Since grouting is often completed by crew members who aren’t educated in best practices, there seems to be a lot of common misinformation about grout pumping. To many, it seems like common sense that pumping grout is better than pouring. However, just because pumping can initially save lots of time and money, it’s not always best.

Today we’re talking about some commonly held myths you should consider before ordering a pump. We are here to help, because simply knowing the truth can save a lot of time and unnecessary headaches.

Myth #1: “If you pump the grout, you’re guaranteed a successful grout job.”

Truth: Pumping gets the grout closer to where it will end up. However, without the right technique, you’re still not guaranteed the best bearing percentage.

Myth #2: “Any old pump will work for getting the job done.”

Truth: Not every pump can handle grouts used in today’s construction market. Epoxy grouts, for example, are very tough to pump. The

Calibration is a vital step in ensuring tools are working as they should be, giving correct readings, providing a safe working environment for end-users, and ensuring that companies are upholding their legal obligations. However, calibration is often confused with accuracy and precision. Here we explore what exactly is meant by calibration and why it’s so important.

What is calibration?

Your tool is working fine, but how do you know it is measuring accurately? That’s where calibration comes in.

Calibration is determining and documenting the difference in readings given by a tool compared with reading a given by a measuring standard (fixed device that is known to be accurate). It is generally followed by the adjustment of the tool. 

The process checks whether the values are within an acceptable range (tolerance level) in relation to the specific application. If not, then the equipment must be adjusted to make sure that the deviation between the actual

Mining and earth moving operations can be the ultimate test to your ability to ensure bolted joints stay tight. Constant vibration associated with moving equipment over rough terrain can cause even the nuts to loosen and cause damage or possible injury. 

Air-powered and battery-operated torquing tools make it easy to spot check these connections to insure they are still tight. They can also allow for the regular maintenance check on bolts that have a history of loosening. These hand-held tools are convenient and cost effective. 

Torquing is a critical step in your installation of flanges and equipment, but, it is just so time consuming. You could have flanges with 16 or 60 bolts or turbines with nearly 100. Take the sheer number of bolts times the time it takes to turn them with a hydraulic wrench times the number of passes you have to make to get each flange done. Wow, that’s a lot of minutes. There are a few options to help you speed up this operation and reduce your time to something reasonable. 

Make sure your hydraulic pumps have multiple outlets. Pumps that operate up to 4 tools at once are readily available for rent or purchase. This is good for smaller tools and the time you’re saving is the moving of tools for each bolt. 

Air powered nut runners are a calibrated option to get bolts tightened quickly to close to your final torque. This allows for a quick finish with the hydraulic tools for better accuracy. Of course, there is always a battery powered

Many of the vibration issues that appear as the equipment settles in over time could be averted with better installation techniques. Many of the tasks associated with equipment setting are often considered less important than say alignment or leveling. These other tasks are assumed to be foolproof, easy or even unimportant. These are the less glamorous tasks, but they are critical to the reliability of the equipment. These are tasks like anchoring and grouting. 

Anchoring is critical to holding the equipment down to keep the equipment in the right position in relation to the other components of the system. They also keep the equipment from moving during rotation which could create issue with the moving parts of the system. 

Precision grouts are the key to evenly transferring unused forces from the equipment into the foundation and eventually into the ground. Without the grout, these unused forces bounce around in the equipment as vibration.

Single-point lubricators are ideal for equipment requiring regular lubrication located in difficult to get to or high hazard areas. Self-contained units can dispense grease or oil with worry free consistency and can be mounted un to 15 feet aware from the bearing. Dispensing time can vary from 1 to 12 months and can be turned on and off for scheduled down time. 

Air Sentry® set the standard for contamination control breather technology in 1997, creating new state-of-the-art features that reduced particulate and moisture contamination. This innovative breather line was the first to integrate check valve technology and the first to offer replacement desiccant/filter cartridges, significantly reducing maintenance costs.

The clear view 360 degree design makes it east to inspect the saturation of the color-changing silica gel from a distance. The inert silica gel turns from gold to dark green to visually indicate the absorption of moisture and confirm the breather is getting the job done. 

Air Sentry products cover a wide range of application requirements. The line consists of Good, Better, and Best options designed to meet your specific application and duration specifications.

Your concrete basin may be leaking, but there’s no way you can take it down to do any repairs. The whole plant is dependent on the cooling tower running. If you were to coat the inside you’d have to have several days to prep and coat and then you’d have to let the new coating cure before filling the basin. That could be days or even a week. 

But, if you could apply a coating that required minimal prep and could be applied to the wet concrete, you’d have time for that. With the advancements of cement chemistry and the variety of additives used in products these days, cement-based coatings are a real option for this application. Flexible cement waterproofing slurries can bridge cracks in the existing concrete. They are easy to apply and take little to no additional equipment. These products can resist up to 160 ft of water pressure and have very good adhesion to concrete. 

Active water leaks in your concrete can be more than just a nuisance. Everybody has them. That area that stays wet all the time, especially after it rains. As long as it’s not inconvenient or posing a safety hazard, most people just overlook it. “It’s just always wet, that’s all.”

But, the truth is, those concrete structures are reinforced with rebar. The rebar adds a great deal of strength to the structure. However, the rebar is also very susceptible to damage from corrosion. And, all that water brings the oxygen with it that drives the process forming rust and eventually concrete failure. 

Stopping the active leak is critical to stopping the flow of water. This is the first step to stopping the degrading of your concrete’s ability to perform as it was intended to. 

Coating containment areas in tank farms and loading areas can be pretty easy if you can get the protection you need with a thin film coating. These coatings are easy to apply can be easily repaired  when they are damaged. The key is in making sure your get the right protection for your specific chemical. Remember, to qualify for secondary containment, the coating has to survive long enough to hold the chemical in the containment area for 72 hours. 

Consult a good chemical resistance chart to make sure you’re choosing the best coating for your chemicals. Look for products that are made for “Secondary Containment”. You need 72 hours, so don’t waste your money on heavy duty systems designed to containment the chemicals indefinitely in some sort of primary containment vessel.