Read through this list:

• Manholes
• Catch basins
• Drop inlets
• Wet wells
• The Grand Canyon

This is not a game of which one doesn't belong, as they all channel water and can cause erosion. The Grand Canyon is breathtaking. Likewise, washouts or sinkholes caused by leaking and neglected infrastructure are breathtaking - but in a completely different way. They're breathtaking in regard to the high costs of emergency repairs and the potential damage they cause.

This quote, from an article on KCCI.com, sums it up nicely...

“At first, crews resurfacing the pavement thought a large piece of machinery had fallen into a sinkhole 10 feet deep… It turns out an original clay storm sewer pipe had disconnected, leaking water for what appears to be a long time, eroding the earth around it.”

There is no downside to fixing these common infrastructure issues before they get out of control. Any repair costs are quickly offset by the reduction of sewer water requiring treatment. Who is not for lower sewer rates, a healthier environment, longer-lasting infrastructure, and fewer manmade washouts/sinkholes?

So why don’t we address infiltration more? It is as simple as the old adage "out of sight out of mind". Infiltration is a preventable and treatable sewage collection system problem. We have neglected our infrastructure for too long and we need to raise public awareness of the issue.

We at Alchemy-Spetec not only manufacture quality polyurethane chemical grouts for these types of repairs, but we also provide top-notch training and support for leak seal crews. Call 404-618-0438 and let us know how we can assist you in raising awareness about or repairing infiltration. We are all in this together.

Want more information on leak seal products and equipment?

The new and improved PolyShark 2.0 is here! 

Features

• Stacked hose reels.
• Smaller footprint.
• More portable.

Benefits

• Easy access to hose reels.
• Can be shipped on a standard 40" x 46" pallet.
• Easily fits on a barge, van, or trailer.

A Geotech Pump System Like No Other

The PolyShark system includes injection hoses, suction lines, flow meters, a custom solid steel frame, a skid-mounted setup, and top-of-the-line components. It is a complete turnkey unit, ready to go upon arrival. Let's take a closer look...

• Two 350 feet injection hose reels are included, allowing an exceptional amount of additional reach for limited access and/or remote location jobs.
• Suction lines make it easy to pump material from totes, drums, or even pails if needed. This type of flexibility is not common to all geotech pumps.
• Flow meters make it easy to accurately track the amount of material pumped.
• The custom solid steel frame, polyurea coated for excellent chemical resistance, is built to last and weather all types of environments.
• The skid-mounted setup keeps all system components together, allowing for easy transfer from truck to trailer to the ground on a job site if necessary.
• The Honda gas motor, Titan hydraulic pump, and Titan hydraulic fluid ram are top-of-the-line, tried, and true components. This means less maintenance and downtime when compared to competing systems.

Want more information on the PolyShark?

The Central Davis Sewer District (CDSD) is a publicly owned collection system and water treatment plant that serves three local cities in Northern Utah. With a new highway being constructed just outside their facility, a new pump station had to be installed on the premises. After installation of the new pump station, a large leak appeared in the manhole which caused it to fill up with about 10 feet of water. The CDSD contacted PolyFoam Solutions to see what could be done to seal the leaks. The PolyFoam Solutions crew pumped all the water out of the manhole and discovered that two of the manhole’s horizontal joints had large leaks. These leaks were allowing about 10-15 gallons per minute (over 20,000 gallons per day) of water to infiltrate the pump station.

Powerful Polymers

PolyFoam Solutions worked closely with Charlie Lerman, Alchemy-Spetec's Director of Technical Services for the Leak Seal Division. Together, they devised a plan to seal the large leaks using Spetec PUR F400. Spetec PUR F400 is a solvent and phthalate-free, water-reactive, hydrophobic, closed-cell, low viscosity, shrink-free, flexible, one-component polyurethane injection resin designed to stop water leaks. It is also certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 (approved for contact with drinking water).

Painless Procedures

The crew drilled four holes around the lower manhole joint and then installed injection ports. As they pumped the polyurethane grout into the ports, it began to travel around the joint, sealing the leaks. Once the grout had traveled as far as it could from one port, the technician moved on to the next port until the entire joint had been sealed watertight. They used oakum to temporarily seal some of the larger leaks until the grout had time to cure. The upper joint only required 3 port injections due to the speed at which the grout traveled.

