Exploring the Versatility of Grout Injection Packers
Grout Injection Packers, also commonly referred to as Packers, Ports, or Injectors, serve as essential tools in the field of construction and repair, particularly in the context of crack injection and leak sealing.
To clarify their various applications and types, these packers are often accompanied by descriptors such as Grout, Epoxy, Mechanical, and Surface, leading to specific terms like Mechanical Packers, Epoxy Injectors, and Surface Ports.
The lexicon of packer terminology extends even further as injection professionals devise elaborate combinations of terms to precisely describe their equipment. For example, phrases like Mechanical Injection Packers, Plastic Grout Injection Ports, and Epoxy Crack Injection Plastic Surface Nozzle Ports with Perforated Tri Base Design and Extra Long Anti Leak Plastic Caps, though complex, provide insiders with valuable specificity about the tool’s design and functionality.
In our video below, we demonstrate the particulars of the Plastic Button Head Packer, a tool also recognized in the industry under names such as Progressive Screw Injector, Port, Packer, Top Hat Packers, or Easy Slide Packers. These names reflect the packer’s unique features, such as its compatibility with button head or slide couplers.
Furthermore, we introduce the Hammer-In Packer, an alternative known variously as Hammer-In Port, Bang In Packer, or Hammer Blow Injector. This variation emphasizes the packer’s method of installation, which involves a simple, forceful action to position the packer into place.
SealBoss® stands at the forefront of this industry as a premier international supplier of both packers and surface ports. Our extensive selection includes surface-mounted epoxy injection ports compatible with all SealBoss epoxy injection systems. Whether you’re working with handheld manual gun injection, pneumatic gun injection, epoxy pump injection, cartridge injection, or high pressure zerk coupler connected epoxy injection, our products are designed to meet your project’s specific needs.
By offering this array of sophisticated and versatile tools, SealBoss® caters to the diverse demands of the construction and repair industry, ensuring that professionals are equipped with the right packers and ports for every situation.
Superior Product Flow Button Head Packer
Super Fast Placement Hammer-In Packer
SealBoss Specialty Plastic Ports
Our Button Head Plastic Port has a large inner diameter and a large anti return valve in the shaft which permits high volume material flow. This packer is extremely well suited for Curtain Injection and Slab Lifting applications where volume product flow is priority and injection pressures are typically lower.
The Hammer-In Port is an economic alternative to Mechanical Packers. The port is placed quickly and tightening is not necessary. This is a fast placement - low cost injection port that many contractors utilize.
Please don't hesitate to contact us here at Sealboss for more information about our extensive packer selection. Your representative will be happy to assist.
We provide on-site support and training all SealBoss System Solutions.
A Spotlight on SealBoss 1510 Water Stop Foam and SealBoss EZ Flow Plastic Button Head Injection Packers
Introduction
Flooded Tunnel Repair: How to Stop Water Migration, Infiltration and Inflow in Underground Passages
Utility tunnels, storm drain systems, and primary sewer lines with cracks, leaks, or structural weaknesses are especially susceptible to the challenges of water leakage or Infiltration/Inflow (I/I), as it is called in the sanitary sewer industry. Such water ingress problems not only threaten the structural integrity of these systems but also present considerable environmental and safety risks. With the appropriate tools and repair methods, many underground tunnel structures and expansive pipe systems can be restored to their designed functionality.
Journey Beneath: Unveiling the Underground
In this captivating video clip, viewers delve deep into a shadowy underground drainage tunnel, witnessing the significant impact of water ingress. Illuminated only by the beams of headlamps and makeshift lighting, the scene reveals a structure submerged in over a foot of water.
Despite the uninviting environment and jobsite conditions, the skilled injection team remains focused and determined, united by one mission: to repair and seal the structure.
Enter the SealBoss 1510 Water Stop Foam and SealBoss EZ Flow Plastic Button Head Injection Packers – a dynamic duo that promises effective and lasting solutions.
