Alchatek Blog

In a structure that holds water, you need something flexible to inject into cracks or joints. These types of structures are usually above ground and exposed to changing temperatures. As concrete heats up during the day it expands; joints and cracks squeeze together. As it cools, the concrete shrinks and joints and cracks open up. Thus, you need an injection foam that has flexibility to handle the movement.  You also need to do the injection work in the early hours of the day. Some contractors have injected cracks in the afternoon; stopping leaks, only to find them leaking again in the morning. 

For these scenarios, we recommend the Spetec PUR GT500 or Spetec PUR F400.  The GT500 is hydrophilic and absorbs some water during the reaction. In a tight crack or joint it's great and has minimal shrinkage if it dries out.  It has lower expansion, maybe 4-6x by volume, so for wide joints it may take more product and will likely require oakum to retain the resin in the joint. It does not have an adjustable set time. 

The F400 is a flexible hydrophobic. It combines higher expansion properties with flexibility. It also has a catalyst which allows you to adjust the set time. The F400 is excellent for crack injection, joint injection (especially larger joints), and infrastructure injection as well.  It does not shrink because it's hydrophobic and unaffected if no moisture is present. 

Now let’s talk a little about hydrostatic pressure. Most injection work is done less than 40' below the water level and head pressure is less than 20 psi. Considering we recommend injecting with pumps capable of 3000+ psi, getting the product in the crack is not the problem. The challenge is keeping the polyurethane in the crack or joint long enough for it to set up. That's where experience comes into play. The contractor must know how to adjust the set time, how to drill the injection holes properly, how to use oakum, and how long to inject on a single packer/port.   

We have not seen failures on dams or locks where pressure blew out the polyurethane. Dams across the globe have been injected this way. Where we do see failures (continued leaks, not blowouts) is when the wrong material is selected, or the injections are done during the hotter hours of the day. In fact, some water authorities only inject during the cold months of the year.

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal products?

The Never-Ending Story

Over the last few years I have heard different versions of this story over and over again. It is usually shared at our weekly company-wide meeting. "So and so switched from the competition because they couldn't get the technical support they needed. A contractor I am working with had too many call-backs on his jobs because the foam from their previous supplier wasn't holding up after installation. My new customer said the equipment they bought from Company X is unreliable and frustrating to use." The list goes on.

Investment Brings Profit

The one thing all these new Alchemy-Spetec customers tend to have in common is that they started out trying to cut corners on material and equipment costs. They initially tried buying from the low price leaders in the industry, only to discover the hard way that you get what you pay for. Finally motivated to pay for quality, they are now enjoying maximum efficiency on the job with reliable equipment and durable high-strength polyurethane foam. Many new customers also express appreciation for the continued tech support and marketing assistance they recieve from Alchemy-Spetec. It's a big contrast from the "thanks for the check, we'll see ya' later" approach that many manufacturers have. The irony in all this is that the added value of top quality foam, equipment, tech support and marketing assistance more than makes up for the price difference. These new customers are turbo-charging their business with a new level of efficiency and productivity. It's actually fun to watch and gratifying to hear the feedback.

If you're one of those reformed bargain seekers checking out our site because you initially "got what you paid for", call us today at 404-618-0438 and let's discuss turbo-charging YOUR business!

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec slab lifting products?

Pursuing the dream of starting your own polyurethane slab lifting business is a big leap. But it's not nearly so intimidating when you're armed with the right information. In this post I'll cover available slab lifting markets, marketing strategies for your lifting business, and estimating materials for a job.

Polyurethane Slab Lifting Markets

Residential Slab Jacking

The residential market offers tremendous opportunities for the slab lifting contractor. Obviously there are driveways, foundations, patios, pools, and porches. Don’t think residential only includes houses. There are countless opportunities in the apartment and condo sectors as well.

Commercial-Industrial Slab Jacking

Because scenarios for slab lifting are infinite in the non-residential category, we list commercial and industrial together. Concrete parking lots, showroom floors, industrial park walkways and an endless supply of huge warehouse floors are just the tip of the iceberg in this potentially lucrative market.

