Epoxy lniection

Contents
Seal cracks carefully before iniecting ePoxy
by John Trout (Conc reie Repair Digest, A[rilMay 1994) """"" """""""""""2
lnjecting cracks with epoxy pastes
Oy noU"ñW. Gaul (Concrète Aeþair Digest, June/July 1994)""""" """""""'4
How to ¡njed leaking cracks in foundations
trót (Con"retl?epair Digest, October 1990) '."""'
by Jolrn """"""""""""'8
Epoxy injection of cracked slabs
ny p"í"t Eíarlow (Concrete Construction, April 1993) ."""" """'12

How to rebond delaminations

by Bruce A. SuprenanL(Concrete Repair Digest, April/May 1994)""""" """16

Rebonding delaminated bridge deck overlays _

by Letand D]Smithson and John elWfriting (Concrete Repair Digest, July/July 1992) "..'.17

Low-cost equipment makes crack injection affordable

by Rosatie ¡oñnston (Concrete Repair Digêst, AugusVseptember 1993)...'.'......'......"..19

Getting paid for crack injection

by John-F. Trout (Conc rete iepair Digest, June/July 1993) """"' """"""""'22
Repairs ctear Denver Airpoft for takeoff
'lr/artin """"""""""""24
by S. McGover n (Concrete Repair Digest, April/May 1 994)"""""

Concrete bonding Process saves badly cracked dome roof

by Anne Balogh (Clnòrete Construction, Nóvember 1990) """'27

Perspectives on ePoxy iniection

(Conlrete Repair Digest,'Junê/July 1994) """""""'29
Cover photo: Lily CorP.
Seal cracks carefully before
iniecting
epoxy
Tips for avoiding ø leøky injection
setup
By John Trout
ailing to cap a crack proper-
ly before injecting epoxy
resin can cause a leak that
wastes costly resin. The leak
also bleeds off pressure, re-
ducing epoxy penetration and slowing
progress ofthe repair operation. There
are many causes of injection setup
leaks, but most are avoidable.
Since most concrete has a surface
tensile strength of 75 psi, each linear
inch of f -inch-wide cap will resist 75
pounds of force. That's more than
enough to prevent a cap from coming
off under pressure generated by nor-
mal injection procedures. For exam-
ple, if a crack 0.005 inch wide is in-
jected at a pressure of 200 psi, the
force exerted against the cap is only 1
pound. The safety margin is 75 to 1.
Injecting a 0.03-inch crack at the same
pressure exerts a force of 6 pounds
against the cap, still giving a safety
margin of 12% to 1. V/ith these mar-
gins, why do setups leak? Usually it's
because of incorrect capping methods.
Using the right method prevents leaks.
Steps for capping
the crack surface
Clean the surface-To bond well,
caps must be applied to a sound, clean
surface. Remove
weak concrete,
paint, waterproof-
ing materials, or
other coatings.
'Wire brushing by
hand usually works
best. Power
grinders, power
wire brushing, or
mechanical chip-
A properly installed cap lets the operator iniect epoxy at
pers can fill the several ports simultaneously. W¡th a bad capp¡ng, the operator
crack with dust, will be too busy plugging leaks to even try lnject¡ng more than
making it hard to one port at a time.
inject with epoxy
(see photo). cafalyzed material that are weak. The
Select the right cap material-For cap will leak at these points. To avoid
low injection pressures, some injection the problem, mix the material thor-
specialists use wax to seal the crack. oughly in one can with a power drill
However, I suggest using a high-mod- mixing attachment. Pour it into anoth-
ulus, gel-type epoxy for most work. It er can (but don't scrape out the first
should be a moisture-tolerant material. one), then mix it some more.
Also, a fast cure time-two to three Fast setting is sometimes a problem.
hours-is desirable if you want to cap The reaction between resin and cata-
and inject epoxy the same day. lyst generates heat. If the heat isn't dis-
Carefully batch and mix the epoxy sipated, it speeds the set. When this
cap material-Accurately batch the happens, don't add a solvent and don't
two components for the cap. If the ra- try to change set time by adjusting th
tio is off by 107o, presume that the ratio of catalyst to resin. Instead, after
strength will be reduced by at least that mixing the epoxy, spread it no more
much. Do not stir the material-mix it. than% inch thick on a sheet of ply-
Poor mixing causes streaks of partially wood covered with polyethylene. The
thin layer helps heat escape faster,
keeping the matelial wolkable longer.
Also, mix small batches of the epoxy'
Some of the material in large batches
may stiffen too much before use, caus-
ing skips.
Avoid skips and thin sPots irt the
cap-Skips are areas at the sulface of
the crack where the caP doesn't bond
(see drawing). These voids allow in-
jection resin to flow under a latger
alea of the cap, often lifting it off and
causing a leak. Skips are caused bY:
. Careless cap application
. An irregular concfete surface at the
crack
. Epoxy material that's too stiff
. Dusty surfaces near the crack
, To avoid the problem, remove all
Just near the clack surface with a
short-blistle, 2-inch paint brush. If the
concrete is old and ofpoor quality, use
an epoxy primer before applying the
cap. Massage a freshly catalyzed resin
over the crack, using enough pl'essure
to get good contact between concrete
and resin. Make sure the cap is thick
enough at all points. It should be about
',4 inch thick and I inch wide. Thin
spots are possible leak locations.
How to stop leaks
When you cap cracks one daY and
inject them the next day, the caps will
Þower grinding or ch¡pping may fill the crack with
dust, making it hard to iniect with epoxy'
Skips are areas at the surface of the crack where the cap doesn't bond'
sometimes crack because of thermal
movements. Duling the day, when the
cap is applied, the surface is warmer
and expanding. At night, when it's
coolet, the surface contracts-some-
times enottgh to crack the caP. To
avoid this problem, use a rapid-setting
gel so you catl cap in the morning and
inject in the afternoon. If the cap does
crack, the clack width maY be small
enough to permrt injection without los-
ing a lot of matelial.
If a cap leaks, try these quick le-
pairs. Knead a l-inch-long Plug of
epoxy putty (the kind used by
plumbers) until it's warm. Just before
placing the puttY against
the leak, wipe the surface
ch'y with a lag. Hold the
putty in place for a better plice to the client in return for
minute or two, then stalt
injecting again at a re-
duced pressut'e.
For a leak that's ch'ain-
ing by gravity, rub a necessary.
paraffin block over the
leaking al'ea until Paraffin
plugs the leak. A paraffin
plug, though, won't Per-
mit you to continue in-
jecting, even at reduced
pressure. Allow the resin
already injected to set be-
fore proceeding.
Another method that sometimes
works is to put a rag ovel the tip of a 10-
penny nail and pound it in at the leak.
Removing the caP
When leaks occur, it's helPful to
find out why. After the injection resin
has set, remove the caP with a sharP
chisel and inspect it at the point of fail-
ure. You should be able to see whether
the leak was caused bY a thin eaq, a
skip, or a dusty sulface.
The cap is a form, not an integral
part of the repair. It's costly to remove
all caps after an injectionjob, so don't
do it unless the client requires you to.
If the repair isn't in a location exposed
to view, you may be able to trade a
leaving the cap in place. But get the
agreement in writing. Presume that
you're required to remove the cap un-
less the contract says removal isn't
To remove the cap, I recommend us-
ing a weed butnel to soften it before
scraping it off with a roofing spud' A
rotary grinder also will remove the
ePOXY. =r
John Trout is president of Lily Corp.'
Aurora, Ill.
lniecting cracks w¡th
epoxy pastes
(Jse nonsøg adhesives when you can't seøl the back si.de of crøcks