Rapid Results

The crew only took about 3 hours to completely seal all of the leaks and return the manhole to service. There was no way the leaks could have been left un-repaired due to the water treatment cost and the potential damage the erosion would have caused. Replacing the manhole would have easily cost three or more times the price of grouting. In this case, the community wins as many tax dollars are being saved.

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Most people don’t realize that one of the greatest threats to their property’s infrastructure is unseen water eroding away its structural integrity little by little. Water is relentless and all types of structures and sewer collection systems are at risk from cracks, spalls, and large voids. If left unchecked, uncontrolled water intrusion and infiltration will end up in massive rehabilitation and repair bills costing significant money, time, and stress.

We believe every municipality, facility, and property manager or owner should have access to cost-effective and long-term solutions to these issues. Water is unforgiving and must be controlled properly with the right materials and repair methods. Alchemy-Spetec offers a variety of polyurethane resins for sealing leaks in structures and sewer collection systems. We are a global manufacturing company certified to ISO9001 and offer dedicated service and support with decades of experience. Our polyurethane resin technology has been proven in use around the world and is certified to be environmentally friendly.

Learn More About Our Solutions:

From hairline concrete cracks to gushing leaks, virtually any defect can be sealed with the Spetec series of polyurethane resins, optimized for leak seal applications.

Leaking concrete structures can be permanently repaired with concrete crack injection & curtain wall procedures using water-activated polyurethane foam. Pressure injection of these liquid polyurethane resins forces the material into cracks and joints, behind walls, pipes, manholes, and any kind of infrastructure in need of controlling water intrusion and leaks. After the polyurethane injection is complete, the polyurethane resin rapidly reacts with water to form a watertight gasket to seal off the affected areas.

The products offered by Alchemy-Spetec deliver the ultimate solution for hairline cracks, gushing leaks, and other leak seal issues.

Polyurethane Leak Seal Products:

• Spetec PUR H100
• Spetec PUR H200
• Spetec PUR GT350
• Spetec PUR GT380
• Spetec PUR F400
• Spetec PUR GT500
• Spetec PUR HighFoamer
• Spetec Boom! Seal
• Spetec AG200

Start a Property Preservation Plan in 3 Simple Steps:

1. Start a conversation with one of our experts about your specific challenge/property.
2. We will work with you to create an action plan custom-tailored to your needs.
3. We will connect you to a factory-authorized contractor who will help you solve your problem.

City Creek Center is an up-scale shopping mall in downtown Salt Lake City. While under construction a five-foot-wide trench, located between two underground parking garages, was back-filled with pea gravel, and then a sidewalk was built on top of it. About ten years later the gravel began to settle enough to cause underground power lines to stretch and finally tear, knocking the power out for many of the local businesses. Engineers determined that the trench could be stabilized with the installation of polyurethane grout at depths of 30 feet below the surface. PolyFoam Solutions, a local geotechnical services contractor, was called in to perform the work. 

Powerful Polymer

AP Fill 700 is a single component, water-activated, hydrophobic, low viscosity, closed-cell polyurethane injection resin. This polyurethane material was selected because it is ideal for both permeating soil and filling voids. It also provides excellent strength and stability.

Painless Procedure

An Alchemy-Spetec technical consultant worked closely with the geotech contractor to develop the injection plan, detailing exactly where each of the injection points would be located. The plan was then communicated to the engineer and approval was given to move forward with the project. The geotech crew installed 10 injection tubes 30 feet deep into the soil. They then pumped approximately 1 gallon per vertical foot of AP Fill 700, as they pulled the tubes up 1 foot at a time. The injection points were spaced about 36” apart.

Rapid Result

After only two days the site work was completed, and the general contractor was able to move forward with filling the trench and repairing the sidewalk.

Want more info on geotech products and equipment?