Slab Jacking for the Transportation Sector

Last but not least, there's the transportation sector. The world is covered with miles and miles of concrete roads, highways, bridge approach slabs, and railroad support slabs.  A large percentage of them have settled in one spot or another (and the rest are vulnerable to future settling). Read more in the post Identifying Common Markets for Slab Jacking with Polyurethane.

There will NEVER be enough slab lifting contractors out there to address ALL of these current and future slab lifting needs.  Your fortune awaits...(IF you know what you’re doing).

Marketing Your Slab Lifting Business

Maintaining A Well Designed, Search Engine Optimized Website

Professional design, photography and content will help you stay competitive and either depict you as a confident, articulate leader in your field or just the opposite (if it's not well designed). It is also imperative to make sure that your website is Search Engine Optimized. Designing a search friendly site for your industry niche and market location will make a world of difference in the amount of leads you capture via your online presence.

Attracting Leads with a Blog

Posting blog articles regularly allows you to cast a wide net with lots of SEO friendly post pages. It's also a great way to share your knowledge and build trust in the market as an industry expert. If you offer more value (such as an info-packed brochure) in exchange for contact info, you can increase your leads dramatically. Blogs are a gift that keeps on giving, because the posts stay up and attract new leads forever. Read all about this extremely effective marketing technique in our blog post How to Promote Your Contracting Business with a Blog.

Targeted Local Advertisements

Setting up a Google Ads account to target your market and placing ads in local publications are effective ways of getting the word out in your local market. If you’re aware of a specific problem occurring in your area, such as sinkholes, you can even highlight that issue in your advertising. Read more marketing tips in the post Marketing Your Slab Lifting Business.

Advertising on Contractor Referral Sites

Because you’re putting yourself in front of customers who are actively seeking your services, you can increase your marketing ROI compared to other methods such as cold calling, print advertising, etc. In addition, referred customers are typically less price sensitive than cold call prospects. Referral sites are also a great way to build your reputation by accumulating positive reviews from customers. Read more about this approach in our blog post How to Market Your Contracting Business with Referral Sites.

Exhibiting at Home Shows

Home shows are a great place to meet potential customers and even affiliate partners. Contractors tell us over and over again that home shows are a GREAT source for leads. Take a look at our blog post on marketing at home shows. 

Presenting at Professional Associations

Giving presentations at local chapters of professional associations is a great way to network, meet potential customers and lead sources. Look into organizations serving property maintenance professionals, building managers, property owners, real estate professionals, etc. Establish yourself as a local expert and people will come to you when they have slab settlement problems. 

Estimating Materials for Jobs

Material Calculation

Through a combination of easy calculations, product information, and some site considerations, you should be able to estimate your slab lifting materials without too much trouble. Fortunately, Alchemy-Spetec has a simple estimating app that allows you to calculate the lifting material you'll need in a few easy steps. Read the blog post on our estimating app for more info.

Specific Considerations

Beyond the geometry required to estimate lifting the slab, you must take into account some job specific considerations. This is where it becomes critical to qualify the volume of material included in your proposal. And just as important, this is where you need to make sure you have included enough so you get the job done right and don’t have to go back to the customer asking for more money. Sometimes that’s unavoidable if you encounter surprises; but by keeping a few considerations in mind this can often be avoided. For help on specific considerations, contact your tech support rep at 404-618-0438 today.

Include Contingency Material

Typically for a lifting job without other considerations besides the lifting volume, we recommend adding an additional 10- 15% onto your material estimate to cover yourself. Just make sure you do a thorough evaluation of the conditions and possibilities so you don’t underestimate the job and have to go back to the property owner with your hand out. Read more in the post Estimating Materials for Slab Jacking.

Want more information on slab lifting?

 

In honor of Earth Day, today's blog post puts the spotlight on the environmentally safe aspects of the two Alchemy-Spetec products most commonly used for seawall repair:

AP Fill 700

Spetec PUR H200

As mentioned in an earlier blog post, Alchemy-Spetec NSF Certification Spells Peace of Mind for Stakeholders...

Alchemy-Spetec is already known for providing the most powerful polymers and painless procedures contractors need to achieve the rapid results their projects demand. However, on construction projects of almost any scope and size, ensuring the safety of public drinking water is also mission-critical. That's why these Alchemy-Spetec' polyurethane resin products have received the official NSF seal of approval for contact with drinking water. This single designation ensures compliance with the Safe Water Drinking Act (SDWA) and guarantees peace of mind for in-the-field stakeholders on construction projects of almost any scope and size.

