Alchatek Blog

Major water infiltration in precast manholes often occurs at the pipe penetrations. Failure to seal these leaks quickly could lead to the loss of thousands of dollars. It can also suck in soils and fine particlesThis process creates voids outside the manhole. With time, these voids grow larger and become sinkholes.

The typical method of sealing manhole pipe penetrations is using cementitious grout. This method may be effective at first, but you'll eventually notice cracks and infiltration again because it can't withstand the slightest movement of the pipe.

We recommend you use a combination of Spetec PUR GT380 and AP Oakum. The GT380 is a highly flexible polyurethane grout that allows movement between the pipe and manhole. Combine it with the AP Oakum which is an oil-free dry jute rope, and you can take care of large and irregular-shaped defects.

The installation steps are as follows:

1. Clean the surfaces on which you want to apply the Oakum. Wet them down if necessary, so they can react with the resin.
2. Cut the oakum into appropriate lengths if necessary.
3. Place oakum in a clean container (5 gallon/18.9 liter pail or plastic bag) and saturate with resin. Give time for the resin to soak into the oakum.
4. Using gloved hands, pull a section of oakum through a loose set to squeeze out excess resin.
5. (Optional Step) Dip the oakum in a pail of water to begin the reaction process of the resin. Soon, the resin will expand.
6. Pack oakum into leaking defect around the pipe using a screwdriver, wooden dowel, or other mechanical device sized appropriately for the joint, crack, or defect.
7. After the resin has cured, you may inject additional resin via a grout needle directly through the oakum or by drilling holes through the concrete behind the oakum.
8. Leave the material to cure overnight before attempting to trim the excess foam.

With the Spetec PUR GT380 and AP Oakum combination, your work will last up to 50 years - way longer than it would if you used hydraulic cement.

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What happens when a joint in a precast manhole begins to leak? The answer is it may as well be leaking money.

About $22k could be lost yearly because of any ONE manhole leak at the rate of 10 gallons per minute. In the U.S, there are approximately 20 million manholes, and many of them have OVER 10 gallons of infiltration a minute. You can imagine the potential loss.

Generally, manholes leak because of either movement and settlement after installation or just plain bad installation. A leak can happen at any time. Thankfully, Alchemy-Spetec offers a quick and effective solution to this problem.

You can seal precast manhole joints using Spetec PUR GT380. It is a hydrophilic polyurethane material that cures to form a gel or a foam. Because it's a single-component material, you can install it easily without the need for mixing. It can easily penetrate joints before it eventually cures into place, thanks to its low viscosity.

Installation is simple.  There are only four steps:

1. Drill holes. Typically, four per barrel joint.
2. Flush the holes.
3. Install your injection port.
4. Inject the resin.

With Spetec PUR GT380, you can have confidence in your work because this is a durable, long term sealing solution that holds up against the harsh sewer environment.  And your clients will be delighted to stop losing money from leaking manhole joints.

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In this post, we’re profiling Spetec PUR GT380. This hydrophilic polyurethane gel injection resin is your best option for shutting off water leaks in concrete, brickwork, and sewers where movement may occur. You can also use Spetec PUR GT380 for curtain grouting behind tunnels, concrete, and sheet piling. Due to the product’s low viscosity, you can also use it to cut off water leaks in a variety of foundations, including diaphragm walls, piling sheets and secant piles.

Advantages of Spetec PUR GT380

• Highly flexible and ideally suited for structures with high probability for settlement or movement.
• One component hydrophilic polyurethane resin, additional mechanical water shut-off through expansion after curing.
• Versatile form, adjustable with the amount of water added. Can cure to a rubbery foam (200 to 500% water) or a stable polyurethane gel (500 to 700% water).

We advise pairing the resin with the following accessories: a Spetec Pump Cleaner, AP Soak 130, Oakum, mechanical ports, and a single component electric injection pump.