By Robert W. Gaul

henever possible,
repair contractors
should inject cracks
with a low-viscosi-
ty, liquid epoxy.
Skilled repair contractors using state-
of-the-art injection equipment and liq-
uid adhesives can routinely repair
cracks down to 0.005 inch in width.
Under the most favorable conditions,
very skilled and experienced contrac-
tors can successfully inject cracks as
narrow as 0.002 inch. Additionally,
capillary forces will draw a good liq-
uid injection adhesive into fine fis-
sures narrower than 0.001 inch that
sometimes develop as tributaries when
primary cracks form.
However, the same properties that
allow liquid adhesives to fill the nar-
rowest of cracks also allow the adhe-
sives to run out of cracks if the adhe-
sive is not contained. A liquid epoxy Workers use an alroperated piston pump to inject an epoxy paste into a crack in a
will leak from a crack face that has not box culvert wall. Although paste adhesives account for only a fiaction of all iniection
repa¡6, the procedure ¡s practical and effective where liquld adhesives cannot be
been sealed.
contained in a crack.
An epoxy paste, or gel, can fill the
need of a contractor who cannot reach to the back side unconstrained laboratory test speci-
one or more faces of a crack to apply a Cracks in masonry structures fre- men because it is firmly bonded to
seal. Using pastes, skilled contractors quently require a paste adhesive be- the faces of the crack. In short, the
can fill cracks as naÍow as 0.01 inch. cause of porous mortar joints, hollow modulus of the epoxy doesn't matter.
Unlike liquids, paste adhesives will cores in blocks, and spaces or rubble In simple terms, a paste injection
not penetrate fine fissures. But filling zones between wythes. adhesive must have a consistency that
these capillary-size tributaries usually allows it to penetrate the crack but
is not necessary for effective repair of SelectinÉ an adhes¡Ye still have adequate nonsag properties
the primary crack. A common misconception is that so it doesn't run out of the crack's un-
using a flexible, or 1ow-modulus, in- sealed faces. In addition, it must de-
Appllcations for paste jection adhesive will allow the re- velop the required bond strength to
injection adhesives paired crack to move. Flexible, solid handle the loads it will be subjected
Typical concrete structures where it adhesives act as high-modulus ma- to during service.
is impossible to completely apply a terials in a crack. Since epoxy (as Consistency. The viscosity of the
seal to contain a liquid adhesive in- well as any other polymer) adhesives epoxy is a major facto¡ in how well the
clude: are not compressible and do not paste will meet placement require-
. Retaining walls with rock or loosely change in volume when loaded, any menrs. ASTM C 881-90 categorize'
compacted fill on the back side widening of the crack must result in epoxy adhesives by their flow chara,
. Concrete slabs or foundations bear- a corresponding dimensional change teristics:
ing on porous substrates in the bonded area. Such a change . Low-viscosity (Grade 1)
. Concrete walls so close to an adja- would require loss of bond. The ad- . Medium-viscosity (Grade 2)
cent building that there is no access hesive cannot extend as it does in an . Nonsag consistency (Grade 3)
 Make sure the adhesive you choose
But don't stop
^s a Grade 3 adhesive.
there. Some Grade 3 adhesives have
such high viscosities that they're as
thick as peanut butter after they're
mixed. You won't be able to inject these
adhesives into a crack. Use a lower vis-
cosity paste having a consistency closer
to that of mayonnaise or toothpaste.
Although paste viscosity is the
major factor in determining the
epoxy's ability to penetrate and re-
main within the crack, it doesn't tell
the whole story. Adhesives having
similar viscosities can have different
nonsag capabilities. Fortunately,
most reputable injection adhesive
manufacturers sell paste adhesives
that are well-suited for these crack-
filling applications.
The degree of nonsag capability re-
quired for a paste injection material
depends on job conditions. A crack
having an open void on its unsealed
face, for example, requires a thicker
paste than a crack surrounded bY
loose-packed sand. Also, wider cracks
and higher concrete temperatures re-
rire thicker pastes.
Several combinations of these
conditions may exist on a Project,
even on the same day. It would be
convenient to have a variety ofpaste
adhesives available on the jobsite,
enabling the contractor to choose
the adhesive with just the right bal-
ance of pumpability and nonsag
characteristic s.
This usually is not practical. How-
ever, several manufacturers have
compatible liquid (Grade 1) and non-
sag (Grade 3) adhesives that can be
blended on the jobsite. This enables
the contractor to produce an epoxy
having any consistency between the
Several epoxy manufacturers offet liquid and paste
adhesives that can be blended on the iobsite to
achieve the desired consistency'
extremes of the liquid and nonsag ad-
Þsives. When blending adhesives,
contractors must strictly follow the
manufacturer's mix ratio instructions
for the components of the liquid and
the nonsag adhesives.
Once you start in-
jecting a crack, it's
easy to tell ifthe ad-
hesive is too thick or
too thin. Epoxies
that are too thick
simply won't enter
the crack. Epoxies
that are too thin will
run out of the crack
and won't appear at
higher ports.
The adhesive
should have a long
working life, prefer-
ably more than an Figure l: A simulated
hour. Epoxy adhe- crack shows the iniection
sives increase in vis- ofa paste adhesive. Paste
adhesive travels in a fan
cosity toward the end
pattem about as deePlY
of their working life. into the crack as it has
Because injecting traveled along the face
paste adhesives usu- from which the injection is
taking place. By spacing
ally is a much slower
the injection ports as far
process than injecting
apart as the structure is
liquids, themoretime deep, the corÏtEctof has
available before this an indication that the
increase in viscosity, adhesive has reached the
back of the structure when
the better.
the adhesive appeals at an
To achieve the adjacent port. By in¡ecting
best penetration, the first at every other port,
adhesive should not and then letum¡ng to inject
contain any visible the inbetween ports
photo) the
granular fillers. (bottom
contractor can be
Large fillers tend to reasonably sure of filling
jam and block the crack and minimizing
cracks, making com- the loss of adhesive from
plete penetration dif- the unsealed face of the
crack.
f,rcult or impossible.
Bond strength. Bond strength in- applications for bonding hardened
cludes not only adhesion to the sides concrete to hardened concrete and
of the repaired crack but also the re- other materials
quired resistance to any constant or . Type IV-For use in loadbearing
intermittent tensile or shear forces applications for bonding hardened
that will be placed on the rePaired concrete to hardened concrete and
concrete throughout its service tem- other materials
Strength requirements for these
adhesives differ somewhat. The com-
pressive strength requirement for
Type I adhesives is 8000 psi at seven
days; for Type IV adhesives, it's
10,000 psi. However, the major dif-
ference between Type I and TYPe IV
adhesives is that the Type IV specifi-
cation requires a minimum heat de-
flection temperature (HDT) of l2O"
perature range. F. The HDT is the temPerature at
ASTM C 881-90 includes require- which the behavior of the epoxy
ments for seven general types of adhe- changes from rigid to elastomeric.
sive. Two of these are applicable to ad- This characteristic is important if the
hesives for crack injection: epoxy will be subjected to sustained
. Type I-For use in non-loadbearing tensile or shear loads at temperatures
above 100" F.
Unless the engineer has specifiecl
otherwise, or it is very cleat there will
be no sustained loads, always choose a
Type IV adhesive for service fempela-
tures above i00" F.
lnjection techniques:
Pastes Ys. l¡qu¡ds
In many ways, paste and liquid in-
