It's that time of year again. As temperatures drop, take a moment to review this previously posted article packed with cold-weather tips.

In this blog post, we will share some tips for stabilizing soil in cold weather. The two main points to remember are – to make sure the ground isn’t frozen and to condition your material and equipment properly.

Do Not Attempt Soil Stabilization Work When the Ground is Frozen

If you’re considering soil stabilization in cold weather, the first step is to make sure that the water table isn’t frozen. Iced earth is not permeable enough for the proper mixing of resin and soil. If you attempt to proceed with frozen soil, you’ll just be wasting your material. Best to wait it out in that case.

Properly Condition Equipment and Materials

For optimal results, it’s best to store any materials and equipment that are to be used in a heated environment overnight. It’s best to keep your AP Soil 600 above 60 degrees at all times. This is key because cold material reacts slower and gets thicker. The methods you use to condition your material on the job site will depend on the type of vehicle you’re using.

If you have an insulated rig, it should stay around 40 degrees warmer than outside temperatures. Most foam rigs have built-in electric heaters that require an extension cord to a power outlet at the job site or at your facility for overnight storage. Alternatively, you could buy an electric radiator heater. Other available heating devices include drum band heaters and heated drum mats (be careful not to scorch the polymers by turning band heaters up too high). For a more DIY approach, you could build a hot box around the material storage area in your rig.

If you’re using pails and a smaller vehicle, use an enclosed vehicle, like a box truck, enclosed trailer, or pickup truck with a camper top or bed cover. Keep as much material and equipment inside the vehicle as possible when working. Use a portable heater to maintain a warm temperature. You can also use electric pail heaters to keep your resin ready for action.

Using a combination of the methods described above, you should be able to keep your materials warm enough. In extreme cases when the material gets a bit too cold and thick, you may want to use AP Cat 600 to speed up the reaction time.

Conclusion

As long as the ground isn’t frozen, you should be able to stabilize soil in cold weather.  Just make sure your materials and equipment are conditioned properly.  If you have any further questions, please contact us at 404-618-0438.

Want in-depth info on soil stabilization products?

The ideal polyurethane foam for filling voids under a driveway, AP Lift 430 works in a variety of wet, dry, or harsh conditions, can support up to 7,200 lbs per square foot, and will cure to 90% full strength in 15 minutes. This two-component, high-strength, high-density, hydro-insensitive structural polymer weighs 2.75 – 3.25 pounds per cubic foot. When injected, polyurethane will conform to the shape of the void more accurately than other materials such as cement grout. And, unlike cement, it won't sink over time.

Watch the video below for a real-time example of polyurethane void fill with AP Lift 430. The structural stability of this driveway is under threat due to a very wide void ranging from one to two feet deep. Since the supporting soil on one side of the slab has entirely eroded away, it was possible to capture this process very clearly on video.

Watch the process closely and then call 404-618-0438 to be connected to your technical support representative for any follow-up questions. Alchemy-Spetec offers the most experienced tech support team in the industry. Contact us today for assistance on your next job!

Want more info on geotech products and equipment?

Unstable soil deep underneath private commercial property or public infrastructure can settle causing extensive and expensive damage. Poor compaction, water erosion, broken pipes, and organic material in this deep soil can make serious settling more likely.

How can you prevent settling and get long-term protection? Introducing the Deep Lock process. Alchemy-Spetec offers a unique combination of high-quality structural polymers along with the equipment and training needed to address deep soil issues. Now you can achieve soil stabilization and compaction on large projects faster without heavy excavation equipment, extended downtime, and risk of collateral property damage.

For a detailed explanation of the process, watch the animated video below...

Want more information on the Deep Lock process?

Soil testing equipment is extremely helpful for planning slab lifting and soil stabilization work. Contractors use ground penetrating radar systems and dynamic cone penetrometers to get a sense of soil conditions before they drill their first hole into a slab or push their first injection pipe into the ground.

