 INJECTION IN CONSTRUCTION 

Injection Guide
 Contents

1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………....3
2. CRACK PREPARATION FOR INJECTION……………………...3
3. THE INJECTION PROCESS……………………………………...13
4. THE INJECTION EQUIPMET……………………………………20
5. THE INJECTION RESINS………………………………………...25
6. INJECTION APPLICATION……………………………………..34
7. INSPECTION & QUALITY CONTROL………………………...39
8. SAFETY……………………………………………………………..43
9. APPENDIX…………………………………………………………..46
10. GLOSSARY………………………………………………….……..50
11. PRODUCT SELECTION GUIDE………………………………...54
12. FULL SERVICE SUPPORT……………………………………..55
13. REFERENCE……………………………………………………..56

Injection Guide
1. INTRODUCTION

Injection is both art and science. This guide presents the

science as it should be, but it also presents the art aspect that
enables injection to be successful .
This guide is directed to engineers, owners and architects, it
provides them with much needed information for achieving a
quality and successful job.
This guide is presented for applicators, those involved in
concrete restoration to keep them out of trouble and also for
specifiers to help them to write a doable specifications.
This guide discusses how caps should be installed, selection of
capping materials, porting methods, cleaning cracks and
injection equipment.
It also discusses resins, factors that affect resin performance
such as temperature, pressure, adhesion and wetting.
This guide will be valuable to all those involved in concrete
restoration and waterproofing.

2.1 CRACK PREPARATION FOR INJECTION

Before a crack can be injected, it must be sealed at the surface

to prevent the resin from escaping. In addition, ports must be
provided for the entry of the resin into cracks.

2.2 PREPARING THE SURFACE

For the cap to bond properly to concrete, the surface must be

sound, clean and dry. The concrete should be free from frost,
curing membranes, oil, stains, laitance and cementitious dust.
All of these

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materials inhibit bond. Coatings especially masonry coatings
must be removed because of its weak bond strength. Only
epoxy coatings can support a cap. If in doubt about surface
conditions, apply a rapid-setting epoxy putty and chip it
loose once it has cured. If the epoxy fails to remove sound
concrete, the surface is unsuitable. A better bond is always
available on a dry surface, and a glistening wet surface is
unacceptable.

In most cases wire brushing by hand

is not only the adequate surface
prep-aration method, but the
preferred one because it is simple &
economic.
A wire brush is not always effective
on new concrete as the surface is
often so slick and glazed. In
addition, remnants of form oil or
curing agents often remain.
Other methods of preparing a With bond strengths of only
concrete surface include 1 or 2 psi, paint is not a
sandblasting, shot-blasting, suitable surface to apply a
grinding, chemical cleaning, bush cap to.
hammering, scarifying and power
wire brushing.

Unsound surface must be removed, in some cases, weak

surfaces can be strengthened by priming with a low-viscosity
penetrating resin.
A cap width of 1 inch is adequate, surface preparation thus
need not exceed ½ inch on each side of the crack. Preparing
only a narrow path along the crack helps guide cap application.
The cap should be rigid, like a bottle cap, with a 1 inch wide and
3/16 inch thick. The cap is ordinarily made of epoxy paste. The
cap is stronger in tension and bond than concrete itself.

Injection
Injection Guide
Guide 4
 Because concrete typically has a surface tensile strength of 75
psi, it follows that 1-inch length of cap applied to concrete can
withstand 75 pounds of tensile force exerted against the cap
from the underside.
For example,
Width X Length = Area
0.005 inch crack width X 1 inch crack length = 0.005 inch2
Force = Area X Pressure
= 0.005 inch2 X 200 psi
= 1 Ibf
While for wider cracks,
0.025 inch X 1 inch = 0.025 inch2
0.025 inch2 X 265 psi = 6.6 Ibf
That is ( 75 ÷ 6.6 = 11 ), i.e, ( 11:1) margin.
0.125 inch X 1 inch = 0.125 inch2
0.125 inch2 X 265 psi = 33.125 Ibf
This example shows that crack width has the greater influence
than injection pressure.

Under the same injection

pressure, resin injected into
wide cracks exert more
force on the cap than resin
injected into narrow cracks.

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2.3 PLACING THE CAP

The cap must be rigid to keep

injection pressures from causing it
to quickly blister and rupture or
slowly peel away. Rigidity is
essential to distribute the stress
over the entire bonding area. A hi-
mod, a high modulus of elasticity
will be required.

2.4 BATCHING THE PASTE

To attain the highest strengths available, measure the

components to within 3% of the specified ratio.

2.5 MIXING THE PASTE

Insufficient mixing is inadequate, the materials must be mixed

not stirred. To assure mixing, first mix the components in one
container and then transfer the batch to another container for
final mixing.

Epoxies are thermosetting

polymers, the curing process
generates heat and also
accelerated by heat. To avoid
acceleration of curing, heat must
be minimized. To do this,
remove the paste from the pot
and spread it out an a flat
surface. Also materials should be
stored in a cool place prior to
A coat hanger is not a proper
mixing. mixing device, even in a drill.
Do not mix large quantities of
epoxy components.

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 2.6 APPLYING THE PASTE

It is important to get the cap into place while the epoxy material
is still fresh and soft.
To avoid failure due to stiffening of the capping material:
• Keep the components cool.
• Batch small volumes of capping paste.
• Do not mix with a high speed mixer.
• Spread the paste to a maximum depth of ¾ inch.
• Use the freshest material for the bond coat.
• When the product stiffens, trash it immediately.

The application of the paste can be

done manually or by using an alter-
native, one that actually improves
the product.
Dispense the paste. There are two
ways to dispense the paste.
Cartridge dispensers capable of
metering and mixing heavy viscosity
adhesives and resembling caulking
guns, these devices are manually or
pneumatically powered.
The other way to dispense paste is to
use dispensers designed for use with
bulk packaged materials.
Spreading the capping paste
out on a hawk reduces its
mass, and thus minimizes heat
build-up and slows cure time.

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 2.7 OBTAINING A PROPER PROFILE

The proper profile, or shape of the

cap is crucial. The cap must be
rigid and thick enough to
withstand injection pressures and
it also stands the temperature
changes.
To obtain an adequate profile,re-
butter the fault after the first
application of paste has firmed up.
Fill in gouges, and add the
material to obtain the adequate
depth. To minimize waste, consider
fabricating special tools to closely
shape a neat cap.
A proper cap has adequate depth
to assure rigidity, but not an
excessive width that squanders
It is important to avoid skips which costly epoxy.
results due carelessness or the use
of stiff material reluctant to
conform to a rough surface.
Skips can be minimized by
scrubbing the capping paste into
the surface with a brush.

More paste is then applied to

develop the proper profile.
Scrubbing or tooling the paste into
the surface not only minimize
skips, it also increase cap Custom tools can help form a
strength. Paste pressed into the proper cap profile.
fault is secured by shear as well as
tensile bond.

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 2.8 LOCATING THE CAP

The capping paste must be

located directly over the fault.
In case of micro cracks the
fault line should be traced with
a compress point, marking a
parallel line with the lead. Use
the line as a reference guide
when placing the paste.
Surface preparation by
grinding may lodge debris in
the crack, making it difficult to
locate the crack.

