Alchatek Blog

As the end of the year approaches, it feels appropriate to take a look back at some the most popular Alchemy Polymers blog posts.  A quick look at the stats on the day I write this article reveals the top posts to be Slab Jacking with Polyurethane Foam – How Strong is Strong Enough?, Stop Erosion Through Your Seawall with Polyurethane and Permeation vs. Compaction Grouting in Sandy Soils.

Slab Jacking with Polyurethane Foam – How Strong is Strong Enough?

This is one of our earlier posts and it still proves to be immensely popular. It's not hard to figure why so many people look into an article on this particular subject. One of the first questions to come to mind for anyone new to this "foam" technology is - will it hold up? The answer, of course, is a resounding YES! In this post I explain why that is the case. If you're interested in the strengths of our various lifting foams, how they hold up compared to clay and bedrock, and what types of jobs you can do with them - you need to read Slab Jacking with Polyurethane Foam – How Strong is Strong Enough?

Stop Erosion Through Your Seawall with Polyurethane

This post lays out the causes of seawall erosion, the costs of replacement, and the case for repair with polyurethane resin. More and more people are repairing seawalls with our environmentally safe polymers. We have a great deal of literature and information regarding this process if you're interested. In the meantime, for a basic overview, check out Stop Erosion Through Your Seawall with Polyurethane.

Permeation vs. Compaction Grouting in Sandy Soils

This article compares two different types of soil stabilization techniques for sandy soils: permeation grouting and compaction grouting (aka fracture grouting). Permeation grouting is done using a one component, low viscosity resin that slowly soaks into the soils with minimal disruption. Compaction/fracture grouting is done using a plural component, high viscosity resin that pushes the soil together in a more forceful manner. For more on this subject, read Permeation vs. Compaction Grouting in Sandy Soils.

Want more in-depth info on slab jacking, seawall repair and soil stabilization?

Among the leading high density polyurethane foam products available, AP Lift 475 offers a powerful solution that is traffic ready in 15 minutes. This two-component, high-strength, high-density, hydro-insensitive structural polyurethane foam supports 14,000 lbs per square foot. Also see our AP Soil 600 for Permeation Grouting. 

Applications

• Lifting and filling voids under concrete slabs.
  
• Stabilizing soil.
• Compaction grouting and fracture grouting.
• Sinkhole remediation.
• Wet compaction grouting and void filling.

Advantages

• High strength.
• Low viscosity.
• Works in wet environments - displaces water.
• Bonds with soil and concrete.
• Traffic ready in 15 minutes.
• Closed cell compaction grout.
• Certified To NSF 61-5 (approved for contact with drinking water).

Check out the AP Lift 475 sample demo!

Want in-depth info on slab lifting?

We're happy to announce that Alchemy Polymers has been profiled in a feature article on SprayFoamInsider.com. This is a good match, since we get a lot of interest from spray foam professionals looking to expand their skill set into slab lifting and other forms of concrete repair. After doing a fair amount of background research, Editor Jay Davidson has written an overview of our company's mission and the solutions we offer for critical concrete infrastructure issues.

The article opens as follows...

Alchemy Polymers, LLC is comprised of combat veterans when it comes to battling the elements and saving valuable infrastructures with their polyurethane resins. Contractors can even “sign up” for “boot camp” training to learn the valuable secrets of polyurethane applications from those who have literally been in the trenches. Their winning polymer injection solutions have a highly successful track record for repairing and restoring sea walls, retaining walls, tunnels, bridges, dams, concrete slabs, highways, pipelines, railways, sink holes, homes, buildings, subways and other below ground structures.

You can read more in Jay Davidson's piece Alchemy Polymers, LLC is Winning the Battle to Restore Infrastructures.  Needless to say, we're happy to see Alchemy Polymers featured on SprayFoamInsider.com.

Want additional in-depth info on Alchemy Polymers products and procedures?

Over the past few years, we've published quite a few blog posts on the subject of slab lifting.  In this post, I'm going to highlight a few of our earlier articles covering some of the most common questions people tend to ask on the subject. Contractors who are considering getting into the business often wonder about the strength of polyurethane foam, where to look for lifting jobs, and how to estimate the amount of material they may need for a particular job.  Fortunately, we have thorough blog posts on each of those subjects.  