jection techniques are similar. In both
cases, the face of the ctack through
which the epoxy will be injected must
be sealed to direct the flow of the ad-
hesive and prevent it from running out
of the crack. Most contractol's use the
same types of injection ports for both
materials. These ports may be drilled
holes with bonded pipe fittings, exter'-
nally bonded tees, or merely an inter-
ruption in the surface seal. The choice
of injection port depends largely on
the preference of the contractor'. When
injecting pastes, however', use the
largest port diameter possible.
Liquid injection. Because of theil
different flow characteristics, the in-
jection technique for pastes differs
from that of liquids. The fundamental
principle that governs injection with a
liquid adhesive does not apply to paste
injection. That principle is: all liquids
in continuous, connected voids seek
the same level.
V/hen injecting a liquid into a
void, the liquid will initially follow
the path of least resistauce. If resis-
tance is equal in all directions from
the injection point, the rate of travel
will be the same in all directions.
Eventually, though, the liquid adhe-
sive will run to the bottom of the void
as it seeks its own level. If the injec-
tion point is below the level of the
liquid in the clack, continued injec-
tion will fill the clack ol void from
the bottom up-plovided that the
crack is completely sealed on the bot-
tom and all sides.
By recognizing the self-leveling
nature of liquids, the contractol can
detelmine if a crack is full. Injection
begins at the lowest point of elevation
of the crack. As the liquid adhesive
appears and stays at ports above the
injection port, the contractor can be
reasonably sule that the crack is full
to those elevations. Except in unique
cases, the rule in liquid adhesive in-
jection is start at the bottom port and
move successively to highel ports on-
ly when the adhesive has leachecl
those higher elevations.
Paste injection. Unfoltunately,
paste adhesives are not self-leveling,
so it's not as easy to detelmine if a
Equipment for Pasteadhesive Iniection
Paste aclhesives can be either pre-
mixed in batches, then injected into
the crack (single-component injec-
tion), or the two colnponents can be
continuously metered, followecl by
injection into the crack (two-com-
ponent injection).
Paste injection equiptnent is heav-
ier and bulkier than liquid injection
equipment. Highel pressures al'e re-
quiled to move the paste adhesives
through the pumping system and
hoses to the injection porls and, in the
case of two-component systems,
through the mixing head.
Single-component injection
Caulking guns are appropriate
when injecting only small amounts
of adhesive or for confined aleas
where lalger equiprnent won't fit.
After loading the mixed adhesive in-
to a caulking gun cartridge, the con-
tractor uses either a tnanual or air-
operated gutl to force the adhesive
into the crack.
If the adhesive viscosity is too
high, hand-operated guns lÌlay not
develop enough pressure to achieve
good penetration into the crack. This
can happen at low temperatures
when a¡r otherwise suitable adhesive
gets cold and becomes too thick.
On jobs where adhesive volumes
are too large to deliver with a caulk-
ing gun, an air-operated piston pump
can be effective. Industrial grease
purnps with a pump ratio of up to 50
to I usually are suitable. Unlike liq-
uid adhesives, paste adhesives will
not flow to allow gravity feed to the
pump. Therefore, use a follower
plate or some other positive pressure-
feed mechanisnr to rnaintain constant
delivery of the adhesive to the pump.
One major disadvantage of pumP-
ing mixed adhesive through a single-
component pump is that the contrac-
tor must inject all the resin and clean
the pump before the rnixed adhesive
sets. Adequate cleauing usually in-
crack is full. Pastes do not move in
crack without the application of col,
tinued external pumping pressul'e.
However, a demonstration of the
flow pattern of a paste adhesive sug-
volves disassembling the pump. Us-
ing a long-working-life adhesive
gives you more time to inject all the
adhesive. The major advantages of
single-component pumps are their
availability and low cost relative to
two-componellt pulnps.
TWo-component injection
Equipment that automaticallY
mixes the two adhesive components
in an in-line mixing head prior to in-
jection greatly reduces equipment
cleaning requirements and allows
the use of faster-setting adhesives.
As with batch mixing, either caulk-
ing guns or pumps will deliver the
adhesive in automatic two-comPo-
nent injection.
Some two-component, hand-oPer-
ated caulking guus do not produce a
unifolrn, complete mix of paste-ad-
hesive components. Adding more el-
enìents to the static rnixing head re-
duces this problem, but the gun can
becorne difficult to operate because
of the force required to drive the ad-
hesive through the mixing head.
Thelefore, don't use hand-operated
caulking gnns for critical applica-
tions where the adhesive will experi-
ence sustained loads. For these jobs,
an air-operated gun often will pro-
duce satisfactory results.
Two-component paste injection ma-
chines usually incorporate two air-op-
erated pumps that feed the comPo-
nents from the drums or 5-gallon pails
in which the adhesive components are
sr.rpplied, to two metering pumps that
are mechanically linked to provide the
proper mix ratio. A static mixing head
down-stream tiom the metering
pumps provides the necessary blend-
ing of the components. Although more
expensive than single-component
pulnps, two-component machines pro-
vide significant labor savings. They
are the prefen'ed equipment for pro-
jects that consume large amounts of
adhesive in a short time.
 'ests an alternate procedure. Figure 1
shows the injection of a paste adhe-
sive into a simulated crack where one
side ofthe crack is glass. An injected
paste takes and maintains the pattern
of a fan as it is injected into a crack
of uniform width. (This is generally
the case in cracked concrete, al-
The fundamental principle that governs liquid
injection does not apply to pastes.
though not with multiple intersecting
cracks or masonry structures with
connecting voids.)
Knowing this tendency of a Paste
adhesive is useful in estimating how
far paste adhesive has traveled in a
crack. It is safe to assume that the
paste adhesive has traveled in a fan
pattern about as deeply into the crack
as it has traveled along the face from
which the injection is taking place. By
spacing the injection ports as fat apart
as the structure is deep, the contractor
has an indication that the adhesive has
reached the back of the structure when
the adhesive appears at an adjacent
port. By injecting first at every other
port, and then returning to inject the
in-between ports (see Figure 1), the
contractor can be reasonably sure of
filling the crack and minimizing the
loss of adhesive from the unsealed
face of the crack.
Obviously, injecting the crack from
the bottom up is not important when in-
jecting a paste adhesive. The contractor
can start anywhere, but may hnd injec-
tion easier if he starts at the widest point
of the crack-assuming there is one.
Quality assurance
Of course, to be absolutelY sure of
full penetration some form of inspec-
tion is necessary. One method is to
drill small-diameter holes at an angle
to intersect the crack near the back
side of the structure. A boroscope can
detect the presence of adhesive. Prob-
ing into the bottom of the inspection
hole with a piece of stiff wire or steel
rod also will pick up traces of adhesive
if the adhesive has not set.
Although paste adhesives account
for only a fraction of all injection re-
pairs, the procedure is practical and ef-
fective where liquid adhesives cannot
be contained in a crack. The materials
and equipment are available, and the
techniques are proven. =
Robert W. Gaul is president of Con-
struction P olymer Technolo gie s Inc.,
San Carlos, Calif.
How to iniect leak¡n$ cracks
in foundations
Use epoxy or polyurethane resins to keep water out