2.9 SELECTING A CAPPING MATERIAL

The most suitable material for capping is 100% solids, sag,

moisture tolerant and high modulus epoxy. Workability, working
time and wetting action are considerations which influence
production. Cost is important, but avoiding a stiff material with
poor wetting action is more important. Inexpensive epoxy
formulations containing abundant fillers produce poorly bonded
caps, too stiff, hard on bulk dispensing equipment necessitating
frequent replacement of seals and other vital parts.

2.10 LOCATING PORTS

Selecting optimum port locations

for injection is very important to
improve production. Port spacing
is influenced by the width of the
void, viscosity of the resin and
injection pressure. Incidentally,
port spacing is seldom related to
the thickness of the member Place ports as far as feasible
except in case of gels and highly and no closer than 8 inches.
The greater the spacing, the
viscous resins. fewer adapters that must be
purchased and installed.

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 An 8 inches spacing presumes 4 inches of penetration in each
direction from the entry port.
Do not port the extremities of fine cracks as they feather to
disappearance. Rather, establish the terminal port about 4
inches from the end. There is no guideline as to when to port
both sides of an element. For narrow cracks (< 0.007 inch)
port the back side even if the element is only 6 inches thick.
For cracks (0.007 to 0.022 inches) in members less than 8
inches thick, it is not necessary to inject from the back side.

2.11 PORTING METHODS

There are three porting adapters

for crack injection:

2.11.1 Insertion Porting

It is used for wide faults because
the fault must be wide enough to
receive a plastic tube ≥ ⅛ inch
diameter. No special adapter is
required. A nylon tube is inserted
into the void prior to applying the
cap. The tube is secured by the
capping paste. This method is
used for example in encapsulating
fractured concrete.

2.11.2 Surface Porting

This method of porting doesn’t
require drilling holes. It can
withstand >800psi. Surface
adapters are usually secured to
the concrete with the same paste
used for the cap. Adhesives, such
as “super glue” (Cyanoacrylate)
are sometimes used to secure
surface adapters till the paste is
applied.
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 If the surface is damp, cold and rough, use a primer before
applying the adhesive. Both deposit of salts (calcification) and
presence of impact debris into the fault makes surface porting
is impractical.

2.11.3 Socket Porting

When socket mounting is necessary
drill ½ inch-diameter holes at least 1
inch deep. The collars of most
adapters used for socket mounting are
slightly larger in diameter so that a
crush occurs when they are driven
into the socket thus securing the
adapters.The technique used to drill
the socket is important to prevent
debris from obstructing the entry of
resin. Using a drill with a hollow bit
through which air is blown to evacuate
debris as it is generated can help. Packer-type adapters have
Class A and most of class B seldom collars that are slightly
can be successfully socket ported larger in diameter than the
without the benefit of suction or water drilled sockets they are
driven into. When an
flush to evacuate debris. Vacuum adapter is tapped into a
drilling is favored over hydro process socket, its collar is crushed
wherever it will work, for it is a dry to hold it in place.
process. Hydro drilling is thorough,
flushing all debris from the socket,
thereby assuming resin penetration
into the narrowest of fissures. Both
hydro and vacuum techniques use
a hollow bit, an adapter and a collar,
which swivels around the adapter.
When voids, such as honeycombs, are
remote and amid steel reinforcement,
a diamond bit usually is required to
penetrate them.

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 2.12 PORTING CONNECTIONS

When it is finally time for injection, the

injection equipment must be connected
to the porting adapters that have been
attached to the concrete surface.
Press-to-connector type tube fittings
compatible with socket and surface
mounted adapters generally are pre-
ferred . Other hand-held devices also
are used. These devices work well on Press-to-connect fittings
wide cracks that can be injected are usually used to
connect the ports to the
quickly at low pressure.
injection equipment. To
connect, simply slide a
fitting onto the stem of an
2.13 CLEANING THE CRACK adapter. To release, press
the collar of the fitting
against the body of
adapter.

Although cleaning surfaces deep within cracks has often been

attempted, there are few success stories. Attempts to purge
contaminants by injecting solvents, detergents or compressed
air have been seldom helpful. Flushing with acid or water
usually leaves cracks super saturated, requiring days to dry.
The saturated condition, causes more problems than the
cleaning solves. Flushing with resin during the injection
process, simply allow the resin to flow freely from remote
ports until it is free of contaminations. Cleaning cracks is not
always necessary, through.
Voids filled with dirt, clay, sand, rubber, or others can be
injected successfully, unless the particles are soaked with
water or oil, or so compacted that they can not be penetrated.
Unless an impenetrable crust has developed, surface mounted
porting adapters can be used to inject contaminated cracks. If
a barrier has developed over a crack, use a socket ports to
penetrate it. Always select a low-viscosity resin when injecting
contaminated cracks.

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 2.14 PRE-PACKING WIDE CRACKS

In case of wide cracks, (class D), to be injected, pre-packing

the voids with a filler is necessary to reduce the volume by as
much as 40%. In addition, it reduces the heat generated during
curing and the differential movement between resins and
concrete.
The filler to be used must be dry, uniform in size and shape,
and free of fines.

3. THE INJECTION PROCESS

With a tight cap and secure porting adapters, injection can be

an easy task. It requires knowing where to inject resin, at what
pressure, and for how long. Before starting injection, always
have water available to clean eyes and protect yourself from
skin burns by wearing protective clothing.

3.1 SELECTING PORT

LOCATIONS

Injection should not necessarily

commence at the lowest segment
of a crack or at a particular end.
Rather, start at the widest
segment of the crack. While resin
injected into a wide segment flows
readily into narrower confines.

Start injection at the widest segment of a

crack (A), which provides a wide port
opening, making it easy for resin to spread
quickly throughout the crack. If injection is
begun at a narrow crack extremity (B),
flow into the void is slow & tends to fill the
wider parts of the void rather than
penetrating the narrow segment.

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 3.2 INJECTION PRESSURE

Use an injection pressure that is a

high as cap strength. The higher
the pressure, the quicker the resin
flows into the voids. Pressure used
in conventional applications range
from 40 to 500 psi. The most
common injection pressure is 200-
300 psi. The higher pressures
(300-500 psi) are used when Injection must be continue until
injection fine cracks. Never use refusal, even if resin appears at
another port.
significant pressure for mechanical
grouting or injecting
delaminations.

3.3 INJECTION DURATION

For Class B & Wider Cracks

Injection should continue until
the port can not accept more
resin. This is called “Refusal”.
Until refusal, injection must
continue at a port regardless of
resin appearing at adjacent or
more remote ports. The desired
pressure can not fully develop
within the void until the flow
ceases, for as long as there is
flow, pressure is being relived.
Once refusal occurred continue
injection for another minute.
As drool appears at remote
ports, close them with caps or
plugs and continue injecting.

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 The port-to-port mentality is valid only when injecting vertical
cracks that have been capped on both sides and are wide
enough to allow injection resin to readily self-level.

Most cracks in concrete are

induced by drying shrinkage and
therefore are wider at the surface
than within. Resin flow from port
to port indicates only how far
along the crack the resin has
penetrated, not how deep it has
penetrated.