Slab Jacking with Polyurethane Foam – How Strong is Strong Enough?

When pumping a light-weight material beneath a slab, you need the confidence that it is strong enough for the application. How strong is strong enough? This is a commonly asked question by contractors that are new to slab jacking with polyurethane (poly lifting). Alchemy Polymers structural foams only need to be as strong as dirt, but they're actually stronger than crystalline bedrock.

Slab lifting foams are rated on density (weight per cubic feet) and compressive strength. This testing and rating is based on the foam in a free rise state; the parts A and B are mixed together and allowed to expand freely. Our AP Lift 430 and AP Lift 475 structural lifting foams, for example, will weigh 2.75 – 3.25 lbs (AP Lift 430) to 4.75 – 5 lbs (AP Lift 475) per cubic foot. But they have a compressive strengths of 50 psi and 100 psi in a free rise state. That's equal to 7,200 to14,000 lbs per square ft of support, just in a free rise state.

Read more in the post Slab Jacking With Polyurethane Foam – How Strong is Strong Enough?.

Identifying Common Markets for Slab Jacking with Polyurethane

Three main markets we will take a look at today include Residential, Commercial / Industrial, and Transportation.

The residential market offers tremendous opportunities for the slab lifting contractor. Obviously there are driveways and foundations. These can all sink for various reasons such as water runoff, excess weight, and poor compaction. But look a little further; this year alone we have had calls concerning the following areas: Patios, Outbuildings, Pools, and Porches. And don't think residential only includes houses. I'm not saying that construction companies that build condos and apartments would bury trash that would later cause settling issues; I'm just saying....

Read more in the post Identifying Common Markets for Slab Jacking with Polyurethane.

Estimating Materials for Slab Jacking

Jeff Foxworthy often asks if you are smarter than a fifth grader. Well if you're not, don't worry about it; you're probably still capable of estimating the amount of foam needed to raise a concrete slab. 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.

First of all you need to think about the basic volume calculation. How many square feet of slab are you jacking, how much do you need to lift it, and is it the whole slab being lifted or is it just one end of it? Calculate the volume (length x width x depth), adjust for the percentage of the slab being lifted, then compare it to the expansion properties of the injection foam in order to determine how much you need.

Beyond the geometry required to estimate lifting the slab, you must now 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.

Read more in the post Estimating Materials for Slab Jacking.

Want more in-depth info on concrete leveling?

On March 23rd 2016, Alchemy Polymers Technical Consultant Andy Powell was interviewed on the Business Radio X podcast.  Andy is an expert on all of the products and their infinite applications, with many years of infrastructure repair work and on-site consulting under his belt. 

In this excerpt, he sums up the Alchemy Polymers committment to quality...

Ultimately, the customer is the property owner, somebody who’s got a problem. Even though we’re selling to contractors, we kind of all have to be on the same page, and so we’re ultimately dealing with the property owner, and sometimes they don’t understand what they can’t see, and we’re oftentimes fixing things that you can’t see like, “What’s going on underneath my slab? I can’t believe that you’re telling me there’s a hole big enough to park a VW down under my slab and it’s going to cost this much.”

There’s got to be an element of trust. You’ve got to be able to prove what’s going on...you’ve got to be able to let them know that if they’re not going to treat this now, it’s not going to get better. The contractors that we work with, we train, and that’s the only way that we can really stand behind it because we can provide a product warranty, but if it’s not installed correctly, then it can come back and reflect on us. So we kind of all have to be on the same page, and it’s good for the industry as a whole, too, because if somebody’s polyurethane fails, it reflects on everybody.

Over the course of this 15 minute interview, Andy discusses the history of the business, the state of the industry, and the various types of infrastructure problems that can be solved with polyurethane resin. Take a moment and give it a listen. If you have any questions, give us a call afterwards at 404-618-0438. Want to hear more from Andy? Click here for a complete listing of all the Alchemy Polymers blog posts written by Andy Powell.

Want more info on polyurethane infrastructure repair?