By John Trout
Llly Corporation
Aurora, lllinois

f cracks ina basement wall allow

water to enter, crack injection can
solve the problem in many cases.
Injecting an epoxy or polyure-
thane resin from inside the base-
ment eliminates the need for outside
excavation, which is time consuming
and expensive and usually damages
landscaping.
There are several approaches to
crack injection. You have to choose
the correct materials and methods for
successful results. Start the process by
inspecting the crack.

Grack evaluation
Is the crack active or dormant?-
Cracks caused by a temporary over-
load such as improper backfilling are
usually dormant; the crack width
doesn't change much with time. Many
shrinkage cracks and stabilized settle-
ment cracks also are dormant.
Cracks caused by repeated overload
or by settling or heaving soils are usu-
ally active. The crack continues to
widen or may alternately get wider
and narrower. Cracks in walls subject-
ed to large temperature changes or
changes in moisture content may also
be active.
Iflarge active cracks are present in
the basement, confer with an engi-
neer or soils expert before attempting
a repair. Continued settlement or
heaving may cause the repair to fail
unless the cause of movement is cor-
rected. If active cracks with large
movements are repaired with a rigid
material, new cracks may appear ei-
ther at the bond line or somewhere
else along the wall.
Is the crack wet or dry?-Some
cracks lead only during heavy rains or
when the water table is high. Others
are wet most of the time. Even if wa-
ter isn't visible on the inside of the
wall at the surface of a narrow crack,
water vapor may still be coming
through the crack, or the water may bt
evaporating as soon as it reaches the
inside wall surface. Efflorescence is a
signal that some water is coming
through the crack.

Figure 1. W¡re
brushing ls the best
way to prepare a
crack and the
sufround¡ng wall
surface for injection.
Power grind¡ng or
chipping may fill the
crack with dust,
making it hard to
inject with resin.
If you're repairing the crack with
epoxy and you have a choice, alwaYs
opt to repair a crack when it's dry. No
epoxy resin is totally moisture insen-
sitive; some are moisture tolerant.
If water can be drained even tem-
porarily before the crack is repaired,
;uccessful injection is more likely. If
drainage isn't possible and the crack
is actively leaking, inject it with a ventional resins. Because of this,
polyurethane resin.
How wide is the crack?-Water
may enter basements through n¿urow
or wide cracks, but crack width affects
the choice of injection resin and the
spacing of ports. The smaller the
crack, the greater the resistance to
resin flow. V/ith large cracks widths,
another problem appears: Resin drains
out of the space you want to fill.
of
These cracks may require injection
a gel-type resin.
Resin select¡on
First choose between epoxy or
polyurethane injection resins. If the
crack is active, or dormant but active-
ly leaking water, a two-component
polyurethane is the best choice.
Polyurethanes have good adhesion,
wet or dry, and the cured material re-
sists hydrolysis. Curing times of a few
seconds to 60 minutes can be achieved
by varying the mix ratio of the two
components. Polyurethanes, however,
úon't restore structural strength to the
extent that epoxies do. If the crack is
reasonably dry, epoxy resins that are
moisture-tolerant will both stop the
leak and restore structural integrity.
If you can contain resin damage, use
the lowest viscosity resin available. It
will give maximum penetration of the
crack and speed the injection process.
Use a gel if the crack is wide and
drainage is a problem. You'11 need a
higher pressure to inject with the
gel-type material. Production also
will be much slower than with con-
gels are seldom used for cracks nar-
rower than 0.06 inch. Watch the am-
bient temperature, too, when using
gels. Don't shot job with gels if the
a ways necessary to sPace them this
temperature is below 60o F because
the increased viscosity makes the gel
flow too slowly.
INJECTION CRACKS WITH
EPOXY RESIN
Preparing for injection
Problems on resin injection jobs are
often caused by poor surface prepara-
tion. Caps that prevent the resin from
leaking out of the crack must be aP-
plied to a sound, clean surface. Failing
to cap a crack properly causes leaks
that waste resin, reduce resin penetra-
tion, and slowjob progress.
Before applying the caP, remove
weak concrete, paint, waterproofing
materials, or other coatings. Wire
brushing by hand usually works best
(Figure 1). Power grinders, power wire
brushes, or mechanical chippers may
fill the crack with dust, making it hard
to inject with the resin.
Some procedures call for cleaning
the crack with muriatic acid, deter-
gents, clean water, or oil-free com-
pressed air. These procedures create
more problems than they solve. If you
flush a capped and ported crack with
muriatic acid, for example, you under-
mine and weaken your setup, saturate
the crack with moisture, and remove
little if any contamination.
Muriatic acid etches concrete-it
does not clean it. The acid doesn't re-
move oil and doesn't remove dirt. It
doesn't remove anything except con-
crete, and the residual moisture pre-
vents the best bond between concrete
and resin.
Detergent solutions or plain water
also leave moisture in the crack. And,
because there's no scouring action
when a solution is injected, these pro-
cedures are of questionable value.
Compressed air removes loose, drY
particles from a sizable crack, but
these particles are seldom a problem
anyway.
I suggest simply flushing the crack
with the injection resin during the
course of the repair. Observe the re-
move drool and continue dispensing
until the resin is free of contaminants.
When the resin looks good, contain the
drain and continue with the repair.
lnstallin$ the entrY Ports
Some injection specialist suggest
spacing ports no further apart than the
wall thickness. I don't believe it's al-
close. Space ports for injection 8 to 36
inches apart, using the larger spacing
for wide cracks. Don't be rigid in spac-
ing the ports, though. Put them at wide
spots in the crack where possible or at
intersections of two cracks.
Entry ports don't alwaYs require a
porting fitting. An injection gun with a
special grommet atfhe nozzle is often
used. Ports are provided by putting a
piece of tape over each port location
and pulling it off before the epoxy cap
has set, or you can stick toothpicks or
pins in the crack at port locations, cap
the crack, and embed a washer in the
cap at each pin. The washer serves as a
seat for the grommetednozzle.
Some port fittings are inserted in
drilled holes. A pipe nipple, tire valve
stem, or plastic injection port is put in-
to the hole and bonded with an ePoxY
adhesive. I prefer not to use drilled-in
fittings unless the crack is very dirty.
Dust from the drilling may contaminate
the crack unless a vacuum bit is used,
and the vacuum bit will plug up if the

Figute 2. Apply a drop of adhes¡ve (above) to surface
mounted ports for positioning only. An epoxy gel cap (ilght)
holds the port in place during injection.
concrete is wet. In any case, don't drill
sockets any deeper than you have to.
Many fittings can be bonded over
the top of the crack without drilling
holes. Mark the port locations with a
pencil and spray with a surface condi-
tioner. Put a droplet of adhesive on the
fitting and stick it on. The adhesive is
used for positioning only. An epoxy
gel used to cap the rest of the crack
holds the fitting in place during injec-
tion (Figure 2).
Gappin¡l the crack
Some repair contractors use wax to
seal the crack because it's easy to re-
move and the concrete surface is left
clean. A wax seal, however, will not
contain significant pressure.'Wax
shouldn't be used if the injection pres-
sure is greater than 5 or 10 psi, espe-
cially on wide cracks.
For most work, I suggest capping
the crack with a high-modulus gel-
type epoxy. The epoxy should be a
moisture-tolerant material and have a
1- to 3-hour cure time if you want to
cap and inject on the same day.
Batch and mix the capping gel care-
fully. If the ratio is off by even lo7o,
the strength will be lower by at least
that much and may cause a leak.
Mix with a power drill mixing attach-
2
o
È
ment, don't just stir. Poor mixing caus-
es weak streaks of partially catalyzed
material. Mix the material in one can,
pour it into another car without scraping
out the can, and mix some more.
After mixing, spread the epoxy no
more than % inch thick on plywood
covered with sheet plastic. The thin
layer helps heat to escape, keeping the
gel workable longer.
Remove dust from the surface near
the crack with a 2-inch-wide fine bristle
brush. This ensures a good bond be-
tween the cap and concrete and prevents
skips that will leak epoxy. If the con-
crete is old and ofpoor quality, use an
epoxy primer before applying the cap.
Massage the gel over the crack us-
ing enough pressure to get good con-
tact between concrete and gel (Figure
3). The cap should be at least an inch
wide and % inch thick. Thin spots are
possible leak locations.
Injecting the resin
I like to start injecting at the widest
point in the crack, regardless of where
that point is in the wall. It's hard to get
maximum pressure if you inject from
naffow part and resin is flowing into a
wider part. Stay on the wider part until
you get back pressure, not just until
you get bleed at the adjacent port. Ifthe
port starts bleeding before back pres-
sure builds up, plug it and continue dis-
pensing until the machine stalls out.
You'll usually spend about 5 minutes
on each port, 10 minutes maximum.
If a cap leaks there are several ways
of stopping the leak:
. Knead a l-inch-long plug of the
epoxy putty used by plumbers until
it's warm. Just before placing the
putty on the leak, wipe the surface
dry with a rag. Hold the putty in
place for 1 to 2 minutes and then start
injecting again at reduced pressure.
. For a leak that's draining by gravity,
rub a paraffrn block over the leaking
area until paraffin plugs the leak.
The plug won't permit you to con-
tinue injecting even at reduced pres-
sure, so allow the already injected
resin to set up before proceeding.
. Put a rag over the tip of a lO-penny
nail and pound it in at the leak.
If there's no evidence of cap leakage
but you still can't get back pressure to
build up, the resin may be leaking on
the backfill side of the wall. One solu-
tion is to go to a higher viscosity resin
that's thin enough to be pumped in but
too thick to drain. This is not always
convenient, however. As an alternate,
shoot the crack in stages. This allows
 curing time.
When two-com-
oonent urethanes
ät" injected, the

