the grout into the joint, completely sealing off the leaks and preventing any future ones. This is one of many examples in which our products have been used in the application of leak seal for municipalities.

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal products?