For Class A Cracks :

Following the port-to-port
With class A cracks, there is strategy when injecting Class B
seldom any evidence of flow, or or larger cracks in overhead
lack of it. The flow rate is so low. If elements can be especially
costly. As the resin self-level, it
the crack penetrates the element appears at other ports long
completely, injection can be before the crack is even half
stopped when resin appears at filled.
ports or pores on the opposite
side. If the crack is not full
depth,the duration must be
estimated, e.g, deep cracks may
need duration of 5-10 minutes.
When a resin with a viscosity of ≤
250 cps., a 10 minutes duration at
250 psi. will probably be adequate.
For shallow cracks, which extend
only a few inches to the first layer
of steel, a duration of 2-3 minutes
will often suffice. Thus it is
necessary to know the crack
depth. Only core inspection can
determine how deep cracks are. Injecting on a port for the
Injection of very thin resins must required duration is critical. A
continue long after the void is good practice is to mark the
time injection starts on the
filled, to thoroughly saturate the wall next to each port.
void’s concrete surfaces.
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 Injecting two or more ports
simult-aneously can make
duration afford-able. This multi-
port technique is called
“Manifolding”. Manifolding is
simple. Numerous dispensing
lines are teed off at the mixer, at
the ends of primary dispensing
lines, or at both. Resin is
dispensed to all ports
simultaneously at the same
pressure. Manifolding is most re-
warding in the injection of class A
cracks because they require from
5-10 minutes at each port.
Manifolding is seldom used on
class D cracks. Do not try
manifolding without a proper cap.

3.4 DAMAGE CONTROL

3.4.1 Leaky Caps

If a large leak occurs in a cap. Close
off the resin supply, and repair the
cap edges, allow whatever resin is in
place to cure & attempt to re-inject
near by ports later. If the leak is a
minor flaw, use a rapid-setting epoxy
putty for repair and reduce the
injection pre-ssure. Hydraulic cement
or hot wax have also been used to
stop leaks. Leaks from remote
fissures & pores are usually
unpredictable & unpreventable. Treat
remote leaks the same as leaks. If
the leak is large, stop injection & let
the resin cure. If the leak is small,
patch it with a rapid-setting epoxy
putty and resume injection.

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 3.4.2 Cracked Caps
A cracked cap is often due to a
poor cap profile. A thin cap is
fragile. If the cap has sufficient
thickness, it will have the tensile
strength needed to withstand
thermal movements of the
concrete surface. Even with a
cracked cap, though, the crack in
the concrete usually can be
injected with excellent results. To
minimize leakage, inject late in the
day.
3.4.3 Prevention Is the Best
Cure
The best damage control is
damage prevention. In addition to
closely monitoring equipment,
injection crews should take other
steps as well. Always stop and
appraise any injection application
before beginning work.

3.5 INJECTING GEL & HIGHLY

VISCOUS RESINS

When a crack can not be

completely sealed, special
injection techniques must be
adopted. Begin by selecting a
viscous resin that it does not
drain from the fault, yet thin
enough to be injected easily.
What often is used is “injection
gel” which is a non-sag. Gel
penetration is slow due to its
heavy viscosity. If the material is
heated, its viscosity drops,
resulting in accelerated
penetration. Injection Guide
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Once it enters the cool concrete,
it recovers its non-sag
characteristics. 130°F is usually
acceptable heating temperature.
Gradual overnight heating is
better to reach a uniform
temperature. a 10° increase in
temperature of gel drops its
viscosity to half. ≥ 700 psi is often
used to inject gel.
To prevent the cap from failing,
its strength must be increased. Gel-viscosity resins can penetrate
The best method is to massage fissures as narrow as 0.008inch.
Note resin extruded from tiny
the capping paste into the fault hole in cap.
so that, in addition to tensile
bond with the surface, the cap is
interlocked within the void by its
rigidity and bond to the rough
sides of the void.
A gel resin is not needed to avoid
drainage from class B cracks.
Injection gels vary in lubricity as
well as viscosity. Some of them
are like grease, others smooth
and thixotropic like mayonnaise,
while others are cohesive and
tend not to flow.
Gel materials penetrate voids Manifolding is especially
rewarding when it is used to
from wider fault and do not inject gels, as it compensates for
penetrate class A or B from an the sluggish flow rates of these
injection port. resins.

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 3.6 LOW PRESSURE INJECTION

At pressure ≥ 15 psi, low pressure

injec-tion relies upon extended
duration. Two low-pressure
systems are in common use, a
porting capsule energized by a
spring and a pneumatically
energized reservoir. Both use
dispensers & porting adapters
which are filled with catalyzed resin
and left in place until the resin has
gelled or cured. Thus, the duration
of injection is normally the same as
the resin’s pot life.
All accessories are disposable.
Caps are frequently single-
component silicone. Because of
high cost, low pressure systems
seldom are preferred for high
volume projects.

3.7 VACUUM INJECTION

This process depends on vacuum

rather than pressure to fill voids.
A reservoir of freshly catalyzed
resin is placed on one side of a
concrete member while vacuum
is established on the opposite
side to draw the resin into the
void. The advantage of vacuum
is that it does not entrap air. Connected to several ports by
Vacuum injection has been used a pneumatically energized
successfully on members with reservoir provides low
fine fissures too numerous to be injection pressure to several
ports at the same time.
injected individually.

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 4. THE INJECTION EQUIPMENT

On very small repair projects, the

simp-lest method may be to premix
the two components using a bucket
and drill, then to inject the mixed
resin using single component
injection equipment as a caulking
gun or grease gun. On larger
projects, more sophisticated
equipment is needed.
Dual-component dispensing
equipment meters the two
components and pumps them to a
static mixer.
The factors that influence the type of
injection equipment include:
 Size of project.
 Access to the cracks. Today most injection resin is
metered, mixed and
 Width and depth of cracks. dispensed in one continuous
 Total linear meters of crack. operation. Key to this one-
step procedure is a dual-
 Power supply requirements. component dispenser, which
meters the components and
 Viscosity of epoxy. pumps them to an in-line
mixer.
 Pot life of epoxy.
 Operator skill level.
 Maintenance requirements.

DUAL-COMPONENT METERING DISPENSERS

A dual-component dispenser meters the two resin components

to the proper ratio, then delivers them at a selected pressure to
an in-line static mixer. The dispenser provides the pressure to
force the compo-nents through the lines, through the static
mixer, and finally into the crack.

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 Avoid using lengthy twin lines between the dispenser and the
mixer, so that the resin is fresher. Keep the mixer below the
level of material lines to prevent the heavy material from
settling.
Many injection pumps are described as “positive displacement
pumps” The term “positive displacement” refers to a definite
volume of liquid trapped in a chamber, which is alternately
filled from the inlet and emptied at a high pressure through
the discharge.
There are two types of positive displacement pumps:
• Reciprocating.
• Rotary.
The common reciprocating type are piston pumps. The
common rotary type are gear pumps.

GEAR PUMPS

Gear pumps are efficient

at low and moderate
pressures and high flow
rates. Low flow rates
and super low-viscosity
resins (< 200cp) are not
recommended for gear
pumps.
Avoid the presence of
abrasives in the resin.
Gear pumps are always
electrically powered.

Gear pumps depend on the seal between

their gears and housing to minimize
leakage and maintain ratio. High
pressures, low flow rates, and super-low-
viscosity resins increase leakage and thus
are not recommended for gear pumps.

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PISTON PUMPS

There are many types of piston pumps available, they vary in

how they charge the pump chamber with material and how their
valves operate. They can handle a variety of viscosities. What is
important is the ability of A & B component pumps to remain
synchronized, de-livering a consistent ratio of materials to the
static mixer. Most piston pumps are pneumatic.

Piston pumps need inlet and outlet valves to direct material flow: After each
dispensing stroke, inlet valves allow new resin to fill the chamber, while outlet
valves prevent dispensed resin from flowing back in.

