Alchatek Blog

In Manhattan, New York, a building site was facing unforeseen issues. An old building with an empty lot was being demolished for new construction, and underneath was mainly rock and stone. As the contractors began to penetrate the rocks, water began to spew out.

Grouting had to be done because of the water leaks that arose after penetration of the rocks. We advised the contractor to use our H100 resin to slow down the water. Ports were drilled into the horizontal slabs and rocks as a starting point. With the ports set into place, the second step was to inject the resin into the rock fissures (open cracks) to slow down the water and fill the large voids.

In the end, the contractor was able to slow down 80% of the water from the rock fissures. With the water down to a minimum, the concrete slab was able to be poured and a base was created for the new building. This is just one of the many ways our products can be used to repair damage on building sites in emergency situations.

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In Baltimore, Maryland, an office building housing EZ Pass toll booth administration personnel was facing a serious crisis. A 22 inch deep wall joint in their boiler room had a void and needed to be repaired. The joint was rapidly deteriorating.

We advised the contractor to use a combination of oakum and our H100 resin. The first step was to soak the oakum in the H100. Next, the soaked oakum was dipped in water for activation and then inserted into the joint. The cured material and oakum sealed off the front 15 inches of the joint. Then more H100 was injected behind the cured oakum, using a customized injection needle, to fill the back 7 inches of the joint for extra measure. The combination of H100 and oakum acted as a gasket to stop water from coming through the expansion joint while filling the void.

The job was finally finished off by inserting a caulk joint sealant to lock all the grout into the joint, completely sealing off the leaks and preventing any future ones. This is one of many examples in which our products have been used in the application of leak seal for municipalities.

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In this post, I will provide a brief overview of Alchemy-Spetec's AP Fill 700 and its properties.

What is AP Fill 700?

AP Fill 700 is a single component, water activated, hydrophobic, low viscosity, closed cell polyurethane leak seal injection resin.

What are the applications & advantages?

AP Fill 700 can be used in numerous applications. Not only can it be used to stop gushing leaks, it can also be used to fill voids behind concrete structures. In addition, it's useful for cutting off underground water flows and consolidating loose soil. Last but not least AP Fill 700 is often used for seawall repair. This injection resin has a very low viscosity rating and is water impermeable. Its adjustable set time can be as fast as just 20 seconds. AP Fill 700 is also environmentally friendly and approved for contact with drinking water.

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In this post, I’ll profile AP Seal 500. These AP products may be new to customers who’ve joined us from the ResiplastUS/Spetec side of the recent merger.

What is AP Seal 500?

AP Seal 500 is a single component, low viscosity, flexible hydrophilic polyurethane leak seal injection resin designed for sealing cracks.

What are the advantages & applications?

AP Seal 500 is used for sealing cracks in concrete structures through pressure injection. Applications include sealing hairline cracks, expansion joints, wide cracks, pipe joints, and pipe penetrations. It's also ideal for saturating dry oakum to create a flexible gasket for sealing pipe penetrations, joints and larger defects in concrete structures.

This polyurethane injection does not require a catalyst. Other advantages include its tenacious bond to wet concrete and high elongation charactaristics. It's also thin enough to penetrate tight cracks, moderately hydrophilic, and phthalate free (more environmentally friendly). Last but not least, it's certified To NSF 61-5 (approved for contact with drinking water).

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In this post we will discuss the many advantages of GT350, as we follow through with the overview of the Alchemy-Spetec product line.

What is GT350?

GT350 is an MDI based hydrophilic, one-component flexible polyurethane injection resin for waterproofing.

What are the advantages & applications?

GT350 is used for shutting off water leaks in concrete, brick work and sewers where movement and settlement may occur. It can also be used for water cut off in walls. In addition, GT350 can be injected behind sheet piles and secant piles for curtain wall grout repairs. Last but not least, it can be used in tunnel joint segments and open wall joints with highly active water leaks.

Additional Information

Cured polyurethane is harmless for the environment and highly flexible, making it resistant to biological decay. It is ideally suited for structures where a high degree of settlement and movement can occur.

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In the previous post we went over the properties of AG100. Today we will discuss the properties of AG200, which is in the same family. (If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my previous blog post on AG100.)

What is AG200?

AG200 is a three-component, water-swelling hydrogel based on acrylate or methacrylate that hardens to an elastic product.

What are the advantages & applications?

AG200 is known for its low blending viscosity, which can be compared to the consistency of water. This acrylate is mainly used for curtain wall grouting. In addition, it can also be used to redirect ground water, stabilize soils prior to excavation, and inject cracks. The set times can be controlled by varying the amounts of catalyst on the resin side and salt on the water side.