SealBoss 1510 Water Stop Foam in Action
This injection project showcases the power of SealBoss 1510 Water Stop Foam. As the foam is injected, it migrates rapidly, filling cracks, fissures and voids, effectively stopping water ingress. The foam’s expansion and curing properties make it an ideal solution for such challenging environments, ensuring that the tunnel’s water tight integrity is restored.
The Role of SealBoss EZ Flow Plastic Button Head Injection Packers
Ensuring Secure and Highly Efficient Grout Delivery
One of the highlights of this injection project is the impeccable, leak-free connection between the injection grout line’s slide coupler and the button head packers that have been installed. This is largely attributed to the purpose driven design of the button head packer and slide coupler, ensuring a secure connection, and eliminating the need for the contractor to manually hold it in place.
Additionally, the expansive inner diameter of both the coupler and button head, combined with the oversized ball valve design, facilitates the pumping and delivery of chemical grout at impressive flow rates and volumes. This guarantees that the foam is dispensed exactly where required.
SealBoss EZ Flow Plastic Button Head Injection Packers are instrumental in efficiently and securely delivering the SealBoss 1510 Water Stop Foam. They ensure the foam is dispensed at high volumes and appropriate pressures, streamlining and enhancing the repair process.
Conclusion
With the right tools and products in place, underground injection and flooded tunnel repair does no longer have to be a nightmare for crack injection teams. With the combined power of SealBoss 1510 Water Stop Foam and SealBoss EZ Flow Plastic Button Head Injection Packers, even challenging grout injection environments can be tackled with confidence.
This injection project serves as a testament to the effectiveness of these products, shining a light (quite literally) on their capabilities in real-world scenarios and showcasing a practical approach to restoring the integrity of affected tunnels and pipelines.
High Volume Easy Flow Packer | EZ Flow Packer Design
Plastic packer with large inner diameter for high volume product flow. The packer is threaded and equipped with a removable, sleeve for good grip. Free-floating large ball valve for high volume applications. Buttonhead top for secure connection and minimal leakage. Suitable for PU grouts, Acrylate Gels (Acrylic Gels). Also available with zerk fitting.
Injection Packers for High Pressure Crack Injection Applications Overview
Injection Packer Materials – Injection Packers bodies are constructed from various materials including steel, brass, aluminum, zinc, or plastic.
Dimensions – Injection Packers are available in many sizes, lenghts and diameters to meet the application demands, injection products, injection pressures, and injection volume and flow requirements.
Mechanical Packers – Injection Packers, specifically the mechanical injection packer types, short “Mechanical Packers”, are fitted with a compression rubber sleeve mechanism, to lock securely into the packer placement drilled hole.
High Injection Pressures – Mechanical Injection Packers, are designed to work in high pressure injection conditions from several hundred psi up to several thousand psi. (100 – 10,000 psi or 6 – 600 bar).
Injection Packer Application Procedures – Injection Packers are often placed in a staggered pattern along the crack in a 45 degree angle. This is known as the standard SealBoss 1 – 2 – 3 – 45 Degree Method. Other methods and packer placement techniques also apply depending on the requirements of the application.
Injection Packers are designed to safely and securely connect your Injection Equipment to the concrete substrate, in order to deliver the injection chemical resin – often under high injection pressures – to the area of repair.
Injection packers must be of suitable construction and sturdiness, as they have to withstand low and high injection pressures as needed, and allow for adequate flow of product. Their design must permit easy installation and removal, as needed – while being cost- effective.
Information About Injection Packers Packer Materials & Types
Injection packers and ports are essential tools for successful grout and epoxy injection in construction and repair projects. These tools are generally categorized into two types: insertable mechanical injection packers and surface-mounted ports.
SealBoss offers a wide selection of injection packers made from steel, brass, aluminum, zinc, various metal alloys, and plastic.’
Each material and design caters to specific substrates, applications, and contractor preferences, ensuring a tailored solution for any injection scenario.