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itt"'ã^p
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 Epoxy injeclion
of cracked slabs
By Peter Barlow

Cracks in floor slabs øre

easily øccessible by repnir
technicians and superai-
sors. An this job, epoxy
injection is underway at
seaerøI locations.

damage can result from chipping,

Properly executed epoxy injection repnirs are economicø\,
long-term solutions for crncked sløbs
poxy injection is a proven
technique for bonding
cracked concrete sections.
Howeve¡, a successful
epoxy injection repair requires eval-
uation, preparation, and planning.
Before beginning epoxy injection
repairs, identify the cause, or caus-
es, of the problem. Also, be sure
that epoxy injection is a proper re-
pair method. Epoxy injection is one
element of structural repair, but
may only be part of the solution.
hraluating clack repa¡rs
ACI 224.1R describes ten major
causes of concrete cracking. Some of
these are one'time events that can be
repaired by epoxyinjection to mini-
mize secondary damage and restore
structural capact$. These include ef-
fects of construction overloads, vol-
rrme changes (shrinkage and temper-
ature), and other one-time overloads.
Concrete floors are susceptible to
cracking due to construction over-
loads and volume-change cracking.
Cracks that result from construction
overloads mightrange from 0.01
inch to 0.05 inch wide, and penetrate
completely through the slab. If crack-
ing is addressed before secondary
damage occurs, epoxy injection usu-
ally will be successful. Secondary
spalling, or ravelfing of crack edges
as loads are applied, or from water
or other chemicals penetrating
through the slab. After cracked slabs
are bonded and a monolithic section
is restored, the sectionprobably will
be mo¡e durable, since water and
other chemicals wonlt penetrate the
slab as easily.
Sometimes it's necessary to re-
pair slab cracks to prevent contam-
ination of the subgrade, or prevent
undesirable material in the sub-
grade from entering the occupied
space. Crack repair in food han-
dling and processing areas elimi-
nates hard-to-clean areas where
bacteria may breed. Proper proce-
dures and materials for repair also
can restore the slab's appearance.
According to ACI 224.7R, cracks
as narrow as 0.002 inch can be suc-
cessftrlly repaired by injection with
epoxy Injection of very fine cracks
isn't always necessary For typical re-
inforced concrete industrial floors,
cracks from 0.010 to 0.060 inch wide
often are repaired by epoxy injection.
Sometimes injection contractors
are contacted directly by building

Extensiue slab
crøcks with surt'ace
seal in pløce. Use
only enough sealing
møterial to contøin
the injection resin.
owners to repair cracked concrete.
Although some straightforward
repairs can be undertaken on this
basis, contractors should be aware
that they may assume significant
responsibility and liability in exe-
cuting these repairs.
In many cases, the contractor may
recommend that an engineer or oth-
er consultant help evaluate slab re-
pairs. Tests or evaluations before
construction can clarify the scope of
work and establish necessary proce-
dures. Visual examination of core
samples helps determine the extent
of contamination and typical crack
widths. After the investigator iden-
tifies the cause of distress and pro-
poses repair procedures, the con-
tractor can develop a plan for a
complete and permanent repair. It's
important that the owne1, consul-
tant, and contractor work together
to plan an effective repair program.
lnjection procedures
ACI 224.1R describes epoxy in-
jection as a six-step procedure.
Some crack injection jobs may re-
quire modification of these steps.
Clean the cracks. Contamina-
tion can prevent epoxy penetration
and bonding of concrete surfaces.
Seal surfaces. The surface seal
contains the liquid epoxy during
injection and curing.
Install entry ports. Entry port
'spacing along the crack depends on
crack width, nature of the epoxy,
and thickness of the concrete
element injected.
=
E
o
m
o vent epoxy penetration or bond
o
È to concrete surfaces.
Mix the epoxy. Epoxies are mul-
ticomponent materials that react
when mixed. Most injection con-
tractors prefer continuous mixers.
Inject the epoxy.Epoxy is injected
through the ports. In most cases,
technicians begin injecting at one
end of a crack and proceed from port
to port to the other end. Pressure is
appliedby equipment ranging from
simple hand-operated caulking guns
to hydraulic pumps. Control of injec-
tion pressure is important.
Remove the surface seal. When
the repair is exposed to view, the
surface seal usually is removed by
grinding.
ilinimizing problems
Somebuilding owners or inexperi-
enced contractors believe that epoxy
injection doesn t work particularly
well on slabs, especially slabs on
ground where the back side can't be
lncorrect Repair
Figure 1. Experience shows that crack repøirs øre not durable when epoxy fills
the crackless than 907o. A new crøck møy form near the oríginal ctnck.
sealed. Often, these notions arebased
onbad experiences with jobs where
proper procedures weren't followed.
Some common conceffs include:
. Slabs on grade or elevated slabs
are either impossible or very dif-
ficult to seal on the back or un-
derside. This leads to excessive
resin run out, so the cracks can't
be filled completely.
. Contamination in the crack (dirt,
oil, or other material) can pre-
. EdBe spalling or severe rutting
over the cracks may require ex-
tensive crack preparation and
sealing before injection.
. Slabs can't be taken out of ser-
vice for extended periods. The
odors and dust associated with
injection work may be a problem
for building occupants.
. Epoxy injection doesn't Perma-
nently solve crack problems. This
canbe due to poor quality-control
during evaluation and planning,
field installatiorç and inspection.
Experienced injection contractors
have encountered conditions simi-
lar to those just described, but have
solved them in most cases. Many
experienced contractors believe
that the easiest cracks to inject with
epoxy are those in a slab. Floor slab
cracks usually are easily accessible.
Ladders, scaffolding, or swing
Correct Repair
stages are not required. Also, su-
pervisors and engineers can easily
inspect and observe the work.
Injection of slab cracks requires
careful monitoring of injection
pressures and the quantity of ma-
terial installed in each port. Expe-
rience shows that effective repair
of cracks by epoxy injection re-
quires filling the cracks at least
90% withinjection resin (Figure l,).
For injection of slabs on grade, the
contractor must be prepared to use
more epoxy and adjust or modify
standard injection procedures.
Epoxy consumption might in-
crease 100Vo on this type of job
compared to a repair where mater-
ial can be completely contained.
Even so, this increased cost may
only be 50C to $1 per linear foot.
Have alternate resin systems
available for slab repairs and ex-
periment to determine the best
method. For example, use a fast-
setting resin that begins to gel be-
fore it completely drains from the
crack. Another approach is use of
a higher-than-normal-viscosity in-
jection resin thin enough to pene-
trate the crack but thick enough to
hang on the crack faces.
Epoxy injection is more successful
if cracks are clean before injection
begins. Ways to clean contamination
from cracks vary in cost and range
from simple to complex. Common
methods of cleaning a crack include:
?.. \ ?\
-
Original Condition
lu
n,
on
use a rigid møterial to support slab
o Vacuuming with a good shop
vacuum
. Air-blasting with compressed air
free of oil and moisture
. High-pressure water-blasting
o Chemical washing and flushing
(environmental and safety im-
pacts of this technique make it
costþ and undesirable)
Severe edge spalling of a crack
may indicate other problems like
excessive loads, slab curling, or
pumping, If the crack is too wide-
ly rutted, it may be necessary to
sawcut the crack edges before
sealing and injection. This is nec-
essary where the cracksealing ma-
Repaired Condition
reTl)orn, ø conaentionøl surface seal
nÍe snwn or routed and filled with
are subject to steel-wheeled traffic,
edges.
Extract core sømples
to aerify the effec-
tiaeness of epoxy in-
jection. One core for
a:ery 1.00 feet of
floor cracking is
recommended.
3
o
E
6
c0
@
È
terial can be feather-edged and
potentially become a long-term
spalling problem, especially
where floors are subject to steel-
wheeled traffic. Square the crack
edges by sawing or routing and
select a durable, rigid sealing ma
terial, such as an epoxy adhesive
or mortar, Figure 2 shows treat-
ments for rutted cracks.
Problems with odor and dust
when performing epoxy injection in
occupied spaces canbe minimized.
Use an injection system that com-
pletely contains the resin and
doesn't require extensive mainte-
nance. Also, carefully select and ap-
ply the surface seal. Use only
enough sealing material to contain
the injection resin. Less material ap-
plied to the surface means less dust
later. úrstallation of the surface seal,
injection of resin materials, and seal
removal require trained and experi-
enced technicians. Sometimes
working when building occupants
aren't present or hanging drapes or
other partitions is necessary to limit
problem odors or noise.
Surfaca soaling
Epoxy paste is the most common
j
material for surface seals because
can withstand relatively high injec'
tion pressures. However, offensive
odors, difficulties in seal removal,
and control of dust and fumes dur-
ing removal can be serious disad-
vantages for some applications. Al-
ternate seals can be effective when
cracks are 0.010 to 0.040 inch wide,
floor traffic doesn't require sup-
porting crack edges with rigid ma-
terials, and conditions allow lower
injection pressures. Alternate seals
include cementitious and thermo-
plastic or thermosetting materials.
The latter materials are easiest to
apply, fast to remove, and often
can be removed without generat-
ing dust and objectionable noise.
Grinding with abrasive materi-
als is the most common method for
removing surface seals. Vacuum
attachments for the grinder can
help collect and control dust. Some
thermoplastic and thermosetting
surface seals can be removed by
heating and scraping. However,
toxic fumes may be given off when
these plastics are heated. Check
with the material supplier to find
out the best way to remove seal
materials.
Long-lerm pGlformance
The issue of crack repair quality
and long-term performance is always
a concem. Forahighquality job:
Carefully evaluate the problems
causing the cracks,
Select an appropriate repair
method.
Use experienced personnel and
materials and equipment well-
suited for project requirements.
Evaluate the quality of work as
the job progresses. A good rule
of thumb is to take a core sam-
ple for every 100 feet of crack
injected. This confirms whether
procedures are effective in fill-
ing the crack with resin and
bonding the concrete. å
Reference
ACI 224.1R-90, "Causes, Evaluation,
and Repair of Cracks in Concrete
Structures," American Concrete lnsti-
tute, Detroit.
Peter Børlow is a senior consultnnt
with Construction P olymer Technolo-
gies Inc., Renton, Wøsh., ønd is a
member of ACI Committees 224,
Cracking, and 546, Repair. He høs
been inaolaed with epoxy-injection re-
pair work for neørly 20 yeørs.
How to rebond
delaminations
Epoxy injection is an economical method
becsuse cøpping is not required