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In this post, I’ll continue my overview of the Alchemy-Spetec product line with a profile of H100. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my previous articles on F400 and F1000.

What is H100?

H100 is a one-component, closed cell, water activated, semi-flexible polyurethane leak seal injection resin.  Its low viscosity and hydrophobic properties make it ideal for both soil stabilization and cutting off large water leaks.

What are the uses for H100?

There are a plethora of applications for H100, primarily cutting off high flow leaks and soil stabilization. Some specific uses include cutting off sewer water leaks and soil stabilization around sewer structures. Other uses include water cut-off of leaks in foundations such as diaphragm walls, piling sheets and secant piles. H100 is also good for stabilization and water cut-off of large cracks, voids and gravel layers. H100 has been used to stabilize soil and anchors in porous geology along with crack and gravel layer injections in concrete structures. In addition, it's is an ideal resin for probe grouting below grade pipes and manhole injections. Last but not least, injections in combination with cement-based grout work very well with pre and post injections in mines, tunnels, pipe jacking, drill & blast and TBM applications.

Advantages of H100

The one component, closed-cell structure allows the cured polyurethane resin to seal large water leaks in cracks and joints permanently. With adjustment of the percentage of H100 ACC accelerator it is also possible to alter the reaction times. Once H100 is cured, it exhibits high strength and good chemical resistance. This in turn makes it harmless to the environment and resistant to biological attacks. Not to mention it is also WQA certified to come in contact with drinking water.

Alchemy-Spetec no longer carries this product.  Click here to read about our current Leak Seal product line. 

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There are many polyurethane resins that are used to treat water leaks. Today we will review F400. I have recently joined Alchemy-Spetec as Western Regional Manager, and I'm studying up on the product line. I thought it would be beneficial to share what I'm learning about the Spetec line with our blog readers, as many who joined us in the Alchemy Polymers era may be new to these products as well.

What is F400?

F400 is a one-component polyurethane leak seal injection resin that is designed to shut off water leaks. It's a closed cell, flexible, hydrophobic, low viscosity resin. It's also solvent and phthalate free.

What is F400 used for?

F400 is used to shut off water leaks in concrete, brickwork and sewers where movement and settlement may occur. It also makes a great water cut-off for leaks in foundations such as
diaphragm walls, piling sheets and secant piles. In addition, you'll find it helpful for sealing water-carrying cracks and joints in tunnel segments. Not to mention cuurtain grouting behind tunnel, concrete, brickwork and sewer walls. It's also great for injection of water cut-off membranes and liners in tunnels.

Want an in-depth overview of Alchemy-Spetec leak seal solutions and procedures?

Manhole Leak Repair

Leaking manholes can cause unnecessary damage to the environment and can be costly if left untreated. Water leaks can create voids that can lead to sink holes, roadway collapses and system failures. Chemical Grouting is a low cost, durable repair method for manholes which can often prolong the life of the structure.

Injection Methods for Manhole Repair

Brick Manholes

• Drill to the outside of the manhole and into the soil through the brick.
• Repair all pipe penetrations, and have oakum ready to help plug leaks.
• Start injection of material at the bottom and work your way up.

Precast Manholes

• Repair all pipe penetration and apply oakum rings if too wide.
• Drill injection holes into the manhole rings at the four main clock positions (12-3-6-9).
• Start injecting material from the bottom up.

Storm Culvert Leak Repair

Storm culverts transport large volumes of water. When they leak this allows exterior soils to be carried in the storm culvert allowing sink holes above. Chemical grouting these structures is a non–excavation repair, which will seal joints and leaks and stabilize soils. Unlike pumping concrete, chemical grouts add little to no weight to surrounding soils. Injection of storm culverts can be achieved by manned entry or via probe grouting from above when access is not considered feasible.

Injection Methods for Culvert Repair

Manned Entry Method

• All joints need to be identified and inspected for any possible concrete repair that may need to be performed prior to injection process.
• Wide joints should be packed using oakum rope and chemical grout to minimize waste and contain injection grout in joint, once prepared injection can be performed.

Probe Grouting Method

• Map off leaks using a CCTV camera.
• Measure out and mark locations on the street or soil above.
• Drill holes though street or soil above at each location.
• Insert injection pipe to a depth of one foot below bottom of repair point.
• Start injecting a rate of 1 gallon per foot stopping at the top of the pipe.

It is important to remember that a leak is a round-the-clock problem. A small leak can eventually lead way to a larger leak, which can be catastrophic if left untreated. The longer you wait before repairs, the more expensive it becomes.

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