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Chemical grouts have an amazingly diverse range of properties. This makes them incredibly useful for all types of waterproofing, soil modification, and structural repairs. This wide range of characteristics means that there is no one size fits all grout out there. But I get ahead of myself. Before one can select a chemical grout for a repair it is necessary to understand not only the asset to be repaired but also how and why it is failing and/or leaking. There are numerous methodologies that can be utilized to determine what is going on, but before one can start the troubleshooting one needs to understand the structure's design.

This is why I love articles like this one from PileBuck.com. It gives a good overview of seawalls and bulkheads. These structures are often the frontline in our war against erosion and thus require periodic maintenance. We at Alchemy-Spetec are committed to providing cost-effective, high-quality grouts tailored to the precise needs of the project. We know that a quality grout is just the beginning and we follow-through with the most experienced technical support in the industry. Enjoy the article...

Along bluffs and coastal shorelines, various structures are often necessary to protect beaches from wave action, or to retain fill or in situ soil.  There are three primary structure types that can be utilized to accomplish these goals, including protective materials laid on slopes, known as revetments, and vertical structures, which are classified as either seawalls or bulkheads.

Revetments are typically constructed of stone or other durable materials to provide protection for designated slopes.  They are built with an armor layer, a filter layer or layers, and toe protection.  The armor layer can consist of interlocking structural elements designed to form a geometric pattern, or a random mass or stone or concrete rubble.  Next, a filter layer will ensure drainage and protection of the underlying soil.  Finally, toe protection will offer stability against undermining at the base of the revetment.

While bulkheads and seawalls are both types of vertical structures used to protect coasts, they have different purposes.  Bulkheads are used to retain or prevent the sliding of land, with protection of the upland area from wave action as a secondary consideration.  In contrast, the primary purpose of seawalls is to intercept waves.  Bulkheads can be cantilevered, anchored, or gravity structures, with their use limited to areas where wave action can be resisted by the types of materials used in these respective designs (such as sheet piling or rock-filled timber cribs).  For areas where intense wave action exists, massive concrete seawalls are the more appropriate choice, with either a vertical, concave, or stepped seaward face.

Read the rest at PileBuck.com...

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The new, updated Alchemy-Spetec poly estimating app makes it easy to estimate material amounts for slab lifting, void filling, floor repair, and now leak seal® crack injection jobs.

This app is a simple, fast, and reliable way to take the guesswork out of estimating Alchemy-Spetec materials while prepping for a job.

Download the App & Create an Account

Follow these steps to download and operate this app:

Estimate Material

1. Tap the three lines in the top left corner to display the application options.

3. Choose between the Imperial or Metric measuring systems.

4. Input the requested info (in this case: crack width, concrete thickness, crack length), and press Enter.

5. View the results.

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AP Oakum is an oil-free dry jute rope which can be used dry or soaked with Spetec PUR GT500, Spetec PUR F400 or any other Spetec water-reactive resin to seal leaks in concrete structures. The oakum rope works well dry to drive into cracks as a temporary seal to allow injected resin time to cure without washing out. Here’s an overview of the installation process:

Preliminary Analysis

Determine if the large crack or joint is structural or cosmetic. If deemed structural, consult an appropriate engineer. Oakum is typically utilized in conjunction with water-reactive chemical grouts in leak-sealing applications. Void filling of these spaces can also be achieved through similar application techniques and appropriate product selection.

Preparation of Substrate

Remove all existing sealant, debris, or contamination of any kind. In large openings, inspect for loose concrete or anything that would prevent insertion of oakum into the desired depth and location.

Preparation of Product

Firstly, cut oakum into desired lengths and segments. Pre-mix hydrophobic or hydrophilic chemical grouts per manufacturer recommendation in a separate container taking note of working times and reaction times. Once the material is mixed, quickly, and fully soak the Oakum in the mixed chemical grout. Place the saturated oakum to the desired location.

Preparation of Personal Protection Equipment

Oakum is typically manually installed. Be sure to wear full hands, arm, face, and eye covering at
all times. Chemical grout can drip/spill cover anything with which it comes in contact.