By Bruce A. Suprenant

elaminations in bridge
decks, overlays, and pave-
ments occur as a horizontal
separation parallel to the
concrete surface. These
hollow planes usually occur at the top
reinforcing mat because they are created
by expansive forces from the corrosion
ofreinforcing steel (Figure 1). Figure l. Expansive forces fiom the corrosion of teinforcing steel produce a hollow
Delaminations often can be rebonded plane, or delamination, parallel to the concrete surface,
using epoxy injection. Ifdetected early,
many delaminations aren't open to the
traffic surface and can be injected with- 2. Locate injection ports
out capping. Properly rebonded, these
Mark an X to locate a minimum of 4
repairs can remain in service for more
ports at the outer periphery of the de-
than 10 years.
lamination (Figure 2). For delamina-
Stepby-step tions larger than 16 square feet, use
delamination repair more ports.
Epoxy injection of delaminations is Drill and set injection ports
3.
similar to crack injection. With a few
basic tips, contractors should be able Drill %-inch-minimum-diameter port
to offer epoxy injection to repair de- holes with a vacuum attached swivel
laminations and perhaps, even offer a drill chuck and a hollow carbide drill
bit. Drill the holes deep enough to in- Figure 2, Locate at least four ports at
10-year warranty. Here's a step-by- the outer periphery of the delamination.
step procedure to effectively rebond tersect the delaminated area. Use a fast- For delaminations larger than 16 square
delaminations. set epoxy to fix ports in place. feet, use more pofts,