The Specialty Waterproofing with Chemical Grouts presentation explains and demonstrates how polyurethane chemical grout can be used to cut off leaks in structures. The presentation covers the following topics:

• Chemical Grouting Primer
  • History
  • Safety
  • Characteristics
• Utilization & Applications
  • Identifying Applications
  • Selecting a Chemical Grout
  • Epoxy & Hydraulic Cement
• Installation Techniques
  • Crack and Joint Injection
  • Curtain Grouting
  • Oakum Soakum
  • Equipment Overview

This one-hour CE/PDH accredited presentation is ideal for engineers who are interested in learning about next-generation leak seal repair methods for sealing leaks in structures, controlling inflow/infiltration, and more.

Click here and submit your info for a follow-up call on scheduling an accredited presentation.

Want more info on leak seal products and equipment?

The Geotechnical Applications for Polyurethane presentation explains and demonstrates how concrete leveling and soil stabilization resins can be used to stabilize soil and repair structures. The presentation covers the following topics:

• Single Component Polyurethane Grout Applications
• Two-Component Polyurethane Grout Applications
• Acrylic Grout Applications

This one-hour CE/PDH accredited presentation is ideal for engineers who are interested in learning about next-generation geotech repair methods for pavement lifting and stabilization, excavation support, erosion control, infrastructure infiltration control, etc.

Click here and submit your info for a follow-up call on scheduling an accredited presentation.

Want more information on geotech products and equipment?

Alchemy-Spetec grout labs are a great way to learn about industry-leading polyurethane leak seal products and applications. These are usually half-day events featuring...

Classroom Polyurethane Leak Seal Training

• Safety Considerations for Polyurethane Leak Seal Work
• Crack Injection Products and Application Procedures
• Curtain Grouting Products and Application Procedures

Live Polyurethane Leak Seal Demos

• Concrete Crack Injection
• Curtain Grouting
• Pump Startup and Maintenance

Contact your local distributor of polyurethane leak seal products and ask them to schedule an Alchemy-Spetec grout lab at their location. To find a distributor stocking Alchemy-Spetec products near you, click your state on this interactive map. 

Want more information on leak seal products and equipment?

One of the many joys of my job is going to all corners of North America and participating in unique projects. While I am a seasoned traveler, cement is not. Cement grout often requires heavy equipment. Shipping cement grout and related equipment can be expensive. While often not a concern for most projects, it is a driving factor for remote locations.

I have been involved with numerous projects in which cement grout would be an acceptable repair and more cost-effective than chemical grout - until the project location gets factored in. Dams are found in many remote locations. The very remote ones are often built using a temporary road that can handle heavy construction traffic. Fast forward some years and these roads no longer can support cement trucks or other heavy vehicles.

Chemical grouting equipment can easily be loaded into a pickup truck or even on the back of an ATV. While the material cost of polyurethane chemical grout is more than cementitious grout, getting polyurethane materials and equipment to a remote site can be a lot less expensive.

Lightweight polyurethane is much easier to mobilize with a small to non-existent footprint. This means it is less disruptive to sensitive sites. (Seawalls are a good example where chemical grouting can be done without tearing up the home owner’s yard with heavy cementitious grouting equipment.)

There are many factors to consider for every grouting job. It helps to have the Grout Geek and Alchemy-Spetec in your corner to help design the right plan for your project.

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec products?

Loose, unstable slabs with voids underneath are often referred to as "rocking" slabs due to their movement when forklifts cross over them. Rocking slabs are a common problem in many warehouses. Left un-repaired, they can cause damage to equipment and injury to workers. Eventually, rocking slabs will require replacement if they are not repaired properly.

Rocking Slabs Can Cause:

• Slab Deterioration Over Time
• Floor Destabilization
• Damage to Material Handling Equipment & Loads
• Trip Hazards & Litigation Risk

How to Repair Rocking Slabs:

1. Inject high-strength, high-density polyurethane foam underneath the slab for lasting support.
2. The polyurethane expands to fill any voids underneath and cures to support 14,000 lbs/square foot.
3. Easily clear excess foam from the surface of the slab.
4. Repaired slabs are traffic ready in just 15 minutes!

Want more information on warehouse slab repair?