Application of Oakum

1. Clean the surfaces to which the oakum will be applied. Wet the surfaces down if necessary, to react with the resin.
2. If necessary, cut the oakum into appropriate lengths.
3. Place oakum in a clean container (5 gallon/18.9 liter pail or plastic bag) and saturate with resin. Allow time for the resin to soak into the oakum.
4. Using gloved hands, pull a section of oakum through a loose set to wring excess resin from the oakum.
5. Optional Step: Dip the oakum into a pail of water to begin the reaction process. This will begin the reaction process of the resin. This step causes the resin to begin to expand.
6. Pack oakum into the joint, crack, or other defect using a screwdriver, wooden dowel, or other mechanical device sized appropriately for the joint, crack or defect.
7. After the resin has cured you may inject additional resin through a grout needle directly through the oakum or by drilling holes through the concrete behind the oakum.
8. Allow the material to cure overnight before attempting to trim the excess foam.

Brief Video Clip

Here's a brief video, taken from my trusty Grout Geek Helmet Cam, of me packing oakum into a gushing leak.

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Embedded below is a crack and curtain grouting video demo I recently recorded.  For those not familiar with me, my name is Charlie Lerman. I'm the Director of Technical Services for the Leak Seal Division at Alchemy-Spetec (and I'm also known as the Grout Geek). I have been involved in a wide variety of grouting jobs from dams to tunneling, municipal to sewer system work, residential, commercial, and industrial.

Prior to joining the Alchemy-Spetec team, I was with the Navy in the submarine and recruiting services. I have 20 years of construction experience – I was with a restoration contractor for five of those twenty years and earned a bachelor degree in Business Management during that time. I have been providing technical support and training for polyurethane grouts for over fifteen years and have been involved with the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) for a decade.

Social distancing does not have to mean downtime. This is an excellent time to learn about polyurethane chemical grouting. From my home "studio" I bring to your home office demonstrations on crack injection, curtain grouting, and pump operation/maintenance.

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Polyurethane – Quality and Selection

Alchemy-Spetec offers one of the most technologically advanced grout product lines currently on the market, including our unique, highly-effective Spetec PUR HighFoamer. Known in the industry for its expansive properties, this product is the only one in its class that can shut down gushing leaks and fill voids as quickly and effectively as it does. We offer a wide variety of materials, including slab lifting foams, deep-soil lifting foams, soil stabilization foams, injection resins for crack leak seal, foams for curtain grouting leak seal, acrylic injection resins that penetrate thin cracks and saturate soil, epoxy resins for structural repair and preventative waterstop products. The superior quality of these materials guarantees fewer callbacks from your customers. Many of these products are also certified for contact with potable water, making them safer for the environment.

Equipment and Accessories Selection

We’re a one-stop shop for all things polyurethane concrete repair, with one of the most versatile equipment and accessory product lines in the industry. Once you’ve picked out the product that best fits your needs, we can provide it all: pumps, hoses, packers/ports, and specialty accessories.

Tech Support – Experience and Dedication

Do you need technical support? You’re in luck—we’re home to the industry’s premier technical support squad. Averaging decades of experience, we also pride ourselves in being incredibly responsive. For example, our team was recently called on to assist with a large metro project in the Western United States. The customer informed us at 4pm on Monday evening that assistance was needed at 9am the very next day! Our Technical Services Director Charlie Lerman, Vice President Jim Spiegel, and Western Regional Sales Manager (that's me!) traveled to the site Monday evening to help diagnose the location of the leaks and develop an action plan. Our Technical Services Manager Charlie remained on site for two more days to ensure that the project was successful. Depending on the size and scope of the project, response time and participating team members may vary, but this story serves to illustrate the lengths we will go to assist customers.

Training and Education

We offer the industry's most thorough training and education for both Leak Seal and Geotech polyurethane infrastructure repair. We conduct training workshops at distributor locations, consult with contractors on job sites, and hold intensive programs twice a year at our headquarters in Tucker, GA. We also offer in-depth online training videos to current customers.