1. Map out delaminated area 4. Clean delaminated area 5. Inject epoxy

Use a chain drag or hammer sound-
ing technique to locate the delamina-
tion. The delamination will sound
"hollow" or dull when a chain is
dragged across the surface or when a
hammer is struck against the surface.
Sweep off the surface and use a mark-
er to outline the delamination. Delam-
inations less than I square foot typi-
cally aren't marked for injection.
Blow compressed air into drilled
holes to force dust out of nearby holes.
Limit air pressure to 50 psi to avoid
causing further delamination. Some
contractors prefer to use water to flush
out dust. Either air or water can be
used to make sure that the drilled holes
intersect the hollow separation. If air
or water doesn't exit a nearby hole,
redrill the hole.
Start injection working from each
port moving across the delamination.
Use an injection pressure of 25 to 35
psi. Increase the pressure to 45 psi for
delaminations smaller than 2 square
feet and to finish filling large areas
Hollow planes that occur along rein-
forcing bars may require additional
resin since cracks along the bars will
fill with resin. =;
 Rebonding delaminated
bridge deck ouerlays
Epoxy injection proves to be an effective method
By Leland D. Smithson and John E. Whiting
Rurìne the past 25 yea¡s, more than
U t.z,ùpontand ."."n, concrere
bddge deck overlays have been con-
structed in Iowa. This cost-effective
maintenance method provides a new
wearing surface and extends the life of
the deck 15 to 20 years. However, nearly
257o of these deck overlays show evi-
dence of delamination. If left unrepaired,
the delaminated overlay spalls, leaving
potholes on the deck surface.
Epoxy injection tested on
truss bridge
Delamination of the bddge deck over-
,ays usually occurs as a horizontal sepa-
ration parallel to, but slightly below, the
overlay bond plane. Rareþ opening di-
rectly to the traffrc surface, the delamina-
tions lend themselves to repair by epoxy
injection because costly capping is not
required. In 1983, the Iowa Deparlment
of Transportation (IDOT) began a pro-
ject to determine the effectiveness of
Figure 1. Diagram of a test area used
to determine if the epoxy developed
adequate bond with the substrate and
overlay. Workers injected epoxy into
Hole 1 until lt was seen in Holes 2 and
3. They then took cores from the area
between the holes.
epoxy injection for rebonding delaminat- lamination plane within the isolated
ed bridge deck overlays. The lust bridge area was filled with epoxy. After the
to receive the epoxy injection repair was epoxy had cured, cores were taken
a two-lane, 20x150-foot truss bridge that from five of the isolated areas for visu-
had been put into senrice in 1954 and al and laboratory examination.
had received a 1-inch-thick concrete Examinations revealed that four of
overlay lr'1913. the five cores had developed adequate
The delamination of the overlay was bond, having an average bond shear
caused primarily
by expansive
forces from the
corrosion of the
reinforcing steel.
In addition, cores
showed that the
overlay was
arched off the
substrate, with
separation of
about./* inch at
one test site. The
overlay was cast
between curbs
fixed to the deck.
The arching may
have occurred be- Figure 2. A computerized delaminat¡on detector painted
cause the overlay lines over the delaminated areas.
expanded more
under direct sunlight than the substrate. strength of 414 psi. The fifth core re-
Pre-project testing. Before proceed- vealed good bond of the epoxy to the
ing with large-scale epoxy injection, upper face, but the presence offine dust
IDOT ran tests on isolated areas of the on the lower face prevented bonding.
bridge to evaluate the epoxy injection This core was taken from an area that
method. At seven sites, workers made was next to a spalled area of the deck.
two 3-foot-long sawcuts that intersect- Assuming that the spalled a¡ea was the
ed at a 60 degree angle. The sawcuts source of the dust in the isolated area,
were deep enough to intercept the de- workers removed the dust when work-
lamination plane. They then poured a ing next to spalled areas by blowing
flexible epoxy resin into the sawcuts to complessed air into drilled holes, forc-
isolate the area between the sawcuts. ing the dust out of other nearby holes.
Three holes were then vacuum-drilled This method worked well. When re-
into the isolated area to gain access to moving the dust, workers kept the air'
the delamination plane (Figure 1). pressure below 50 psi to avoid causing
Epoxy was then injected into Hole 1 further delamination of the overlay.
until it was observed at one or both of Condition survey. Convinced that
the other holes to ensurc that the de- epoxy injection was a viable rebonding
 Figure 3.
Diagrams shov,
ing delaminated
areas of the
eêæ bridge deck
É:æ overlay before
and after epoxy
BEFORE
injection. ln the
westbound lane
ê e
the delaminated
€ ê area was re-
è duced from 693
square feet to
AFTER 77 square feet .

method, IDOT proceeded with a full-scale
repaf of the test bridge. W'orkers used a
walk-behind, computerized delamination
detector to locate the unbonded areas
(Figure 2). Tapping hammen mounted on
the detector sent vibrations through the
concrete and a wheel equipped with sen-
sors picked up the retum vibrations. In de-
laminated areas, the vibrations take longer
to retum to the deck surface than in bond-
ed are¿s. When passing over delaminated
areas, the detector automatically sprayed
lines of paint on the deck surface. Worþ
ers made passes with the detector 18 inch-
es apart along the length ofthe bridge
deck. The delamination survey showed
that693 square feet of overlay were de-
laminaæd in the westbound lane andI92
square feet were delaminated in the east-
boundlane @gure 3).
In addition, copper-copper sulfate
half-cell readings were taken on a
2x2-loot grid. Potential readings
higher than -0.35 mean that the rein-
forcing steel is probably corroding.
Nearly half of the westbound lane
showed potentials higher than -0.35
volts. Half-cell readings on the east-
became a function of resistance to flow thlee-person crew can locate and
As the operation proceeded, corks were rebond about 75 square feet of
placed in holes where the epoxy delaminated deck in a 10-hour day.
emerged. When necessary, the epoxy One gallon of epoxy will rebond
was pumped into another hole until the about 15 square feet of delamination.
void would not accept any more epoxy. Injection pr'essure is normally in the
All of the delaminated areas in the range of 25 to 35 psi at the mixing
westbound lane were injected with head. This pressure can be increased to
epoxy. In addition, test-sounding indi- 45 psi to fill small delaminations (not
cated that epoxy had flowed from the largel than 2 square feet) and to finish
westbound lane to some of the larger filling large areas. All delaminations 1
delaminated areas in the eastbound square foot or larger are injected.
lane. However, no epoxy was injected Most rebonding work is done be-
directly into the eastbound lane. tween mid-May and mid-September.
'Work
Posttreatment testing and evalua- outside of this period can be un-
tion. Two weeks after the repair, the dertaken provided the ambient air
bridge was
again checked
5-year Performance of Epory-iniected Test Bridge
for delamina-
tions by the de- AreaDelaminated PercentDelaminated
(square fe€t)
lamination de-
tector. The W.B. E.B. Entire W.B. E.B. Entire
survey indicat-
Date Lane Lane Deck Lane Lane Deck
edthaf '17 6/13/83 693 192 885 45.7 12.7 29.2
(Pre-inlection)
square feet of
the westbound 8/22/83 77 143 220 5.1 9.4 7.3
(Post-injection)
lane and 143
square feet of 4/1õ/84 81 115 196 5.3 7.6 6.5

bound lane indicated no corrosion.
Injecting the epoxy. The delaminated
areas were manually sounded to deter-
mine the boundaries of the delaminations
and to establish locations for the epoxy
injection holes.'Workers vacuum-drilled
%-inch-diameter holes to gain access to
the delamination plane. After the dust
was blown from the delamination plane,
the epoxy pump was set up for operation.
A two-component, injection-grade epoxy
was used. Dual, air-operated pumps were
interlocked to maintain the proper pro-
portions of the epoxy components. The
pump was set to maintain a discharge
pressure ofabout 30 psi, so pumping rate
the eastbound 9/19/84
lane were still 5/23/88
delaminated.
Epoxy injection
reduced the total delaminated area
from29.27o to'7.3Vo (Figure 3). Three
other surveys were taken over the next
5 years. The results of the surveys
show that the epoxy injection method
has provided long-term rebonding of
the bridge deck overlay (see table).
Continued success
Since its successful trial, epoxy
injection has been used to rebond 76
bridge deck overlays in Iowa. A
98 124 222 6.5 8.2 7.3
84 113 197 5.5 7.5 6.5
temperature the night before does not
fall below 50" F. If the ambient tem-
perature is less than 60' F at the time
ofplacement, injection is not under-
taken because the epoxy becomes foo
thick and does not attain full peneü'a-
tion of the delaminated areas. ã
Leland D. Smithson is a maintenance
engineer and John E. Whiting is a spe-
cial projects engineer for the Iowa De'
p artment of Trans p o rt at i on.
low-cost equipment
makes crack iniection
affordable
At less thon 5500, low-pressure systems ore
economic solutions to bosement woll crocks

By Rosalie Johnston

poxy injection isn't only for er them hazardous.

large repair projects, it can Pumps are slightly
economically and effective- more difficult to
ly fix those annoying base- operate and require
ment wall cracks. For small the user to mix the
residential projects with less than 100 epoxy components.
lineal feet of cracks, low-cost epoxy However, pumps
injection equipment makes crack re- can inject greater
pair affordable. The equipment usual- quantities of epoxy
ly provides low-pressure injection re- at one time.
quiring an epoxy with a longer pot life
and lower viscosity. Low-pressure Balloon iniec*
epoxy injection equipment can fill tion system
many cracks as effectively as more ex- A unique pump-
pensive high-pressure equipment. ing system reLies on
The low-pressure epoxy injection small balloons to
systems described here cost less than provide the pres-
$500. The main differences between sure to inject the
the systems are the volume they can epoxy. It consists of
handle at one time and the skill level a low-pressure (25
required to use the equipment. Dis- psi) balloon injec-
.!
pensing guns, manual or air-operated, tor and a T-injec-
and small-capacity pumps (pressure tion pofi (Figure 1). U

pots) are available. The balloon injec-

Dispensing guns often come as kits tor, which contains ?

