Polyurethane chemical grout injection can be a bit of a Pandora’s box at times. So, what can be done to help combat some of these uncertainties? Well, how about the easiest and most cost-effective solution first. Oakum! Not only is it amazing what you can accomplish with it, but it is vital to have on every job. YES, I SAID EVERY JOB.
There are only two things that have to happen for successful water mitigation. One, get the grout to the right location. Two, keep it there long enough to react. With tight cracks, it can be difficult to get the grout to travel in the crack, but once you get it there it is good to go. With wide cracks or high flow leaks, getting to the right place is easy, but keeping it there long enough to set up can be challenging.
You can use oakum to control grout and keep it where you want it in the crack or joint. Remember we are doing the injection work to stop the flow of water, so let’s make the least amount of holes possible in the concrete. But what does that have to do with oakum? Cracks are irregular, and often have sections that are wider in some sections. When this wider area is at the surface it can allow an easy escape path for a grout under pressure. That means you are wasting grout and not getting it where it needs to be, deep in the crack. Sure, if you have raw resin coming out of the crack you can just wait for it to cure. Once cured you cannot reinject that packer, so it is best to surface seal that crack and stop or slow down the loss of grout. This allows you to continue effective pumping into the crack or joint.
If the crack or joint is wide, grout impregnated oakum can be packed in place. While messy, this is the equivalent of finger painting with chemical grouts and is an easy process.
If you're thinking "I have rags, I don’t need oakum", think again. Oakum is stronger, can be pulled apart into just a few fibers if needed, and can be stuffed into very tiny defects where rags cannot fit.
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On March 29th - 31st, Contractors from around the world traveled to Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA for a thorough education in Slab Lifting, Soil Stabilization, the Deep Lift® process, equipment, and applications. They received hands-on training from a technical staff with decades of on-the-job experience.
This post is part of the Alchemy-Spetec Contractor Lens series, featuring views, news & case studies written by our customers. This article, written by Brian Dalinghaus of
Do not get caught off guard. It’s crucial to determine if the project you are bidding requires products that meet NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 standards for contact with drinking water. But what exactly are NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 standards? Our goal here is to provide a concise and comprehensive overview of why NSF approval is important for polyurethane concrete repair chemical grouts.
The Alchemy-Spetec PolyBadger lifting system is tough and compact. This system is an affordable entry-level option for new contractors, as well as an extremely portable addition to the experienced contractor’s arsenal. The PolyBadger is a lot less expensive than your standard 20-foot trailer rig. The setup is simple and requires minimal equipment. The entire system can easily fit in the back of a pickup truck! With this equipment, you can handle most every flatwork type of concrete lifting, be it residential or commercial. Of course, void filling beneath slabs and structures is also within the capability of the machine.
Alchemy-Spetec's Spring 2022 training event is officially SOLD OUT! If you're still interested in training, we'll be conducting another event in the Fall of 2022. Click the button below and fill out the form. We'll keep you updated on the next event and all other training opportunities!
Poor compaction, water erosion, broken pipes, and organic material in the soil can all lead to the settling of a foundation or a roadway. Common methods of addressing deep soil issues require heavy equipment, extended downtime, and collateral property damage. These situations create problems for property owners as well as opportunities for specialty contractors that know how to fix them.
Filling voids is one of the most common applications for polyurethane concrete repair foam. Geotech contractors use specialized foam to fill voids in the soil under slabs, behind retaining walls, and around municipal infrastructure. In this post, we'll review some of the most popular Alchemy-Spetec blog articles on the subject.
A large Mid-Western aluminum manufacturer was losing water from all of its quenching tanks. Losing 3 million gallons in half a year can be expensive, not to mention the massive effect that volume of water can have on soil and the structures it supports. So, they reached out to one of their trusted maintenance contractors, who in turn came to Alchemy-Spetec for guidance on how to efficiently mitigate the leaks with minimal downtime. 
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