Alchatek Blog

The North American Tunneling Conference (NAT) is the premier tunneling event for North America, bringing together the brightest, most resourceful and innovative minds in the tunneling and underground construction industry.

Here are 5 reasons to visit Alchemy-Spetec at NAT 2018:

1. LEARN more about our Leak Seal and Geotechnical chemical grouting product offerings. 
2. DISCUSS our comprehensive chemical grout training school coming in September.
3. EDUCATE yourself on our injectable and hydrophilic polymer waterstop systems for precast segments and walls.
4. SCHEDULE one of our experienced field technicians for a site visit.
5. PLAY with expanding foams and gels to get a sense of how these products work.  

• Monday June 25th:  5pm - 7pm (Opening Reception)
• Tuesday June 26th:  11am - 2pm, 4pm - 6pm
• Wednesday June 27th:  9am - 12 Noon.

Alchemy-Spetec will be in booth #659 in the floorplan linked below: 

NAT 2018 Interactive Floorplan

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec products?

 

Jobs are often driven by one component or another. When you dissect a chemical grout waterproofing job your two main components are labor and product. That is not very different from most work. Which one is going to drive the job?

Curtain Grouting / Void Filling:

Curtain grouting is normally fairly straight forward. Set up a grid, pump, monitor, rinse and repeat. Just a small crew can get a lot of production done in a day. Because of the nature of curtain grouting it is product intensive. Often these jobs are tracked in pallet quantities. Product becomes the number to watch on these jobs.

Crack Injection:

This is an art form and the artist uses a drill and pump, both which allow the technician “to see” into the concrete. Often this work is done by feel. The feel of the concrete, how easy was it to drill? How does the pump react at similar pressures at different locations along the crack? These nuances set apart grouters from laborers. This takes time but very little product. Crack injection is labor intensive and often slow work.

Most grout jobs fall into these two categories. Let us at Alchemy-Spetec help you design your next waterproofing opportunity. 

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal offerings?

If you sample Spetec PUR HighFoamer now...you’ll be one step closer to the cutting edge of the chemical grouting industry.  Several suppliers offer water-reactive injection resins, and often the differences in cell structure and physical properties are not easily identified.  But this product is different.  Call 404-618-0438 to order a sample now and find out for yourself!

In addition, we all know that high quality tech support makes a huge difference in this industry. 

Alchemy-Spetec's support staff enjoys the challenge of difficult problems.  We often ask our prospective customers to let us assist with their most challenging applications first.  If you’ve had problems with any chemical grouting jobs in the past, or have been underwhelmed by another manufacturer’s tech support, please present these challenges to us right now.  We're standing by and ready!

Alchemy-Spetec has the most experienced team in the US market for chemical grouting leak seal applications.  Contact us today to see how our expert team and cutting edge products, like Spetec PUR HighFoamer, can make a difference for your bottom line!

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal solutions?

Spetec PUR HighFoamer is derived from a proven Belgian formulation.  Due to the manufacturing efforts of Alchemy-Spetec, Spetec PUR HighFoamer is now proudly made in the United States. 

Click here to find your Regional Sales Manager now!

Your regional manager will be able to point you in the direction of the nearest local stocking distributor.  Feel free to call Alchemy-Spetec at 404-618-0438 for free liquid samples if you want to see this product in action!  We also offer the best phone and on-site tech support in the industry. 

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal solutions?

Spetec PUR HighFoamer injection resin comes in a 5 gallon pail of base resin, and a separate 0.5 gallon can of Spetec GEN ACC Accelerator.  Use the Reaction Times Chart in the Technical Data section of the Spetec PUR HighFoamer datasheet to mix the accelerator for your desired reaction time. 

The threshold of mixing enough and mixing too much can be thin.  If you do not mix the accelerator enough, you will have inconsistencies of reactants, causing fluctuations in reaction time and performance in a single batch.  Mix too much, and you can introduce excessive ambient moisture creating a hyper-reactive batch that sets up in the pumps, hoses, and/or in unintended areas of the substrate. 

Reaction Times Chart

A good mix is a thorough paddle mixing of 1-2 minutes at low speeds to avoid splashing of resin during mixing.  It is always good practice to mix a couple of cup tests prior to filling pump hoppers to ensure consistency in mix and performance.  Clearly label cup tests with date, temperature, time of day, and reaction time for QC managers or compliance personnel.

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal solutions?

