Urethane injection?

Log Out | Topics | Search Moderators | Register | Edit Profile

Author Message David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1303 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 02:55 pm:    Anyone had experience with polyurethane injection of concrete to stop water intrusion? ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 260 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 03:55 pm:    Way too much. What do you want to know? David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1304 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 07:27 pm:    The products I am specifying are Euclid Dural Aqua-Dam LV, SikaFix HH LV, and De Neef Flex SLV PURe. Are those "equivalents"? The project is leaking cold joints in a 40 year old concrete stair tower. Can we just inject from on side (exterior)? How do we make the holes invisible? How do I determine the hole diameter and spacing? Mark Gilligan SE, Senior Member Username: mark_gilligan Post Number: 482 Registered: 10-2007 Posted on Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 05:06 am:    I am not an expert with this but would suggest that you need a consultant if you are selecting manufacturer’s products and specifying spacing of injection ports etc. Read the several ACI 503 specifications and guides. The ACI Concrete Repair Manual is probably another useful resource. They will need to seal the leaking joints on each surface prior to injecting the polyurethane. While they can remove the surface sealant afterwards I expect that this will have an impact on the visual look. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 261 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 11:14 am:    I agree with Mark. When selecting injectible products you need to look at the concrete strength and at the injectible 'strength' and viscosity. In the case of the products you're looking at, the injectibles will expand upon activation/contact with water. These products have different properties and may or may not be appropriate for your concrete. Once you're ready to proceed, I'd suggest test areas. Is your concrete cracking, spalling, or failing in some other manner? Do you need repair grouts, corrosion-inhibitors, or other concrete repairs or treatments? Very often areas immediately adjacent to repaired concrete areas will fail. Have the existing conditions been sounded and tested? What's causing the current failure and do you know the full extent of the damage? Is the problem just at the joints? Maybe products such as BBZ Acrylate injectibles will work as well or better than standard urethanes (http://www.bbzusa.com/). In some cases you can get away with applying a negative side waterproofing product and cover it up with a cementitious coating. Has this been considered? Sometimes 'cheaper' is better, especially if the nature and extent of damage isn't fully established. You probably need to consider what the hydrostatic head and water quality conditions are. This can affect the selection of products. In some cases I've seen consultants choose to inject the soils outside the concrete to avoid drilling ports into the concrete but it's important to understand that sort of injectible can be subject to erosion, especially if the soils settle after injection. I don't know of any way to drill ports in the concrete and then make them 'invisible' unless you can parge and coat afterwards. Lots of variables. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1405 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, June 11, 2012 - 11:22 am:    And there are other injectable materials beside urethane that might do the job, depending on crack size and other variables.