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 SAUSAGE SYSTEMS

For smaller and simpler projects,

dual-component sausage system
are used.
With hand operated guns, the in-
jection pressure is low and incon-
sistent. Even with powered guns,
injection pressure are low(<50psi).
For this reason, prepackaged sys- On small, simple projects, a
dual-com-ponent gun with
tems are used for non-critical pro- cartridges of A and B
jects that do not require significant components can be used. The
injection duration or pressure as in gun pushes both components
case of wide cracks. simultan-eously through a
static mixer.

SINGLE-COMPONENT DELIVERY SYSTEMS

They can only deliver a single-component material, the epoxy

must be premixed. A long pot-life epoxies are often used to
prevent material loss.

PRESSURIZED POTS

They are used for paint spraying.

They use air pressure to force a
liquid out of the pot and through a
hose. For low-pressure injection
work, pressurized pots are effective.
The low pressure systems normally
use a small amount of resin that
has a long pot life. Air pressure
applied is < 15 psi.

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 CAULKING & GREASE GUNS

They are used for small and simple projects, where high
pressures, long durations, and high productivity are not
concerns.

LOW-PRESSURE RESERVOIR DISPENSERS

These systems utilize individual

reservoirs at each injection port
location. The most common
type resembles syringes, which
are filled with mixed resin.
The anticipated amount of resin
to be consumed at each port
must be estimated and the
approximate quantity placed
into each reservoir.

Resembling syringes, individual

spring-loaded reservoirs are
attached to each port location to
force resin slowly into cracks.
Each reservoir must contain the
amount of resin to be consumed
by its respective port.

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 5. THE INJECTION RESINS

Most crack injection today is done using epoxy resins. Because

of their versatility and superior adhesion. Epoxies are the resins
of choice on most injection projects. While other resins, such as
acrylics, poly-urethanes and methyl methacrylates are
sometimes used such as in case of active water leakage.
What Are Epoxy Resins ?
The name epoxy comes from the word (epi) meaning “on the
outside” and (oxy) from oxygen. These two word forms the
material molecular structure
O

The epoxy resin must combine

C Cwith a hardener or curing agent
either an amine or a polyamide.

As this chemical reaction takes place, linkages formed, these

linkages are strong and occur not only in a linear directions but
in three dim-ensions (cross-linking)

RATIO & MIXING

Specific amounts of resin and hardener are required for a full

reaction and proper cure.
Most injection resins should tolerate at least a 2% error in ratio
(by volume). The greatest disadvantage of epoxies is their need
for thorough mixing. Aggressive mixing is required.

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 There are two recommended ways
for mixing. Mix one batch at a time,
using a bucket and drill. Or mix resin
continuously, using a dual-compo-
nent dispenser and an in-line static
mixer.
Be sure to follow the following six
steps:
• Use containers to batch each com-
ponent accurately. If components are
measured by volume, use shallow
containers.
• Use a low-speed(less than 400rpm)
drill to minimize entrapped air.
• Keep the mixing paddle below the
surface.
• Mix for three minutes.
• Half way through the mixing pro-
cess, stop mixing and scrap the
mixing paddle and the sides and the
bottom of the bucket or transfer the
material to another bucket.
• Use a cage-style mixing paddle to
ensure thorough mixing.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT PERFORMANCE

TEMPERATURE

The reaction of an epoxy and hardener is faster at higher

temper-atures.
Resin manufacturers must report pot life according to ASTM
C 881.

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 In hot temperatures, materials should be stored in a cool,
protected environment. In cold temperatures, the materials often
heated to (20-25° C) to keep its viscosity low.
Temperatures over 120° F (50° C) may affect the resin or
hardener, causing separation of components, changes in structure
and charring. The best way to heat the resin is to place the
container in a heated room and let their temperature to rise
gradually.
Do not heat the container directly and never to mix too much
resin at one time.

MASS

If material is mixed in a small batches, this creates no problems.

However, if a large batches are mixed a considerable amount of
heat is generated within the material. Unless this large mass of
material is quickly reduced, the material will gel prematurely.

ADHESION & WETTING

An epoxy’s bond to concrete is both physical and chemical.

The chemical bond is due to hydrogen bonding, which
contributes to the material’s excellent wetting action. This
allows epoxy to fill all micro-pores in the concrete, also it fills
all micro-crevices which produces a mechanical keying effect
(physical bond). To achieve the high bond, the surfaces must
be clean. A good epoxy bond is helpful to make a cracked
concrete element behave monolithically again. It is always
important to have clean substrate and to inject the resin while
it is still liquid and has a good wetting action.

SELECTING THE PROPER RESIN

A great number of epoxies are available for injection. The

specifier must determines the structural properties (strengths,
modulus, creep) and the environmental properties (temperature,
humidity, exposure)

Injection Guide Injection Guide 27

 Then the resin which meet the requirements is to be selected.
While providing the pot life, cure time and viscosity.
Injection resins are normally classified as either:
Type I – non load-bearing applications.
Type IV – load-bearing applications.

ASTM C 881 requirements for epoxy resins that are used to bond hardened
concrete to hardened concrete.

Type I Type IV

Viscosity, centipoise

Grade 1 (low viscosity), max. 2000 2000

Grade 2 (medium-viscosity), min. 2000 2000

Max. 10,000 10,000

Consistency, inch

Grade 3 (non-sagging), max. ¼ ¼

Gel time, minutes 30 30

Bond strength, min., psi

2 days, moist cure 1000 1000

14 days, moist cure 1500 1500

Absorption, 24-hour, max., % 1 1

Heat deflection temperature,

7 days min., *F — 120

Linear coefficient of shrinkage on cure, max. 0.005 0.005

Compressive yield strength,

7 days min., psi 8000 10,000

Compressive modulus, min., psi 150,000 200,000

Tensile strength, 7 days min., psi 5000 7000

Elongation at break, min., % 1 1

Source: ASTM C 881 Standard Specification for Epoxy-Resin-Base Bonding Systems for Concrete.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 28

 COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

The epoxy compressive strength exceeds the concrete

compressive strength . Compressive strength are reported in
accordance with ASTM C 695. High compressive strength do not
mean high per-formance.

BOND STRENGTH

Bond strength are reported in accordance to ASTM C 882. In

general a 1500psi(10.5N/mm2) bond strength is required. For
structural epoxy resins, the mode of failure should always be a
concrete failure not a bond-line failure. Another common test
according to ACI 503, referred as a pull-off test. The load which
is recorded at failure exceed 200 psi.

TENSILE STRENGTH

The tensile strength of injection resins should always exceed the

concrete tensile strength, which is less than 500 psi. Tensile
strength for typical injection resins ranges from (5000-7000 psi)
measured in accordance to ASTM D 638.

MODULUS OF ELASTICITY

The modulus of elasticity of a material relates to its stiffness

(rigid or flexible). It is measured as the ratio of stress (force
applied) to strain (change in length), it is measured according
to ASTM D 695.
Most injection applications, requires a rigid, high modulus
material. Low modulus resins are used into moving cracks.
Unlike sealants, which are installed only in the upper part of
joints, epoxy is injected into crack full depth.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 29

 Cracks often are much narrower
than joints. Even if the epoxy has
an extremely low modulus, it does
not have space to flex therefore
acts as a rigid material.
A modulus that is too high,
however, can result in a brittle
resin that easily cracks.