If you’re in the chemical grouting industry, you have undoubtedly seen expanding polyurethane foams reacted in cups at tradeshows, trainings, and presentations.  When these water-activated polyurethanes come in contact with moisture, a polymerization reaction is initiated, which caused a large expansion of the cured polyurethane.  But not all foams are created equal. 

Spetec PUR HighFoamer polyurethane grout expands 40x the original liquid volume.  For high water flow scenarios, or large void filling, Spetec HighFoamer features industry-leading expansion rates which can be initiated in as little as 6 sec. with the addition of 10% accelerator.  This unique combination of reaction time and expansion can cut off even them most sever water infiltration issues seen on any construction site.  

The extreme high expansive nature of Spetec HighFoamer is a must see for all chemical grouting contractors performing the following work:

• Water cut-off of large flow and high-pressure water leaks.
• Stabilization and water cut-off of large cracks, voids and gravel layers.
• Pre and post injections in mines, tunnels, pipe jacking, drill & blast and TBM applications.
• Injections in combination with cement-based grout.
• Crack and gravel layer injections in concrete structures.
• Soil stabilization and anchors in porous geology.
• Water cut-off of sewer water leaks and sewer stabilization.
• Probe Grouting for below grade pipes.
• Filling of voids.

The HighFoamer injection resin is suitable for all single component injection equipment including electric airless pumps, drill-operated pumps, and larger pneumatic piston pumps.  

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal solutions?

Need a convenient leak seal solution? The Spetec PUR H100 Hot Shot Cartridge is your product of choice. This water activated semi flexible foam injection resin starts to foam at 15 seconds and will have a full rise in 40 seconds, so it can shut down very active water leaks quick. This Hot Shot Cartridge is perfect for those jobs that don’t require a full pump set up. Simply bring a hammer drill, drill bits, a single cartridge gun - and you’re good to go!

Spetec PUR H100 shuts down leaks in walls, manholes, box culverts, floors, storm sewer pipes and more. This 10.5oz single cartridge is very easy to use. Competing products often require a dual cartridge gun!

Application is simple:

1. Just drill a 3/8”, 1/2" or 5/8” hole through the substrate that is leaking.
2. Next, place the injection tip in the drilled hole and pump the Spetec PUR H100 cartridge into the soil for a very quick and easy seal. 

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec leak seal products?

Acrylic polymers are noted for transparency, resistance to breakage and elasticity. Spetec AG200 is a three-component, water-swelling hydrogel based on acrylic that hardens into an elastic product. It's a great choice for fixing leaking cracks and joints in walls. This product is also used in curtain wall grouting applications for soil stabilization.

The main benefit of Spetec AG200 acrylic is its very low viscosity. The viscosity of water is 1.002 centipoise (cps), which is very thin. Spetec AG200 is 4.2 cps which allows this product to penetrate deep into concrete cracks, and also permeate soil very thoroughly. Another benefit is the product's tenacious bond to concrete.

Flexibility in set up time is another key feature. Spetec AG200 can be made to set up anywhere in the range between 15 seconds to 60 minutes. With the fast set time option, you will be able to shut down very active leaks quick. With the slow set up time option, you will be able to permeate soil very effectively before the material sets up.

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec soil stabilization products?

Finally! We are at the last basic step. Now for the fun part - injecting the polyurethane resin. If you only have one pump, be sure to flush the pump out completely with AP Flush 121 before you pump the resin (unless you like rebuilding Titan airless sprayers).

Check your safety gear - safety glasses are the most important item. Put on two pairs of latex gloves (so you can easily slip on a new pair once the outer pair gets sticky - it is tough to slide fresh gloves over sweaty hands.)

Turn the pump pressure all the way down. Squirt some resin into a cup to make sure the resin is clean. Start at the lowest port and slowly crack the valve. This is a two man job (unless it is a small job). Have your partner slowly turn up the pressure as needed. Develop hand signals if the jobsite is noisy from a generator.

If the resin is flowing, keep pumping. If not, slowly adjust the pressure up. Here comes the art of the game. You have two ways to control the flow of the resin. The pump operator can control the pressure and the valve operator can control the flow. The more experienced technician should control the show.

If I am on the valve, I will tell the pump operator how high to turn up the pressure. I will close the valve while this is being done. Once the pressure is up, I will control the flow of the resin from the valve. Very slowly cracking it open. This way, if I feel a shear start to form, I have a split second to close the valve.