Once cured, these resins are safe for contact with drinking water - which makes them safe for the environment in general.

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

One of my favorite segments on TV is when the sports analysts stand around and watch film of the previous week’s boneheaded plays.  These are the “C’mon man” awards.  See a guy fumbling or running the wrong way and these analysts are like, “Come on man, what are you thinking!”  It’s a really funny segment.

As someone in the concrete lifting industry, it’s impossible not to miss obvious tripping hazards and the methods different municipalities and businesses use to address them.  I have frustrated contractors talk to me regularly, letting me know about this job or that job where they didn’t get the sale and some other method was used (or NO method was used) to deal with the problem.  So in honor of those methods, here are a few of my How NOT to Repair a Tripping Hazard “Come on Man!” Awards.  Names of the perpetrators will be withheld cause I'm a nice guy.

1. Look at these before and after pictures...

A certain city had their tripping hazard painted with orange spray paint. Our slab lifting contractor offered to do this for free as a demo for the city.  What did they do?  They sent a crew of four guys out and an asphalt truck and slapped a makeshift asphalt ramp together to bridge the slabs.  This is certainly not ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant and it’s also ugly as hell. Most importantly - it will NOT last.  COME ON MAN!

2. Look below how tripping hazards were addressed at a rest area...

These slab transitions were ground down to remove the tripping hazards.  At least they didn’t just slap some asphalt on it.  Grinding the concrete exposes the aggregates, and it leaves ugly patterns that will stay visible for years.  Not to mention the fact that it doesn't address the underlying sinking problem, so a tripping hazard is likely to appear again.  Last time I drove by there the rest area was closed.  COME ON MAN!  They should have had those slabs adjusted with polyurethane technology.

3. Some places just opt for the paint job...

Maybe if they paint this tripping hazard yellow, people will see it and not trip and fall down.  How well does that work at night (or if someone is distracted while walking)?  This was on a hotel property and there is certainly pedestrian traffic in the evenings along these walkways (not to mention millennials walking around staring at their phones).  COME ON MAN!  Do they realize that by painting the tripping hazard they are proving prior knowledge of an the issue they didn’t do anything about?  Prior knowledge is a key component in tripping hazard lawsuits.

4. Then of course, there are property owners that don’t do anything at all...

COME ON MAN!!!!!

That’s it for this special edition awards blog. And remember, if you’re a property owner faced with a tripping hazard…COME ON MAN!  Repair it correctly.  Don’t be that guy!

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Everyone claims their lifting foam is "the best" on the market (unless they're claiming theirs is the cheapest - which is a red flag to look into the quality ASAP).  As a quality leader in the industry, we provide more than vague statements and marketing slogans on this issue.

Here's a detailed list of the advantages you'll enjoy with Alchemy-Spetec's AP Lift 430 and AP Lift 475 lifting foams:

No Recycled Materials

The products are made of virgin raw materials only. They are consistent and clean, with no particulates floating around.

Water Blown Formula

Your drum set of material will be consistent from top to bottom. Whether you pump it all in one day or all in one month. No mixing will be required.

Lower Exotherm

You'll be able to fill voids, stabilize soil and lift slabs faster.  In addition, unlike some other foams out there, these foams have no history of smoke or charring.

Cured Foam is Safe for Contact with Drinking Water

These foams are certified To NSF 61-5.  That means that the cured foam is safe for contact with potable water.  Most of the time your foam won't ever come into contact with drinking water, but this certification assures your customers that once the foam cures it will not pose any kind of environmental or health hazard.

Consistent Quality

You won't have to worry about your foam setting up one way this month and another way next month.  The NSF certification and the ISO 9001 certification require the exact same formula for every single drum set.  We have both certifications.

DOT Grade Polyurethane Foam

DOT grade foams cure faster, work in wet conditions, and are traffic ready in 45 minutes.  Use less material and get less call-backs with foams that meet the standards for Department of Transportation work.  

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec products and procedures?

The Quick Answer

One question we get from both property owners and potential new slab lifters is about the difference between polyurethane vs. cement grout. The quick answer is that our AP Lift Foam weighs less, has a quicker set time, doesn't shrink, requires less equipment, and can be installed in any climate.