CREEP

Creep is the amount that a material

deforms (changes in dimensions)
under a constant load for a sus-
tained period of time. Naturally, the
higher the temperature, the more
subject to creep a material. The
epoxy in injection acts as an ad-
hesive transferring the stresses to
the concrete.

Creep is not a large concern for injection because the material is

used in very thin lines.

HEAT DEFLECTION TEMPERATURE

Heat deflection temperature is the temperature at which the

epoxy shows signs of strength reduction .
It is measured using ASTM D 648.
Epoxy resins are further protected from heat by the concrete
itself.
Epoxy resins should have heat deflection temperature of at least
110° F (43° C).

Injection Guide Injection Guide 30

 CHEMICAL RESISTANCE

Chemical attack is not an issue for injection since such a small

area is subjected at the surface. In general, epoxy resins have
excellent chemical resistance. Special protection with more
chemically resistant coatings may be required for extreme
exposures.

POT LIFE & CURE TIME

Pot life is expressed as an amount of time, it is measured

according to ASTM C 881. In low-pressure injection, a resin
with a long pot life is desirable for fast-track structural crack
repairs, a short pot life is pre-ferred. The temperature, the
size of the resin mass determines the actual pot life.
Cure time represents the time it takes for epoxy to reach its
ultimate properties. It is typically three days after cure

VISCOSITY

Viscosity is a liquid’s resistance to

flow. Viscosity is measured in
poises (gm/cm. Sec.), cp (0.01
p).
ASTM C 881 divided epoxies into
three grades according to
viscosity Grade 1 — low viscosity.
Grade 2 — medium viscosity.
Grade 3 — non-sagging.
Epoxy’s good adhesion comes from
Low viscous epoxies are the best its ability to wet concrete, which is
determined by its surface tension,
in case of thin cracks.they may as measured by the contact angle of
not always fill cracks completely. a droplet of material. An epoxy that
A po-rous surface sucks a thin does not bead up has a low contact
angle, a low surface tension, and
resin into its pores by capillary
thus better wetting action.
action, lea-ving a starved bond
line.
Injection Guide Injection Guide 31
 Fine cracks can be filled with a very low viscous resins (200cp
at room temperature). Porous substrates and damp cracks
requires low-viscous resins (200-1000 cp). Wide cracks (3-6
mm) needs medium viscous resins (1000-3000 cp).

ALLOWABLE TEMPERATURE

ASTM C 881 groups injection resins into three classes,

according to what temperature range they can be used at:
Class A — < 40° F (5°C)
Class B — 40 - 60° F (5-15°C).
Class C — > 60° F (15°C).

COEFFICIENT OF THERMAL EXPANSION

Epoxy resins expand and

contract at (5-10) times of
concrete. It is negligible
for narrow cracks.
For wider cracks, sand
must often be added to
the epoxy to bring its
thermal properties closer
to concrete.
In larger cracks, cement
grouts is often be used.

For cracks narrower than ⅛ inch, the void

is so small that epoxy’s much higher
thermal expansion has negligible effect on
the concrete. For wider cracks, though,
sand must often be added to the epoxy to
bring its thermal properties closer to those
of concrete.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 32

 MOISTURE TOLERANCE

In damp cracks,moisture-tolerant resins should be able to

bond effec-tively to the concrete, even with some moisture
present in the pores of concrete. In wet cracks, very thin
resins may have difficulty dis-placing the water present,
causing some water to mix with resin prior to cure, thereby
reducing cured properties. In leaking cracks, the hydrostatic
pressure washes epoxies out of the crack before it cures. In
these instances, the water flow must be stopped first.
Water absorption of the cured resin should be low—under 1%
weight gain according to ASTM C 881.

ULTRA VIOLET LIGHT RESISTANCE

UV light does cause chalking of the epoxy surface, but this

chalking effect builds a barrier to additional UV light.

SOLVENT & WATER – BASED EPOXIES

Solvents are incorporated into epoxy resins to dilute them to

give a lower viscosity. For injection, these epoxies are not
desirable. Thus, for most epoxy injection a 100% solids must
be used.

EPOXIES FOR SURFACE CAPPING

Cap-sealing epoxies are typically thixotropic pastes that can be

easily applied to the crack surface. Unless pressures are very
low, a high modulus, 100% solids, moisture tolerant epoxy is
often used.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 33

 6. INJECTION APPLICATION

Mechanical Grouting
It refers to applications in which resins are injected into voids
between steel and concrete or between steel and other
building materials.

Bonding Metal Plates:

Injection is used to re-grout loose
plates as well as to grout plates at the
time of installation. Porting of an
existing plates is more difficult than
new ones.
When grouting behind metal, requiring
venting of the upper extremity of all
voids. To port mechanical members for
grouting, set nestler adapters in the
cove between the edge of the plate
Nestler-type porting
and the concrete. Punch holes for
adapters work well for
porting or venting in the plate either at injecting between plates
the time of fabrication, or drill them in and concrete.
the site.
Include bolt penetrations when cap-
ping the extremities of a void and seal
between washer, plate, nut and bolts
so as to be a resin tight.
Do not use high pressures when injec-
ting beneath or behind plates if the
resin is confined. Because extra pre-
ssure may tear loose the plates from
concrete or at least deflect enough to
crack the cap and allow the resin to
escape. Low pressure usually do the
job if sufficient time is allowed.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 34

 GROUT BOLTS

Injection is used to install or

re-secure bolts that support
heavy equipment.
To re-grout bolts, drill holes
to inter-sect the bolts as
close to its base and
intermittent locations above
the base. A 12-inch (30 cms)
spacing between ports works
well. Use vacuum drilling to
impacting debris into the void
and thus to obstructing resin
flow. Inject a low-viscosity,
high modulus resin at a high
pressure for the best results.

Always commence at the lowest porting and continue until

refusal plus another couple minutes to saturate the debris
surrounding the anchor. Cap and port any cracks in the base,
too, for there is often communi-cation between the bolts cavity
and faults in the base. Many bolt grouting applications are in
areas saturated with oil. The only solution is to put hard epoxy
into place to interfere with bolt movement.

FILLING HONEY COMBS & SIMILAR VOIDS

Injection can fill honey combs and voids commonly found in
tightly clustered reinforcement.
If the cavity is exposed at the surface, chip away any loosely
agree-gates and make a repair before injection.
If the cavity is not exposed at the surface, probe the area by
vacuum drilling. Voids of any consequence are noticeable when
the bit suddenly plunges into them.
Extensive honeycombing often is found surrounding the
reinforcement as at the underside of beams. Reduce the
pressure, when injecting. Inject such voids for extended
duration.
Injection Guide Injection Guide 35
 INJECTING UNDER WATER

Under water injection is difficult and needs experience and

equipment. The results above water simply are not available
underwater.
On underwater injection, water blasting or sand blasting is used
to prepare surface for capping. Only trial and error reveal the
best cap-ping product. Special epoxy pastes formulations are
available for underwater applications.
All of the precautions and recommendations for above water
capping are applied to underwater work as well. Use a roller for
painting and if the water is warm or deep, consider dispensing
the capping paste.
If work must be done in a current, a hydraulic cement may be
better than epoxy.
In salt water, apply the cap soon after cleaning since marine
growth develops quickly. Prior to injecting the cracks, always
pump a dye into them to check for any leaks in the cap.
There is a major difference between injecting above water and
below water, the voids already is filled with a liquid which must
be displaced. A heavy-viscosity resin is preferred than low-
viscosity resin to de-crease material loss which is to be washed
before the water is purged from the cavity.
Heavier-viscosity resins resists dilution and readily displaces
water.
Commence underwater injection through a single port at the
widest part of the crack and continue until refusal, capping
adjacent ports as clear resin (undiluted) appears. Upon refusal,
advance the injection hose to the last port to bleed clear resin
and repeat.
If the water is cold, the material lines will require heating.
For wide cracks (> 6mm), it is better to dispense resin directly
into the cavity through a nylon tube without applying a cap with
a gel-viscosity material.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 36

 WATERPROOFING

Epoxy injection is not recommended for waterproofing active

leaks. Polyurethane resins work well to stop active leak. They
react with and expand to stop water flow.
Polyurethanes are generally considered unsuitable for structural
repair since it does not reach high compressive strengths.

