[Ferro List] Leaking tank

[tom rapenske]

Joseph,
   
  > If the walls are structurally sound then use this:
> http://tamms.com/product_detail.asp?id=457&pselect=175#175 Peter
   
  Epperson's product is reinforced below, even if you don't have visible cracking:
   
   Another Approach to Crack Repair
By Leo Connell
   No matter how carefully you build and maintain
your concrete structure, it’s not a matter of if
cracks will occur, but when. At best, concrete cracks
are an unattractive nuisance. At worst, they lead to
leaks that can damage the interior of the building,
corrode steel reinforcements, and ultimately
shorten the life of the concrete structure.
Repairing cracks correctly requires several steps.
For a crack repair to be successful, you must first
understand what caused the crack, and then address
this cause in the design of your repair. Once you
have determined the cause of the crack, there are
several methods available for repair, depending on
size, location, and use of the structure.
One method is an integral crystalline waterproofing
(ICW) crack repair system. ICW, which has been used
worldwide for more than 30 years, is a cementitious,
chemically-reactive treatment that permanently repairs
concrete cracks and stops leaks.
How Does Integral Crystalline
Waterproofing Work?
When applied to existing concrete, crystalline
chemicals are absorbed into the concrete by capillary
action (the natural wicking movement of liquids
through a porous structure) and diffusion (the natural
movement of chemical molecules). Inside the
concrete, crystalline chemicals begin to grow millions
of needle-like crystals that spread and fill the pores,
spaces, and cracks between concrete particles.
Once the concrete has been sealed, ICW chemicals
lie dormant until a new crack forms due to settling and
seismic activity. Water entering through the crack
reactivates the chemicals and causes new crystals to
form and grow, which self-seal the crack and maintain
a watertight seal. This self-sealing property is one of
ICW’s most unique and useful features and can often
reduce long-term maintenance and repair costs.
Crack Repair
Use the following steps to repair concrete cracks
with ICW:
1. Prepare the crack by chiseling out a chase along
the length of the crack, and then clean and
pre-wet it;
2. Pack the crack with cementitious, highly
concentrated crystalline dry packs; and
3. Finish the area with cementitious slurry coatings.
The majority of active crystalline chemicals migrate
into concrete within the first 28 days; therefore, even if
the surface is removed or damaged, its waterproofing
properties will not be affected.
Benefits of ICW Crack
Repair Systems
Along with its excellent crack repair properties,
integral crystalline waterproofing technology offers a
number of key benefits for repairing existing concrete:
• ICW is a permanent crack repair solution. It will
not crack, peel, tear, or wear away, even when
subjected to significant hydrostatic pressure;
• ICW can be applied to the negative side of a
structure; therefore, repairs can be completed
from the inside without digging up the perimeter,
destroying landscaping, and incurring extra cost,
or from the outside without having to drain
containment tanks; and
• The best systems provide additional self-sealing
properties that will stop leaking through
microcracks for the life of the concrete.
Chipped-out crack ready for dry pack
Packing crack with dry pack
VIEWPOINT
July/August 2006 Concrete Repair Bulletin 23
Can ICW Be Used to
Repair Concrete Joints?
ICW can be a good choice to repair concrete
joints. When Bentonite or PVC waterstop systems
become damaged or dislodged during construction,
there is often no way to detect this failure until
leakage occurs. At that point, integral crystalline
waterproofing can be used to retrofit, repair, and
protect existing joints.
Is ICW Only for Repairing
Concrete Cracks?
While ICW can repair cracks, integral crystalline
waterproofing can also be brush-applied to virtually
any concrete surface to fortify and waterproof
concrete and protect against contamination and steel
reinforcement corrosion. ICW is ideal for treating
concrete basements, foundations, walls, tunnels,
bridges, dams, water containment and wastewater
treatment facilities, and pools.
ICW can also be used as an admixture in new
concrete construction. By eliminating the need
for external waterproofing membranes, it saves
construction time and costs and allows for larger
building footprints and blind wall construction.
Crystalline waterproofing admixtures help strengthen
concrete and minimize future cracking, and they last
the lifetime of the structure. Some ICW manufacturers
also produce joint design systems, which can be used
in conjunction with the admixture to seal new joints
and ensure a truly watertight structure.
ICW Systems Are Not the Same
When choosing an integral crystalline crack repair
system, don’t confuse true ICW with products that
are simply concrete densifiers or pore blockers. Some
products claim to grow crystals but really
only crystallize as they dry. These products will not
permeate the concrete, nor will they reactivate in the
presence of water to fill cracks.
Applying slurry to
concrete crack
product you are considering contains silicates,
stearates, or talc, which only offers temporary
waterproofing at best. And be sure your manufacturer
offers a long-term warranty on all ICW products.
Although some systems are certified safe for
use along the water supply chain, not all are. Ask
your manufacturer.
Though originally received with skepticism,
ICW and crack repair systems have been successfully
used in virtually every country around the world.
In the past few decades, ICW has been embraced
by the construction industry as a replacement for
conventional waterproofing.

This Viewpoint article has been selected by the editors as an
offering to the interest of our readers. However, the opinions
given are not neccessarily those of the International Concrete
Repair Institute or of the editors of this magazine. Reader
comment is invited.
   
  Tom

       
---------------------------------
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.