Deep Look™ Ground Penetrating Radar

The Deep Look™ wireless ground penetrating radar collects data from hundreds of thousands of pulse reflections each second to help contractors identify objects below ground. The triple-frequency antenna design provides higher-resolution imaging than conventional GRP systems.

Dynamic Cone Penetrometer

The Pagini DPM30 dynamic cone penetrometer is ideal for testing soil strength and density at various depths. The fact that it is exceptionally small means it can be used on sites that are inaccessible to normal machines. A hydraulic pump raises and drops a weight onto a measuring rod, pushing it into the ground. To measure soil strength, the operator counts the number of blows it takes to drive the steel rod in 10-centimeter increments. Good soil requires 10+ blows to drive the rod 10 centimeters. Anything less is typically indicative of weak soil conditions.

Want more info on geotech equipment and repair materials?

This post is part of the Alchemy-Spetec Contractor Lens series, featuring views, news & case studies written by our customers. This article, written by John Knieper of SiteMix Pressure Grouting LLC, provides an overview of a repair job on a detention pond wall footer. If you're an Alchemy-Spetec customer and you'd like to discuss writing content for our blog, please send an email to marketing@alchemy-spetec.com today!

A general contractor working with a homeowners association reached out to SiteMix Pressure Grouting, LLC about a detention pond wall that was leaking along the footer in several places. A detention pond is designed to collect rainwater and then let it drain slowly in a controlled manner. But in this case, water was washing out quickly in an uncontrolled manner in multiple spots under the footing.

Powerful Polymers

To rapidly address the problem the technicians at SiteMix chose AP Fill 720 soil repair material. This single component, closed cell, hydrophobic, water-reactive, solvent and phthalate-free, low viscosity polyurethane foam has a high expansion rate and is ideal for filling voids. In this case, AP Fill 720 was the perfect choice for filling the soil voids underneath the footer created by water erosion.

Painless Procedures

First, the crew injected AP Fill 720 along 150 feet of the wall, installing approximately one gallon underneath the footing every two feet. Next, they installed another 75 gallons spot treating larger voids.

Rapid Results

The job was completed in only 2 days. The detention pond wall was ready for use immediately upon completion of the work. The general contractor and the homeowners association manager were very happy with the results.

Want more information on geotech products?

Causes of Unstable Soil

Poor compaction, water erosion, broken pipes, and organic material in the soil can all lead to the settling of a foundation or a roadway. Traditional methods of soil stabilization can strengthen the soil directly under concrete and structures, but they do not address instability at deeper levels. Other methods of addressing deep soil issues require heavy equipment, extended downtime, and collateral property damage. These situations create problems for property owners as well as opportunities for the elite contractors that know how to fix them.

Deep Soil Stabilization

Introducing the Deep Lock process! Alchemy-Spetec offers a unique combination of high-quality structural polymers (AP Deep Lift 420, AP Lift 430, AP Lift 440 & AP Lift 475) along with the equipment and training needed to address deep soil issues. Now you can achieve soil stabilization and compaction on large projects with the smallest footprint and least amount of heavy equipment required. The Deep Lock process is powerful, painless, and rapid. Deep Lock gets to the root of the problems in the soil, it stabilizes the soil at all levels and accomplishes this with minimal imposition or downtime to the property owner.

Want more information about the Deep Lock process?

The Polyurethane Soil Stabilization Process

Weak soil under any structure or slab increases the risk of settling and structural damage. Excavating next to a building can weaken the soil that supports the foundation, potentially causing structural damage. Eroding soil can create sinkholes under roads and damage existing infrastructure. In some cases, this erosion is caused by water leaking into pipes and manholes and carrying soil with it. Regardless of the cause, loose soil will result in structural damage over time.