Mechanical Injection Packer Features Premium mechanical packers incorporate a rubber sleeve with a threaded shaft. When tightened, the sleeve compresses to form a seal within the drilled hole. A soft, expandable rubber ensures optimal grip and supports high injection pressures.
SealBoss Steel Injection Packers are most robust, high-performance packers designed for high-pressure resin injection in demanding applications. Known for their strength and durability, SealBoss steel packers are suited for high-pressure injections, icnluding polyurethane, epoxy, and acrylate/acrylic gels. Available in multiple designs, most include a rubber sleeve and a larger top washer for secure installation.
These packers are an efficient, industry standard setting, and effective solution for structural repair and waterproofing, trusted by professionals worldwide.
Steel Construction Injection Packers: Set the standard – built to withstand high injection pressures and provide a durable, reliable seal.
Interchangeable Fittings: Come with button head and standard and low pressure zerk fitting options, enhancing versatility for various injection systems.
Anti-Return Valve: Located in the fitting, it prevents resin backflow, maintaining the integrity of the injection.
Port-to-Port Resin Travel: Removeable valve allows for observation of resin movement, ensuring controlled application.
Wide Size Range: Suitable for various applications, from small repairs to large-scale projects.
Compatibility: Works with all injection resins, including low-pressure applications.
Brass, Aluminum, and Zinc Packers These materials offer economical alternatives to steel with similar functionality. Although they have lower strength, some designs allow the shaft to be broken off after injection, leaving a flush surface—a benefit for certain projects.
SealBoss Aluminum Injection Packers are economical, lightweight options for standard resin injection tasks.
Modeled after the SealBoss S-Type steel, these aluminum packers offer a very budget-friendly solution for typical crack injection scenarios, ideal for professionals looking to reduce costs on routine jobs.
Aluminum Construction: Provides a secure fit and is lighter and more affordable to ship than steel alternatives.
Cost-Effective: The most economical option for crack injection, saving costs on large projects.
Anti-Return Valve: Located in the zerk fitting, preventing resin backflow during application.
Standard Application Use: Suitable for everyday injection needs and non-critical applications.
SealBoss Brass Injection Packers are durable and versatile packers designed for resin injection.
These economical alternatives to steel packers are widely used in construction for their built in zerk fittings, reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Available in a Wide Variety of Sizes, Thicknesses, and Lengths: Options range from compact to extended-length injection packers, designed to meet the most demanding jobsite requirements.
Monolithic Zerk Fitting:No separate zerk fitting ensures smooth installation procedure and secure attachment.
Anti-Return Valve in the Packer Base: Prevents resin backflow, even if the neck is unscrewed or broken off.
Defined Breaking Point: Allows clean removal after use.
SealBoss Standard Zinc Packers are strong, affordable, and reliable packers designed for standard grout injection. Zinc injection packers are another choice for general injection applications, offering quick installation and efficiency in everyday crack repair and sealing tasks.
Bottom Anti-Return Valve: Enables head removal after grout injection, preventing backflow.
Packer Neck Hexagon: Easy tightening packer neck
Common Industry Size: Provides adequate surface seal area for a secure grip at an economical price.
SealBoss Plastic Buttonhead Injection Packers and Hammer-In Ports for large Volume Injection nad Fast Installation.
These plastic packers offer versatile options for resin grout injections, covering applications that metal-style injection packers may not accommodate.
The SealBoss Hammer-In or Bang-In packers require only a hammer to secure in place. These packers create a compression seal without a sleeve, making them ideal for quick installation. However, they are best suited for low-pressure injections due to a lower friction fit.
Buttonhead Packers: Feature a large anti-return valve and inner diameter for high-volume material flow, ideal for low-pressure applications like curtain injection and slab lifting. Hammer-In Ports: Quickly installed without the need for tightening, providing a fast, economical alternative to mechanical packers in certain applications.