Marketing Support

Our Marketing Department provides qualified customers with product application illustrations and photos for use on websites, customized brochure PDFs for printing, and truck signage graphics. We also offer the use of our educational videos and animations. Lastly, we’re available for guidance on everything from online lead capture strategies to internet advertising, and more.

We’re Committed to Your Success

The overriding theme here is our commitment to your success. Obviously, this is not totally altruistic in nature.  The more successful you are, the more materials and equipment you buy.  But it is 100% genuine.  Our entire team understands the relationship between YOUR success and OUR success.  This point of view is thoroughly ingrained in our company culture.

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I'd like to share a case study from a job that I recently consulted on with one of our contractor customers.

A concrete tank west of Rollinsville, Colorado began showing numerous, hairline cracks during construction. Previous attempts to seal the cracks using urethane grouts were unsuccessful due to the sheer tightness of the cracks and high amount of reinforcing steel. The tank was critical for a state infrastructure project, so Restruction Corporation was called in to get the job done.

Powerful Polymer

After a phone consultation, we determined the best course of action would be to use Spetec AG200, a super-thin acrylate grout that could penetrate the hairline cracks and even the ones previously injected with a urethane grout. This water-swelling hydrogel is based on low-viscous acrylic that cures into an elastic product with 500% elongation.

Painless Procedure

I trained a knowledgeable polyurethane grout crew how to handle Spetec AG200 and an acrylic pump. No other chemical grout manufacturer was willing to come out and provide field service for this application.

Rapid Result

After the grout was injected, the cracks sealed quickly. Both the customer and contractor were extremely happy with the results. Yet another successful job for one of our customers!

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Today’s guest blogger is John Ziebell, an independent representative of Alchemy-Spetec. Formerly the Vice President of Operations for Deneef Construction Chemicals, Inc., John has 36 years of experience in the chemical grout industry and is currently a member of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI).

Recently, I visited a homeowner in Elkhart, Texas whose basement flooded after a heavy rainstorm. The house was three years old, and this was the first time water had entered the home. When we went into the basement, I saw that a water-repellent coating was applied to the below-grade walls during initial construction, but it was unclear if a water stop had been installed at the wall joint.

To test for the leak source, I suggested installing soaker hoses in the flower beds adjacent to the basement wall, flooding the beds for several hours, and confirming if water appears at the wall or floor joints. I also recommended two different options to prevent further leaks:

Option 1 – Polyurethane Crack Injection

If the cracks in the basement walls can be clearly identified and there aren’t too many of them, the contractor should use the polyurethane crack injection procedure. First, they’ll need to remove any surface contamination with a grinder. Then, they can drill holes spaced about 1 foot apart at a 45° angle to intersect the middle of the crack or joint and flush all of the injection holes with clean water until water runs from hole to hole. Once the water flow is confirmed, they can inject the crack or joint with Spetec PUR F400 (and GEN ACC Accelerator) until it’s completely full.

Option 2 – Polyurethane Curtain Wall Grouting

If cracks in the basement walls are difficult to identify the contractor should use the polyurethane curtain wall grouting procedure. First, they’ll need to remove any surface contamination with a grinder and drill holes in a diamond grid pattern (see photo included with this post). Then, beginning at the bottom of the wall, they can inject the holes with Spetec PUR H100 (and GEN ACC Accelerator) until they reach the top of the wall.

Many people ask if grouting only around the bottom next to the leaks is effective, but this is seldom the case. Grout is injected through the entire wall because any excess grout flows down over the previous injection area, creating a lapping effect like shingles on a roof.

Both options have their advantages depending on the situation: polyurethane crack injection is a cost-effective, pinpoint approach that is ideal for a small number of clearly identifiable cracks, while curtain wall grouting is a pricier approach that is ideal for a larger number of difficult to identify cracks.

Want more information on choosing the right leak seal products and application for your project?