CRACK REPAIR
As much as you are displeased to hear it, all concrete cracks. There are many causes of cracking, but most of them are rooted in the fact that all concrete shrinks.The standard concrete mix contains far more water than is needed to hydrate (harden) the cement. This excess water, used mostly to make the mix workable, will evaporate slowly over a long period of time. As the moisture leaves the concrete, the slab actually shrinks in mass. This causes stress buildup, friction with the base the slab rests upon and lifting at the ends of the pour. All of these results can cause cracks. Other causes include restraint at fixed objects such as docks, improper joint spacing, late joint cutting, etc.
The question for you as the floor owner is not whether you have cracks. You definitely do. The important questions to ask are:
- What caused the cracks?
- How many do I have?
- How wide are they ; how deep?
- Have they significantly weakened the floor?
- Will they get worse?
- Will they affect my operations?
- Can they be permanently corrected?
- Should they be corrected?
Beside the seepage of water, vapor, and gas into buildings, some other problems with cracks:
- Trapped water destroys flooring materials and may cause mold infestation.
- Water causes rusting of reinforcing steel and destruction of the concrete.
- Water leaches out concrete and causes efflorescence (mineral deposits).
- The freeze-thaw cycle widens the crack.
- Vehicular traffic crumbles the edges of cracks.
- Further elongation and yawning of cracks due to natural movement of concrete.
- Propagation of cracks into rigid flooring tiles or concrete overlays.
- The cost of repeated repairs.
Our InTelli CrackWeld repair kit fills the full depth of cracks with a rigid compound that is stronger than concrete. It provides a state-of-the-art method for permanent repair of cracks, spalls, or holes in concrete slabs.
Slab to slab micro-doweling action, links concrete slabs together, locks them in place and allows for full-traffic, dynamic-load transfer, in 10 to 15 Minutes
About the old crack “fixes”
Caulking the crack is cheap and easy but short-term. The caulk will not last in traffic. Water wicking through the concrete or trapped water vapor will cause efflorescence and will weaken its bond to concrete. After a couple years, the caulk can be easily peeled off.
Hydraulic cement is a temporary fix only. It is fully waterproof but does not bond well to concrete – that’s why you have to route out an inverted V-groove to hold it in place. However, concrete continually moves, shrinks and expands which loosens the stiff hydraulic plug. After a couple years, the crack will gradually start leaking again.
Why do we prefer the InTelli Crackweld
The repair Kit is a two-component compound. When ejected out of the cartridge through a mixing nozzle, it fills the crack and quickly cures. Similar to epoxy but only 1/10 as thick and routing is not needed. It bonds with sand into an indestructible, impermeable mass inside cracks, spalls, or holes. Water, vapor, or gases cannot penetrate. It is also a structural repair – it stops the crack from further movement.
The Repair kit makes permanent crack repair quick and easy:
- Very low viscosity (penetrates and deep-fills also hairline cracks)
- No need to route out cracks (unlike epoxies)
- Fast-curing (ready in half an hour for overlays or heavy traffic)
- High-strength bond (stronger than concrete)
Applications for concrete repair
Indoor concrete:
- Residential – cracks in basement slabs and foundation slabs on grade
- Industrial – cracks or spalls in factory or warehouse floors subject to heavy traffic – allows heavy traffic to resume in half an hour
Outdoor concrete:
- Driveways – a must before installing overlays to prevent propagation of cracks
- Patios, sidewalks, pool decks – cracks, spalls or “divots”
- Concrete roofs – cracks, spalls, holes
- Bridges, roads, airport runways – cracks, spalls, holes
The repair is rigid. Not suitable for joints that require flexibility like expansion control joints (saw cuts) or floor-to-wall joints of basement floating slabs.
Color: When cured, the repair has a gray color but when exposed to direct sunlight outdoors, the color will change hues. Broadcasting sand over the repair (silica is included) before it cures will result in a lighter gray color. Sanding or better yet, grinding the repair even with the sidewalk will reduce the polymer's exposure to sun. Due to the high silica content of the repair (about 80%) the surface usually holds some stain or paint.