Contractors use Alchemy-Spetec soil stabilization polymers to fill voids and solidify the soil, thus preventing additional structural damage. These polymers are also used to reinforce excavation areas next to existing buildings. The contractor drives pipes in a grid pattern and injects soil stabilization resins to strengthen the soil and protect nearby structures. 

Polyurethane Soil Stabilization Case Studies

• Deep Soil Stabilization at Shopping Center
• Gravel Wall Stabilization
• Deep Soil Stabilization with Polyurethane
• Soil Stabilization at Busy Intersection
• Stabilizing a Foundation to Save a Valuable Two-Story House
• Deep Soil Stabilization at Residential Property
• Protecting a Building Foundation Next to an Excavation Site

Want more info on polyurethane soil stabilization?

Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

$745 Registration Fee
$665 for each additional participant from
the same company.

Get ready for a thorough education in Slab Lifting, Soil Stabilization, the Alchemy-Spetec Deep Lift® process, equipment, and applications. You’ll get hands-on training from a technical staff with decades of on-the-job experience.

Tuesday, October 4th

• Geotech Product Line Overview
• Geotech Applications & Case Studies
• MixMaster Pro Slab Lifting Gun
• Slab Lift Rig Demonstration

Wednesday, October 5th

• Pump Demos & Training
• PolyShark® / Soil Stabilization
• Deep Lift® 
• Ground Penetrating Radar

Thursday, March 31st

• PolyBadger® Mobile Slab Lifting System
• Estimating Material for Jobs

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

This post is part of the Alchemy-Spetec Contractor Lens series, featuring views, news & case studies written by our customers. This article, written by John Knieper of SiteMix Pressure Grouting LLC, provides an overview of a retention pond repair job. If you're an Alchemy-Spetec customer and you'd like to discuss writing content for our blog, please send an email to marketing@alchemy-spetec.com today!

A property management company in metro Atlanta contacted SiteMix Pressure Grouting, LLC to address an issue with a neighborhood retention pond that was not holding water at the proper level. The customer reported that the water level was not running through the top of the concrete outlet control structure as designed but water was exiting on the other side of the earthen dam through the concrete outlet pipe. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the pond water was piping along the outside of the concrete outlet pipe and leaking back into the outflow pipe through several bad joints in the concrete pipe.

Powerful Polymers

The SiteMix Pressure Grouting crew choose AP Fill 700, a single component, water-activated, hydrophobic, low viscosity, closed-cell polyurethane injection resin for the repair. Specifically, AP Fill 700 is NSF-approved for contact with drinking water, safe for the environment and allows the crew the ability to adjust the catalyst for set time. The polyurethane material is ideal for permeating soil, filling voids and water cutoff.

Painless Procedures

AP Fill 700 was injected on 18-inch centers around the base of the OCS and outlet pipe in order to inject resin into the flow of the piping water. Specifically, the set time of the resin was reduced so that the piping water would take the resin the length of the pipe to the leaking joints. The goal was to have the AP Fill 700 react from downstream back up to the OCS. Crew members observed the pipe joints until AP Fill 700 presented and all the leaks stopped.

Rapid Results

The job took one day to complete and less than 50 gallons of resin. Within three days the pond was at full pool and the management company and neighborhood residents were very satisfied with the work.

Want more information on geotech products?

Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

$745 Registration Fee
$665 for each additional participant from
the same company.

Get ready for a thorough education in Slab Lifting, Soil Stabilization, the Alchemy-Spetec Deep Lift® process, equipment, and applications. You’ll get hands-on training from a technical staff with decades of on-the-job experience.

Tuesday, October 4th

• Geotech Product Line Overview
• Geotech Applications & Case Studies
• MixMaster Pro Slab Lifting Gun
• Slab Lift Rig Demonstration

Wednesday, October 5th

• Pump Demos & Training
• PolyShark® / Soil Stabilization
• Deep Lift® 
• Ground Penetrating Radar

Thursday, March 31st

• PolyBadger® Mobile Slab Lifting System
• Estimating Material for Jobs

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED