Sure, replacing a concrete foundation or other structure with concrete makes perfect sense. It was, after all, designed for concrete. In a vacuum, replacing it makes sense. However, construction and maintenance projects in today’s industrial environments are subject to a wide range of constraints and obstacles that make what sounds simple complex. Clients have market and economic pressures that are driving them to require you meet a schedule that doesn’t’ seem realistic using conventional construction materials and techniques. And you’re right.

Time to Go Unconventional

There are options available today that, in the past, had been considered “patching” or “repair” products. The old “patches” have become widely varied in working time, redesigned for larger pours and accelerated for faster strength gain. These products are now considered a

It’s hard to believe that it makes sense to “repair” a slab with extensive and continuous damage. If you’re thinking about a conventional “patch job”, you’re right. You’d never be able to justify the time for prep on dozens or even hundreds of small areas much less apply the repair in small doses. You don’t need to repair this slab, you need to “resurface” it.

Resurfacing is a way to make many repairs at once. It allows you to restore the slab without all of the detailed work of a smaller repair. Of course, you’ll need to consider a new class of materials to get it done. The good news is that most of these materials are as easy to apply as the patching items you’ve read about in previous emails.

Take a look at a guide to selection of the right resurfacing material for your problem slab.

Discovered damage in your pit or chest linings? Regular inspections are key to planning work for mill outages. Once you’ve made an assessment, you have an idea of what you’ll need to plan for on the schedule and for your budget. Most people still wait to perform the repairs and assume the damage will have progressed by the outage.

Why not make the temporary repairs during the inspection? It could slow or prevent any additional damage that might continue to progress until your planned project date.

Take a look at some options that will keep the surprises at a minimum when you open up that chest or pit down the road.

Chest and pit lining repair products:

Still think your only option for re-setting and grouting equipment is waiting on a semi-annual shutdown? The truth is, cement and epoxy technology has advanced just like your office computer. New materials and additives have produced products for grouting that allow for equipment start-up in as little as 1 hour. A single field maintenance day can now allow time for demo, install, grouting and cure to happen in a 12 hour day.

Take a look at some of the grouts that can get your equipment re-set and running on a snap.

Product Comparison Guide to Quick Turn-Around Grouting

Take a look at the range of materials you can use to restore your foundation and grout in one step.

When restoring and protecting pump foundations, you can use the same chemical resistant patching materials (mentioned in our guide “Product Selection Guide for Chemical Resistant Concrete Repair Materials”) in one step.

You can use those same materials you used to repair your concrete slabs and containment areas with to restore and protect your equipment foundations. It’s a technique know as “encapsulation” and it can be done on a maintenance down day. You can remove all of the damaged concrete, form and pour a chemical resistant grout. It repairs and grouts the equipment in one step.

Take a look at some

SR Epoxy Sealer

Long Term Immersion (LTI): the coating will be immersed in the solution for extended periods of time.

Short Term Immersion (STI): the coating will be immersed for up to 72 hours.

Splash Zone (SZ): the coating will be exposed to the solution for only short periods of time before cleaning.

Rating:
R = Recommended for use.
N = Not recommended for use.

With the wide range of chemicals and compounds used in Chemical Production these days, there’s no way to use one product. You need to consider a few things before you decide what you’ll use.

1. What’s the basic chemistry of your product in this containment or production area?

Some coatings are designed for acid service while others are specifically for caustic. There are even choices for single common chemicals like sulfuric acid. This can be tough when a single containment is common to multiple processes.

2. Will there be an abrasion from traffic, dragging pallets, steel totes etc?

This is critical. You’ll have to make your system resistant to this if you expect it to last.

3. What will the temperatures of the materials be?

You need to make sure the coating can take it or

Let’s face it, nearly every installation of process equipment is time sensitive these days. Ultra-competitive markets and slim profit margins force most companies to limit even planned down-time to the bare minimum. Saving the cure time for conventional grouts could mean getting back 8, 12 even 24 hours of production time. Cement and epoxy chemistry have made great strides in the ability to get fast strength gains while still providing the properties needed for most industrial applications. 

But it’s important that you choose the right material for your application. You’ll want to consider some key factors before you decide.

What properties do you need for the installation?

Not, what material has the highest strengths in every category. If you need fast turn-around,