STOPPING LEAKS WITH EPOXY

If an epoxy can be used, it provides the most permanent fix. The

trick is to stop leak and keep the crack dry long enough to inject
it. One method used for a below grade wall or roof is to drill a
hole through the element in the crack, so the water drains
through an easier path. Several holes are needed. this method
used for leak from seepage and not from a reservoir.
Following day, inject the dry crack and patch the relief holes. If
the water flow is low, dry pack cement base mortar can be used.
If drainage is significant, drive a polyurethane-saturated oakum
to the back of the hole followed by the mortar.
If the thickness of the wall is great or the volume of steel is
heavy, drill holes along the crack with tighter spacing (15 cms) to
the depth of (2.5 – 5 cms). Then insert porting adapters and
allow them overnight. The crack between ports will be dry. Begin
injection.
Many below grade leaks occurs at expansion joints. Never inject
such joints with an epoxy. When an active water leak exists.
Follow the previous discussed techniques.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 37

 LEAKS IN ABOVE–GRADE TANKS

Leakage from vertical cracks in concrete tanks above grade

usually covered with efflorescence, simply treated by drilling
sockets into the void, empty tank and let it dry before repair.
For horizontal faults, the application is to tougher as there are
no voids, porosity. Water is drawn through the concrete by
capillary action and absorption. Fluid level in the tank affects
this seepage; the higher the level of fluid, the greater the
pressure and the seepage.
Use epoxy to saturate cold joints rather than to inject the
resin into a uniform void.
To locate leaks, fill the tank and remove calcification.
Use compressed air to dry the wet segments of the joints,
and observe where the water is emerging. Drill a socket
directly over the leak, insert a packer type porting adapter,
then after an hour, the joint should dry gradually as the
seepage drips from the adapter.
Then drain the tank and let it dry, apply a capping paste
around each porting adapters, commence injection.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 38

 7. INSPECTION & QUALITY CONTROL

Most flawed construction jobs can be removed and redone. This

is not true for injection. Once a fault is improperly injected, it
can seldom be re-injected with the same results. Injection is
out of sight-literally.
There are five recommendations to follow:
• On all jobs, require cores to confine results.
• On critical jobs, employ an inspector to monitor the work.
• Hire an injection contactor with a reputation.
• Write specifications that establish strict performance.
• Choose a method of payment that encourages for good work
with little waste.

ON-SITE INSPECTION

The inspector must have the following:

• A thorough understanding
of what causes the injection
problems.
• Must have the knowledge
and authority to monitor the
performance & servicing of
the equipment.
The inspector can take a
numerous steps during
injection as follows:

Comparing Volumetric Samples

To check the mixing ratio, samples are always taken at relatively

high flow rates. And if sampling from piston displacement units
does not continue from stroke to stroke, serious errors in valve
performance go undetected.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 39

 Monitoring Flow

There are instruments that can measure and compare the

volume of liquids as they flow. However, they are not reliable at
low flow rates.
These devices can only detect the absence of one component or
the other.

Checking Grout Color

Visual observation of the metered product is also of limited

value. By the time a color variance is noticeable to the eye.

Observing Fluid Levels in Dispenser Reservoirs

Transparent reservoirs on some dispensing systems allow viewing of

the component fluid levels.
The reservoirs must have a precise fluid level sight gauges.

Making a Durometer Check

The durometer (hardness) check is the best on-site quality control

measure. It is the only technique that can identify minor defects in
metering ratio and mixing before they become significant.
The test compares the hardness of a dispensed resin sample with the
hardness of a sample measured and mixed manually.

Core Samples

Positive confirmation of resin penetration and cure is available only

by examining and destroying cores.
Inspect a core immediately following its removal. Wash it to
remove paste from the drilling process and set it aside. Observe
the core as it dries. If a fissure is not filled with resin, it remains
damp, and

Injection Guide Injection Guide 40

 Unfilled cracks are become obvious
Demolishing a core is simple but
as a wet core dries. They remain
certain quality control and a quick way
damp, and therefore dark, after
to confirm that the glue line is intact!
the surrounding core surface has
dried.

therefore dark, after it dried. Unfilled cracks, however narrow,

may be detected. After confirming that the voids are filled,
demolish the core and inspect the fragments to assure that
there are no breaks occur on the glue line.
Always select the core location where,
 Avoid reinforcing steel.
 Avoid areas of high stress.
 Avoid areas that minimize durability.
 Remove the core from the difficult or most important
locations.
The core size is 2-inch (5 cms.) diameter is preferred.
Because it is easier to avoid reinforcement of the hole to be
repaired, the surface blemish is smaller and the core can be
taken using a light weight drill.
For determining compressive strength, ASTM C 42 is used.
For repairing core holes, do not core entirely through the
concrete element and use a high-strength, non-shrink, rapid-
set cementitious material for repair.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 41

 Writing The Specification

The use of specification language that emphasized

procedures, rather than performance, was in large part
responsible. It is essential to follow the specification as
outlined.
Specifications that insist on results are better.

Choosing A Contractor

To get the injection job done with quality, choose a quality

contractor.
To choose a qualified contractor:
 Write a tough performance specifications.
 References.
 Verifiable.
 Ask about the equipment.
 Ask for core drilling.
 Ask for mock up prior to work.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 42

 8. SAFETY

Aside from industry & OSHA cautions, a few warnings deserve

special attention since they are based upon actual & frequent
incidents.
Always Have Water Available To Clean Eyes

No injection project should proceed

without sufficient water immediately
available for eye washing. If water is
not there, the project should not
commence, no matter the urgency.
Numerous workers and observers have
suffered injury due to catalyzed resin
entering their eyes, with no water
available to clean them. A $95.00
eyewash kit is not necessary, but a
minimum of one quart or reasonably
clean water close at hand is necessary. Water suitable for eyewash
must be on any injection
The water can be in a pail, plastic jug, site if serious injuries are
creek, water hose, or eyewash kit, but to be avoided.
it must be present. On a hot day, a
water tap on the opposite side of the
building is not good enough.

Safety glasses or other eye protection help those doing the work
but they can create a false sense of security. Resin under injection
press-ures can squirt 20 feet or more and enter the eyes of
bystanders who have no business being where they are.