that include disposable cartridges con- a 3-ounce capacity U

taining premeasured epoxy compo- balloon reservoir, is ì

nents. The cartridges eliminate mixing
errors and waste. However, fìnd appro-
priate disposal methods for empty car-
tridges, because many landfills consid-
screwed onto the
Figure l, After sealing the crack and installing pedestals, a
bottom end of a worker uses a handoperated pump to inject epoxy into small
mounted T-injec- balloons. The balloons then squeeze the epoxy into the crack.
tion port. A special Note that the top balloon has been filled.
 inject
Figure 2, SpringJoaded plastic capsules slowly and used on flat, vertical, or can be connected to an injection port.
Pressure
an ultr+low-viscosity epoxy into cracks, overhead surfaces. The trans- Mix only enough material to fill cap-
sim
caused by the the capsules parent capsules allow the op- sules that can be connected within i5
evenlydistributes rhe
ent crack'
toTi.r the injection
åtu,oi minutes.
capsu
transparent to view the
t¡mes.
injeciion progröss at all progress at all times, elimi- The epoxy typically used with the
nating guesswork. capsule system has a pot life of about
hand pump, filled with mixed epoxy, is This system consists of a two hours. Leave the capsules in place
attached to the T-injection port and used plastic capsule containing a spring, a for at least l0 to 12 hours. Most con-
to hll the balloon with epoxy. bladder, and an injection port. The tractors leave the capsules in place,
Injection port adapters are available accordion-like bladder is filled with and pressurized, for 24 hours.
so that other pumps or dispensing resin, then inserted into the capsule. The injection ports and bladders
equipment can fill the balloons. The Screw the capsule onto the mounted are disposable. The injection ports
T-injection ports have a valve that al- injection port, and then release the cost less than $1 each and a bladde
lows only the epoxy to be pumped in- spring to pressurize the bladder and costs about $1.50. The capsules,
to the balloon. Epoxy is then injected inject epoxy into
from the balloon into the wall. the crack. If the
To inject cracks, pump epoxy into port or seal leaks,
the balloon until it doubles in length, pull back the
from l% to 3 inches. Each balloon plunger attached
holds about 3 ounces of epoxy and to the spring to re-
will probably need to be filled more lease the pressure
than once to completely fill the crack. on the bladder.
After the epoxy cures (feels like a hard Make the needed
lump inside the balloon), remove the repairs and re-
balloon injectors and por1s. lease the plunger
The balloon injectors aren't to start injection.
reusable, but they cost less than $5. Before filling
The T-injection ports are about $1. the bladder, spray
The hand pump is $50 and the each capsule in-
adapter to connect the pump hose to side and out with
the injection port is $40. The hand lubricant to pre-
pump is reusable but, since it's not vent epoxy from
very expensive, most repair contrac- bonding to the
tors find it costs less to buy a new one capsule. Use a
for the next job rather than take time plastic squeeze
to clean a used pump. bottle or a veteri-
nary syringe to fill
Springl-loaded capsules the bladder with
epoxy. After in-
Another system uses spring-loaded serting the blad-
plastic capsules to slowly inject an ul- der into the cap-
tra-low-viscosity epoxy into cracks sule, keep filled
(Figure 2). The resin penefrates any size capsules in a Figure 3, This injection system has only one reservoir to be filled
and monitored. Epoxy ftom the reservoir flows througþ a PVC
crack by capillary action, spreading bucket, upside tube to ports along the crack that can be selectively closed off
resin about 1.6 feet. Capsules can be set down, until they without interrupting flow to adjacent ports.

ö There are many different
Ë
c guns available. These range
È from the familiar manual
Figure 4, Dual+artridge systems keep resins separate
until injection when they are mixed in the nozzle of an
airdriven, hand-held dispensing gun. Separating the
epoxy components into two cartridges eliminates pot
life concerns and wasted materials. Unused portions
can be resealed and used later,
which cost about $30 each, provide
100 to 200 uses.
Low-pressure,
s¡ng¡le-resefvo¡r pump
Unlike the two previous systems-
which use individual reservoirs at
each porting location-this system has
only one reservoir to be filled and
monitored (Figure 3). A two-compo-
nent resin is mixed in a disposable dis-
penser bowl that holds about % gallon
of epoxy. The bowl is graduated for
easy, accurate measurement of resin
components. Resin flows from the
sealed dispenser through a disposable
PVC tube. This tube leads to T-shaped
porting adapters connected in a series
along the crack. Ports can be closed
off selectively without interrupting
epoxy flow to adjacent ports.
This system is a pressure pot that
uses a small air compressor, 1 to 2
amps, to provide the power to pressur-
izethe dispensing container (a sealed
pot). A pressure regulator attached to
the pump limits the pressure to 1 to 12
psi. Release the pressure into the pot
to push the epoxy through the tubing
and into the crack. After the epoxy
cures, discard the porting adapters,
tubing, and dispenser.
This system, without the air com-
)ressor, is available for under $400.
Dual-cartridge
injection systems
Many manufacturers offer econom-
ical dual-cartridge inj ection Sintle-cartrid$e systems
systems. The basic palts of Like dual-cartridge systems, these
a dual-caltridge system are systems keep resins separate until im-
a gun, a dual cartridge, and mediately before injection, but a sin-
a mixer. Insert the cartridge gle cartridge contains both the hard-
into a gun, stick the gun ener and resin. Some manufacturers
nozzle into an injection use a coaxial cartridge where the
port, and activate the hardener is contained in an inner col-
plunger (Figure 4). The lapsible bag surrounded by the resin.
plunger pushes the two Another manufacturer uses a foil bar-
epoxy components through rier to keep the components separate.
a disposable mixing nozzle, The cartridges are placed in guns
past the injection port, and similar to those used for the dual-car-
into the crack. tridge systems. However, each manu-
facturer makes a gun to fit its own
cartridge. Once the plunger is activat-
ed, the bag or foil is broken. Epoxy
caulk gun to spring-loaded components ale pushed through an in-
and pneumatic guns. Spring- ternal or external disposable mixer
loaded and pneumatic guns and into an injection pofi. The cost for
provide a more steady injec-
guns and cartridges are similar to
tion pt'essure as the epoxy is those for dual-cartridge systems.
pushed into the crack. The Though variations exist in the types of
pneumatic gun can be pow- epoxy injection systems available, the
ered by an air compressor, a com- cornmon result is a long-lasting repair
pressed air tank, or a CO. tank. Most achieved easily and economically. ã
contractors use thejr own air compres-
sor (Figure 5).
Pneumatic guns cost $400 to $500,
excluding the power source. The other
guns cost $75 to $200. Dual car-
tridges cost $15 to $30 each. Dispos-
able mixing nozzles cost $1 to $2 de-
pending on their size.
Many different epoxy formulations
are available in dual caltridges. Consult
epoxy manufacturers to order dual
cartridges with different viscosity and
temperature ranges.
Capacities of dual
carlridges range from
10 to 30 ounces. The
shelf life on most
cartridges is about
one year.
Separating the
epoxy components
into two cartridges
eliminates pot life
concerns and wast-
ed materials. Like
most cartridges, un-
used portions can be
resealed and used
again another time.
However, the mix-
ing nozzles that are
screwed to the end
of the cartridge to
combine the two
components thor-
Figure 5, A worker uses compressed air to power the pneumatic
oughly must be gun on a dual{artridge system. The system shown is available
discarded. with 1O different epoxy formulations for various applications.