Wide Compatibility: Suitable for use with epoxy, grout, and various SealBoss injection systems, including manual, pneumatic, and cartridge injections.
Injection Packer Fitting Types
Packers often feature either a zerk or button head fitting for connection:
Zerk Fitting: Commonly used for medium to high-pressure applications, offering quick connection and disconnection.
Button Head Fitting: Suitable for high-volume applications, providing a superior connection with reduced leakage, especially beneficial for single-operator use.
Surface Ports
Surface-mounted epoxy injection ports are suitable for lower-pressure applications or when drilling isn’t feasible. They can be glued directly to the surface or placed within a drilled hole. Many have open designs for quick-release connectors and are equipped with caps to prevent backflow. Ports with zerk fittings are available for higher pressure needs, including specialized corner ports for 90-degree angles.
Diameter A packer’s diameter affects injection pressure capacity and fit within drilled holes. Common sizes include 5/8” (16mm), 1/2” (13mm), 3/8” (10mm), and 1/4” (6mm). Larger diameters are generally more resistant to blow-outs and provide a stronger grip, especially for high-pressure and rock applications.
Length Longer packers, ranging from 4″ to 6″, are ideal for deteriorated concrete or deep injections. They enable secure embedding within the substrate, minimizing the risk of spalling and bridging gaps in the structure.
Valve Placement
Top-Mounted Valves: Zerk and button-head valves allow for observing grout travel during injection. Button-head valves offer a stronger connection with less leakage.
Bottom-Mounted Valves: Positioned on the stem, these valves allow the packer’s head to be removed after injection, keeping the seal intact and facilitating patching.
Conclusion The 1/2″ (13mm) diameter mechanical injection packer is often a reliable starting point for most projects. Steel packers are ideal for very high injection pressures, though economical considerations may favor alternatives like aluminum, brass, or zinc for a variation of scenarios including jobsite conditions and budget.
Larger diameter injection packer can reduce blow-out risks, while longer packers are recommended for angled drilling and degraded substrates.
High-flow applications at lower pressures may benefit from the 5/8″ button-head packers, while the 3/8″ Hammer-In packers could be suited to low-pressure work in high-quality concrete.
SealBoss offers a diverse range of packers and ports, including surface ports with zerk fittings for smaller epoxy and polyurethane jobs and injection screws for cold joint applications. Ensuring a secure fit and selecting the appropriate packer type is crucial for technician safety and successful injection results.
Injection Packers for Crack, Water Stop and Leak Sealing Injections
SealBoss injection packers connect the injection equipment (applicator and injection pump) with the structural substrate to serve as the port of entry – or filler neck – for a large variety of injection resins and chemical grouts into concrete mediums.
Our Packers are made from a various metals including steel, brass, zinc, aluminum / aluminium or plastic. Packers are typically equipped with either a zerk fitting or button head fitting for easy and secure connection to the applicator. The button head type offers the most secure connection in overhead, high pressure and high volume appplications.
Conditions of the jobsite, environment and material determine the type, material, and build of packer, in order to achieve the best injection results. SealBoss provides a very large selection of injection packers to meet all professional needs.
Injection Packers – Installation Types
Based on injection requirements and injection products to be used, we distinguish between borehole packers and surface mount packers, also known as surface ports.
Cylinder shaped, borehole type injection packers are typically used for high pressure injection with polyurethane bases, water stop and leak-seal resins and injection foams.
Borehole style packers work very well in wet and otherwise demanding environments, such as deteriorating concrete substrates.
We further differentiate between mechanical packers with a tighten-down and screw-in mechanism, and hammer-in technique packers.
The seal of the aforementioned packers is achieved by friction between the packer body in the drill hole and the surrounding substrate.
Surface mounted ports are mostly used for structural epoxy injection where a non-destructive injection process – no drill holes allowed procedure – is specified.