Do Not Use Solvents in Confined Areas

Solvents used with epoxies are extremely dangerous in
confined areas at warm temperatures. If working in a pit, for
example, do not even think of taking along a solvent-soaked
rag to clean something.
Heavy exposure to epoxy fumes may be irritating to the eyes
and lungs too. Use full-face, air-supplied respirators when
working in poorly ventilated areas.
Injection Guide Injection Guide 43
 Protect Your Skin
Many people have worked with epoxies for decades without
incident, only then to discover that they have become sensitized.
Their imm-unity to epoxy chemistry has been exhausted and
they cannot be near the resins without severe reactions. With
some snakebites, one builds immunity. With epoxies, one can
lose immunity over time. Once sens-itized, the person may have
to seek a different livelihood. Protective clothing, such as
coveralls, should thus cover all exposed skin. Gloves especially
should always be worn. Because workers need to feel what they
are doing, they often choose surgical-type rubber gloves. These
often rip without the worker even realizing it. Doubling or
tripling these gloves may help.

On hot days, it is tempting, yet

unwise, to shed protective clothing.
Personnel who find protective
clothing difficult to work in often
remove it too. If you refuse to wear
protective clothing because it is too
hot or too uncomfortable, you must
at least wear a barrier creme. Use
of a barrier is terribly important and
more effective than often reputed.
They inexpensive, convenient, and When working with epoxies,
protect well if they are not wearing a barrier creme on all
frequently flushed with solvents. exposed skin is a good idea.
They protect your skin and make
With epoxies, however, use barrier
cleaning at the end of the day
cremes only as a supplement to, much easier.
not replacement for, gloves.

Always wear gloves. And be sure to

check for contamination inside
gloves before reusing them.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 44

 If catalyzed resin or the catalyst component gets on your
clothing, remove the garment at once. Abrasion of resin-
saturated fabric on skin can cause a serious burn.

Of course, wash your skin

occasionally during the work day
and whenever resin gets on it.
Avoid using solvents since they
help epoxy get under the skin, and
their own chemistry is tough on the
hide. Wash up with dirt or sand
instead. It works well. Certain hand
cleaners also work better than
solvents, without harmful effects.
Citrus skin cleaners, for example,
are effective and mild. Soap and Hands can be “washed” in dirt
water take time, but eventually or sand instead of using harmful
solvents.
they work for small areas. Avoiding
contact by keeping equipment and
tools clean is the best way to
protect oneself. Re-member,
epoxies are very sticky—which is
why they work so well in
construction. But try to keep them
from sticking to you.

Keep Safety Information on the Job

Two important pieces of safety information should be on hand
at the jobsite:
1) the manufacturer’s technical data sheet, and
2) the material safety data sheet, often called the MSDS. Not
only is this required by OSHA, it is simply safe practice.
Personnel who know the dangers of materials and the safe
ways of using them are most likely to use them properly.
Moreover, with these safety documents at hand, they know
what to do if an accident does occur, including the phone
numbers to call in an emergency.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 45

 9. APPENDIX

Classification of Cracks:
Class Width
A less than 0.007 in. (0.178 mm)
B 0.007 to 0.022 in. (0.178 to 0.559 mm)
C 0.023 to 0.200 in. (0.560 to 5.08 mm)
D greater than 0.200 in. (5.08 mm)

Viscosity of Common Materials:

Viscosity (centipoise) Material
1 Water
500 No. 10 motor oil
2,500 Pancake syrup
10,000 Honey
25,000 Chocolate syrup
50,000 Catsup
250,000 Peanut butter
1,000,000 Paste-caulking material

Injection Guide Injection Guide 46

Determining the Volume of Voids, Lines and Containers
It is often useful to determine the volume of resin in a
particular void, be it a fluid line, container, mixer, or large
fault. Some solid geometry is needed to do this. One of the
first things to needed is the formula for the area of a circle:

A= π r2
Multiply r, the radius of the circle (equal to half its diameter),
by itself, then multiply the result by the constant, π, which is
about 3.1416. For example, to fond the area of a circle 5½
inches in diameter, make the following calculations:

r = 5½ in. ÷ 2 = 2.75 in.

A= π r2 = 3.1416 X 2.75 X 2.75 = 23.76 sq. in.

Finding the area of a rectangle is easier. Multiply the length by
the width. For example, the bottom of a 5x7-inch container
has an area of 35 square inches.
To find the volume, V, of a container or void, multiply the area
of the base (as determined using one of the formulas above)
by the height, h
V=AXh
For example, if the 5½ inch diameter circle used in the
example above was the bottom of a 9-inch-tall can, the can
would have a volume of 213.84 cubic inches:
V = 23.76 sq. in. X 9 in. = 213.84 cu. in.
To determine dwell volume of an injection setup, follow
this same simple procedure. Consider the dispensing line and
manifold harness as individual components, and determine
the internal volume of each component, one at a time. For
example, determine the dwell in a 10-inch-long mixing tube
and 16 feet of dispensing line. The tube has an interior
diameter of ⅜ inch (0.375 inch) and the dispensing line
consists of ¼-inch tubing.

Injection Guide 47
 Volume of the mixing tube:

r = D ÷ 2 = 0.375 ÷ 2 = 0.188 in.

A= π r2 = 3.1416X 0.188 X 0.188 = 0.111 sq. in.

V = A X h = 0.111 sq. in. X 10 in. = 1.11 cu. in.
Volume of the tubing:
Tubing, plastic as well as metal, is designated by its outside
diameter, as is hose. Thus, with a common wall thick. of 0.035
inch, 0.25-inch tubing has an inside diameter of 3/16 inch
(0.188 inch). The dwell contained by 16 feet of this tubing is
determined as follows:

r = D ÷ 2 = 0.188 in. ÷ 2 = 0.094 in.

A= π r2 = 3.1416X 0.094 X 0.094 = 0.028 sq. in.

V = A X h = 0.028 sq. in.X 16 feet X 12 in. per foot = 5.376
cu. in.
Total dwell volume of both tube and tubing is 6.486 cu.
in.(1.11+5.376)

Helpful Hydraulics:
To determine hydraulic forces, multiply the fluid pressure by
the area against which it is exerted. For example, how much
force would be exe-rted against a 2-foot-square steel plate by
grouting at 140 psi?
F=PXA
= 140 psi X 2 sq. feet X 144 sq. in. per sq. foot = 40,320
pounds
Note that the plate area was converted from square feet to
square inches since the hydraulic pressure was expressed in
pounds per square inch. Note, too, the tremendous force
(more than 20 tones) exerted against the plate by a modest
injection pressure!

Injection Guide Injection Guide 48

 The Problem With Air :
Although always unwelcome in the injection process, air is often
pre-sent and therefore must be understood, if problems are to be
avoided. The problem with air is that it is highly compressible.
For example, if air is compressed at 100 psi, it occupies only
about 1/8 of its previous volume. If air becomes entrapped in the
resin, the resin itself becomes compressible. This rarely happens
with very-low-viscosity resins, which allow the resin to quickly
rise to the surface and dissipate. But it is common for gel-
viscosity products to contain air. The air may be introduced due
to insufficient vacuuming at the time of manufacture (common
with inexpensive formulations) or from jobsite handling. Simply
dumping a viscous material into a container can entrap air in it.
In some dispenser pumps, air may become entrapped within a
pump chamber, trapped in a dome, unable to escape. If twin
lines are used between the dispenser and mixer, air may become
entrapped at the top of a loop in one of the lines. In all of these
instances, ratio or mixing are adversely affected. Air entrapped in
the dispenser pump chambers affects ratio. Air entrapped in
exterior lines affects mixing due to the lead-lag phenomena. If
one component contains air and the other does not, ratio is
affected: When dispensing pressure is exerted on the component
containing air, its flow is delayed until the air is compressed first.
However, the other component, which does not contain air and is
not compressible, flows immediately—and alone! If the material
itself is compressible due to entrained air, both ratio and mixing
suffer.
By the way, if a heavy-viscosity capping paste is being dispensed
through a disposable motionless mixer, an air problem can easily
be identified by observing the dark catalyst streaks within the
transparent mixer. If the streaks surge back and forth, air is
probably entrapped and affecting the mix! The streaks should be
stable from cycle to cycle. Be careful, however. Surging of the
catalyst streak may also be due to hose dilation. A hose that
expands and constricts under pressure can cause lead-lag
problems, and the longer the hose, the bigger the problem.

