not a disaster (yet), but certainly a rework failure 2

[djhurayt]

Clemson University student apartments at 114 Earle which opened in August 2017 has experienced first floor concrete cracking and settlement.

Apparently they attempted to repair the cracks via expanding foam. However the crack seem to have effected more than just the floor. It looks like the sewer system may have been compromised also.

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Oooopsy

 

[itsmoked]

I see Hokie. I was thinking multi-floor kind of situation. Thanks.

I knew a guy who's entire business was pumping concrete under foundations to completely re-level them and the structures on top of them. Worked great and he made an absolute killing at it.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[BridgeSmith]

"I knew a guy who's entire business was pumping concrete under foundations to completely re-level them..."

The foam is similar, but when done by an experienced crew, can actually be more accurate. It can also be used to restore (lift) building foundations. For that, the foam is injected into the soil around and below the perimeter of the foundation to solidify the surrounding soil, then the area directly under the foundation is injected to lift the foundation. It's pretty impressive, and it only takes a few hours.

 

[ornerynorsk]

Polyurethane foam mudjacking has been used in our neck of the woods for quite some time as well, with very good results. The permanency of the stuff is impressive, as long as it's not exposed to UV, as someone else mentioned. It's a real bugger to remove after errant placement.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[Compositepro]

Urethane foams cure by reaction with moisture, which is why they are noted as being very difficult to remove from wood or skin (both contain plenty of moisture).

 

[BridgeSmith]

Yep Compositepro, it's like injecting a really large quantity of Gorilla Glue into the ground...

 

[itsmoked]

I'm surprised by the foam angle as anyone who's tried to mix some polyurethane to fill a space 'just so' usually misses by a chagrined mile. To inject something then 'have it expand' and to end up with 'accuracy' used in the same sentence... I just learned something.

I still envision polyurethane turning dark brown and changing to dust in a decade.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[BridgeSmith]

Apparently, the guys at Uretek are a bit better at getting that foam 'just so' - they routinely jack slabs to within an 1/8" of their target position. Of course, underneath, it doesn't have to be any particular shape or fit within a confined area.

 

[epoxybot]

They are using a two component material that is more predictable in terms of how much expansion and cell size is generated.

 

[BridgeSmith]

Yeah epoxybot, that certainly helps. There's alot of science behind it, but the guys who do the deep injection stuff to lift slabs and foundations are still artists in my book.

 

[itsmoked]

I didn't realize that e-pox. Thanks for that bit of education.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[VEBill]

Imagine if somebody had happened to have been 'on the throne' during that foam eruption...

 

[zeusfaber]

I imagine they'd have had to visit the 'pox doctor.

A.