The table included in this post provides further specifics for each claim.

More Details

If you want even more details on this subject, check out one of my earlier blog posts Polyurethane vs. Cement for Slab Jacking. In that article, I delve a little deeper into the importance of using a lightweight yet strong material, why polyurethane creates less mess than concrete grout, and the importance of using a material with a quicker set time (or cure time) than cement grout.

Want in-depth info on the slab lifting process?

Density and Expansion

Technical Data for Each AP Lift Foam

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec slab lifting products & services?

A large part of the market is still using old sprayfoam insulation guns to do heavy concrete lifting work. Let's take a look at some of the benefits of using a gun that's custom designed for slab lifting...

The Problem with Sprayfoam Insulation Guns Adapted for Slab Lifting

Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight! Sprayfoam insulation guns are made for the simple process of spraying foam at constant pressures. Slab lifting requires a gun that is designed to deal with changing pressures and back pressure without backing up or crossing over. Issues like leaky port connections, constant cleaning, and constant fumbling around with a clamp can drastically reduce production - adding a lot of man hours to each project. Not to mention long nights spent rebuilding and cleaning the gun after EVERY job. Did we mention that feeling in the pit of your stomach every time you have to call in yet another expensive replacement parts order? 

The Solution: A Gun Designed by Slab Lifting Experts for Slab Lifting Contractors

The MixMaster Pro was designed based on years of feedback from slab lifting contractors working in the field. Every known point of frustration and difficulty has been addressed in this sturdy, single-purpose gun. Further benefits include a lower cost of consumables (you can reuse ports with this gun), beefy check valves designed to handle the back pressure, and a short 10-minute breakdown/cleaning session at the end of each day. Not to mention the fact that this gun is a production BEAST - no leaky port connections, no fumbling with clamps. Watch your man hours on each project shrink accordingly. Did we mention you’ll have less replacement part orders? There are only a few inexpensive replacement parts on this gun - PERIOD.

Want to see side by side comparisons with other guns, additional key benefits, and more?

Nationwide, municipalities regularly deal with the issue of infrastructure deterioration. One of the most common types being the constant appearance of water leaks. Active leaks, when untreated, can cause an accelerated deterioration of reinforcement within concrete, as well as settlement issues caused by voids below and next to structures.

The purpose of this article is to illustrate how polyurethane injection can be used as a preventative measure to prevent more serious problems.

Municipal Structures Vulnerable to Infiltration

Various areas in the wastewater, drinking water and storm water system may require polyurethane to stop infiltration. This is mainly due to its clean application and rapid results. These areas include but are not limited to:

• Manholes
• Water Treatment and Storage Tanks
• Lift Stations
• Storm and Sanitary Pipes

How Spetec GT500 Seals Hairline Cracks

This graphic depicts the polyurethane leak seal process when applied to the wall of a water tank. Our leak seal resin, Spetec PUR GT500, reacts when it comes into contact with water. It bonds to concrete in a durable manner, yet remains flexible so as not to crack if the concrete shifts in the future. High pressure injection insures that every part of the crack is filled and permanently sealed. This product is certified To NSF 61-5 (approved for contact with drinking water).

How Spetec PUR H200 Stops Gushing Leaks

This graphic depicts the process when applied to a larger leak with a void in the soil on the other side. While the graphic depicts a box culvert, voids like this can develop next to water tanks that are built against a hillside, manholes, pipes, etc. Spetec PUR H200 is used to fill the void and stop the gushing leak in the process. This product is certified To NSF 61-5 (approved for contact with drinking water).

Another Common Issue: Leaks in Equalization Tanks

Another common issue is leaks around the bases of equalization tanks. This untreated water can present a hazard to employees. Left unaddressed, it just costs more and more money to keep pumping this water back out.

Conclusion

Regardless of the leak seal issue at hand, one thing is certain: left untreated it will cost more money and do more damage in the long run. In this case the old adage “An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure” is completely appropriate. Are you a municipal manager facing any of these issues? Technical Consultants at Alchemy-Spetec have a great deal of experience with leak seal solutions for municipalities. Call us at 404-618-0436.

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