Injection Guide Injection Guide 49

 10. GLOSSARY

The following words are defined as they apply to the injection

trade.
Ambient temperature: The surrounding air temperature, as
opposed to the temperature of a surface or element.
Architectural surface: A building material used to provide an
aesth-etically pleasing finish.
Back pressure: An ill-defined term usually intended to refer
to resin pressure within the dispensing line. The “back”
connotation pre-sumably arises from the fact that the resin is
behind the outlet. The term is included here, not because it
occurs in the text, but rather to discourage its use in the
industry. Dispensing line pressure is a better term.

Calcification: Calcium carbonate crystals deposited by the

evapo-ration of water seeping from concrete, often
accumulating until they bridge over a crack.
Cap: The material, normally an epoxy, applied over a fault to
contain an injection resin until it has cured.
Centipoise: The unit of measure for viscosity.
Class A crack: A crack less than 0.007 inch in width.
Class B crack: A crack between 0.007 and 0.022 inch in
width.
Class C crack: A crack between 0.022 and 0.200 inch in
width.
Class D crack: A crack greater than 0.200 inch in width.
Coaxial dispenser: A two-component dispensing device that
has one dispensing cartridge within the other one. Both
cartridge plungers are depressed simultaneously to extrude
the resin.
Cold joint: A joint formed when a concrete surface hardens
before more concrete is placed against it; it is characterized by
a poor bond, unless special procedures are followed.
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 Core: A cylinder of concrete removed from an element,
usually for the purpose of inspection following injection of an
epoxy into a crack. For injection applications, a 2-inch
diameter is typical.
cps: Abbreviation for centipoise.
Dispenser: See coaxial dispenser and metering dispenser.
Dwell: Catalyzed resin hovering in the dispensing lines prior
to en-tering a port.
Exotherm: Heat.
Fault: A crack, fissure, or other linear defect found in
concrete.
Hawk: A flat piece of metal or wood held by a handle on its
underside and used by plasterers to carry mortar.
Hi-mod: Jargon for high modulus. See modulus.
Hydro: Pertaining to water.
Laitance: A layer of weak, nondurable material containing
cement and fines, brought to the surface of over-wet concrete
by water bleeding to the top.
Lo-mod: Jargon for low modulus. See modulus.
LPL: Abbreviation for long pot life, a common industry
designation for an epoxy with a longer-than-normal pot life.
Lubricity: The slipperiness of a material.
Manifold injection: The injection into numerous ports
simultaneously
Metering dispenser: A device incorporating one or more
pumps for pressurizing and delivering fluids, usually at a
particular rate of flow and dosage. For ratio metering, the flow
rates of the pumps are synchronized to dispense the
components at a particular ratio.

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 Micro-fissure: A separation in concrete, such as a crack,
which is so narrow and shallow (usually less than 0.002
inch) that it is barely noticeable and of no concern.
Modulus: An engineering property that expresses the
degree of rigidity. The higher the modulus, the stiffer the
material.
Port: Entry point where resin is injected into a void.
Porting: The procedure of establishing ports.
Porting adapter: A device used to connect a resin
dispensing source to a void, such as a crack, in concrete. It
may be attached to the surface so as to span the crack, or
inserted into a socket drilled in the fault.
Pot life: The time it takes for an epoxy resin to gel after it
is mixed. The pot life of a resin reported by its manufacturer
is usually for a 60-gram sample in an eight-ounce cup at
73°F, as determined by a test method described in ASTM C
881.
psi: Abbreviation for pounds per square inch, a unit of
measure.
PU: Jargon for polyurethane resin.
Seam: A linear flaw in concrete that is not a crack, such as
a cold joint.
Setup: The combined steps involved in preparing a fault for
injection.
Spall: Fragment of concrete that is unrestrained by internal
reinfor-cement.
Static mixer: A mixing device with no moving parts, as
compared, for example, with a dynamic mixer that uses
rotating blades.
Thixotropic: A mayonnaise-like consistency.

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 Viscosity: The thickness of a fluid, or, if you prefer, a fluid’s
internal frictional resistance to a force that tends to cause it to
flow. High-viscosity materials, such as pastes and gels, are
relatively thick and tend to resist flow. Low-viscosity materials
are thin liquids, which flow easily. See the appendix for the
viscosities of some common materials.
Viscous: A “thick” fluid, one that has a high viscosity and
high re-sistance to flow.
Wetting action: The ability of a resin to enter the pores of
concrete and develop adhesion.
Working life: Amount of time available after mixing before
an epoxy can no longer be installed.
Yawn: A reference to the opening and closing of a crack at its
mouth as a result of changes in the concrete surface
temperature.

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 11. PRODUCT SELECTION GUIDE

Theoretical
Product Name Description
Coverage Rate
EPOXY PUTTY EPOXY PUTTY is a two 0.5 – 0.6 kg/m2
components SF- epoxy (according to
system especially thickness & surface
formulated to achieve a conditions.)
high performance
material to work in
special conditions where
other kinds of putties
failed.
WATERPLUG WATERPLUG is a quick 1 kg. will fill 580cm3,
set hydraulic cement or a crack 2x2x145
which instantly stops cm.
running water and
seepage through
concrete and masonry
walls and floors. Where
conventional mortars
would be washed away
and even when rapid set
mortars would not bond.
KEMINJECT A solvent free, two 1.1 kg/litre.
component low viscosity
epoxy resin with a
modified cycloaliphatic
amine hardener.
It serves to strengthen
and seal cracks and
cavities in concrete,
masonry or rocks by
injection under pressure
or by sealing.

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 12. FULL SERVICE SUPPORT

Prokem has built an excellent reputation by providing a high

level of both technical and commercial support for its clients. This
support ranges from its research and development to its technical
office and client service office.

Prokem provides the best possible training, technical data

sheets, training videos and CDs also it organize seminars,
presentations and fairs so as to facilitate transfer of knowledge to
clients.

Such contribution to the achievement of successful results

reflects Prokem’s long-standing dedication to quality assurance.

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 Epoxy injection in construction
published by the Aberdeen group.

Epoxy injection issued by the

Aberdeen group.

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 This Guide Is Prepared And
Reviewed By Prokem Technical
Office.

Eng. Ashraf Daghashi

Technical Manager

Injection Guide Injection Guide

 PROKEM
Alexandria : 33 Safeya Zaghloul St., Down Town, Alexandria.
Tel.: (03) 48 03 320 Fax : (03) 48 03 303
Cairo : 3 El Andalos St., Behind Merryland, Misr El Gadida.
Tel.  : (02) 45 49 294 Fax : (02) 45 40 343
Factory : Borg El-Arab El Gadida city, Zone 12, Block 1
E-mail : info@prokemsc.com
Web site: www.prokemsc.com

Injection Guide