If I am on the pump and the valve operator is less experienced, I will have them open the valve and I will control things with the pump pressure. I will turn it up and down as necessary. It is better to have the valve operator control the show in most circumstances since that person is closer to the action, but hey, I am a control freak when it comes to crack injection.

When to stop? My rule is this - if resin is flowing, keep pumping. What if it starts to run out the face of the crack? Again, my rule is this - if more resin is going in than is coming out, keep pumping. You only have a few minutes to get the resin where it needs to be. As the AP Seal 500 reacts with water it starts to thicken up and becomes more difficult to push into the tighter recesses of the crack.

If raw resin comes out of the crack (amber resin, not a white foam), then it is time to stop. This resin will seal the crack, but at this point there is not much water for it to react with and it will cure slowly. Stop injecting and move to the next port because it will be slow to seal. It is better to see white foam coming out the face of the crack.

What happens if the foam travels past the next port - should I stop? No way. This is a home run. In most cases, the further along the face of the crack the resin travels, the deeper it is travelling as well. This gives you a better seal.

If too much resin is flowing out or washing out due to high water flow, you can use AP Oakum and a screwdriver to create a temporary plug (large or small) to give the resin time to react, expand, and seal the leak.

There are many more nuances about resin injection that you can read about in the leak seal section of this blog. For now, you have completed the basic training of sealing leaks in concrete structures. Here are the basic steps one more time for review:

1. Drill the injection holes.
2. Flush the injection holes.
3. Set the injection ports.
4. Flush the crack with water.
5. Inject the resin.

Congratulations! You have now completed the five basic injection steps and are ready to give it a shot on your own. Of course, many readers are as experienced as I am. If you aren’t, please feel free to call us at 404-618-0438 and ask any questions. The team at Alchemy-Spetec is here to help!

Click below to read the previous articles in this series if you missed them:
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection - Overview
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection - 1. Drilling Holes
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection – 1. Drilling Holes (Continued)
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection – 2. Flushing the Holes
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection – 3. Installing the Ports
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection – 4. Flushing the Cracks

Want in-depth info on crack injection procedures and products?

All cracks that aren’t actively leaking at the time you are sealing them need to be flushed out with water. Flushing them gives you several advantages:

1. Let’s you know whether your drill holes have intersected the crack.
2. Flushes dirt and debris out the surface of the crack so your resin has a cleaner internal surface to bond to.
3. Reveals how far you can expect the resin to travel so you know if your drilled holes are close enough together.
4. The water will help open up tight cracks that the thicker resin may not otherwise have been able to penetrate.
5. Ensures that the resin has sufficient moisture to react with.

Start at the lowest point in the crack and flush clean water through your injection ports. It is best to have at least two pumps onsite. One for pumping water and one for pumping resin. Use the same type of high pressure pump that you use for resin. You can use a smaller pump if you like, as long as it is capable of generating between 2,800 and 3,500 p.s.i.

BE CAREFUL when flushing tight cracks! The low viscosity of water coupled with the high pressure of the pump can shear the concrete. The water can push into tight cracks and capillaries and all at once split your concrete. You can also shear concrete with resin, but it is more likely to happen with water because you are testing your crack and trying to open it up.

Always start every port with the lowest pump pressure and slowly turn it up as necessary. Also, slowly crack the valve open when you are first injecting water or resin. This is a critical moment in the process. If you forget to turn the pump pressure down after each port, you risk blasting high pressure into the port all at once which can result in shearing of the concrete or blowing out the port.

Keep injecting water as long as it is flowing through the port and moving further and further along the crack. Monitor the water coming out of the crack. Notice if it is clean or cloudy. Keep injecting until it comes out clean.

If the project is big enough, you can have one technician injecting water and another injecting resin right behind. Personally, I like to do both steps myself. That way I know what to expect when injecting the resin. In any case, keep the water pump nearby. Many times you will have to pop another hole in the wall here and there to completely seal the crack with resin.

Click below to read the previous articles in this series if you missed them:
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection - Overview
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection - 1. Drilling Holes
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection – 1. Drilling Holes (Continued)
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection – 2. Flushing the Holes
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection – 3. Installing the Ports

Click below to read next articles in this series:
5 Steps of Concrete Crack Injection – 5. Injecting the Resin

Want in-depth info on crack injection procedures and products?