Surface mounted packers or surface ports are glued to the surface of the substrate and rely on the bond strength of the adhesive, such as SealBoss 4500 epoxy paste adhesive. Surface port placement is best performed on a dry substrate and can be difficult in wet environments with active water leaks.
Preparatory work
Step1 – Structure / Substrate / Product Analysis
Condition of structure, environment and climate
Chemical rout / resin specified
Injection pressures expected (high pressure vs low pressure)
Step 2 – Packer Choice
Select suitable injection packers. Please consult with your SealBoss Technical Rep.
Installation
Installation procedures depend on the conditions found at the jobsite. SealBoss provides detailed information online and in printed publications. Please contact your technical rep.
The size of the drill holes equals the stated diameter of the mechanical packers and hammer-in packers; the borehole depth varies according to the conditions and requirements.
Drill holes are typically made at an angle of approx. 45° depending on the wall thickness and other conditions. All drill dust and debris must be removed from the boreholes.
Final work
Remove or knock-off the mechanical packers / hammer-in ports / surface packers as specified
Maximizing Equipment Lifespan and Saving Money: A Guide
Your SealBoss Button Head Coupler is more than just a tool—it is an investment in efficiency and quality. This coupler, which comes with a soft rubber gasket, ensures a tight seal between the coupler and the packer during injection. But like all tools, it faces wear and tear.
Understanding the Wear Pattern Injection pressures and the mechanical stress from moving the coupler between different packers can wear down the rubber gasket. However, it is worth noting that while the seal might deteriorate, the steel body of the coupler remains intact and perfectly functional for many more uses.
Preserve, Don’t Discard Before you consider discarding your partially worn-out coupler, think again. We understand the importance of sustainability and getting the maximum use out of your equipment. To this end, we have introduced a top-of-the-line OEM rebuild kit.
What’s in the Rebuild Kit? Our kit comprises three essential replacement parts. These parts are designed for easy installation, allowing you to refresh your coupler in about a minute or so. It is worth noting that, with regular use, a slide coupler can undergo several rebuilds before the sliding mechanism starts to show signs of wear. Only then would you potentially need a full replacement.
Bottom Line By opting for periodic maintenance and utilizing our rebuild kit, you are not just prolonging the life of your SealBoss Button Head Coupler but also making a financially sound and environmentally conscious choice. Save money, reduce waste, and ensure your equipment is always performing at its best.
SealBoss Coupler Rebuild Kits
As I demonstrate in the video, our Button Head Slide Couplers can be easily rebuilt to ensure secure fit and leak free functionality. This feature makes our slide couplers very economic and user friendly.
Please keep your couplers clean and in good working order to keep your connection free of leaks and to maximize your positive injection experience.
The slide coupler has some advantages over the zerk coupler:
The Button Head Slide Coupler provides another level of security by sliding over the button head of the packer. A pull on the injection line will keep the connector in place and the connector does not always have to be held by the applicator.
Please don't hesitate to contact us here at Sealboss for more information about our extensive packer selection. Your representative will be happy to assist.
We provide on-site support and training for all SealBoss System Solutions.
Quality Steel Construction for High Injection Pressures
Button Head Fitting & Zerk Fitting Interchangeable
Anti Return Valve in Fitting
Port to Port Travel Observation Possible
Low Pressure Zerks Available
Suitable for All Injection Resins
Wide Variety of Diameters and Lengths
A SealBoss Standard Packer | Millions sold
Why should I use Steel Injection Packers?
Understanding the Advantages of Steel Injection Packers
SealBoss® Steel Injection Packers deliver superior performance in high-pressure injection applications. These mechanically engineered packers are designed to endure considerable force, making them ideal for demanding crack injection scenarios where high injection pressures are needed and reliability is paramount.
As the threaded shaft of the packer is adjusted, the rubber base experiences compression, resulting in a robust seal within the drilled hole. Owing to the exceptional strength of steel, these packers can withstand greater tightening forces. This capability enhances the friction between the expanded rubber sleeve and the concrete substrate, ensuring a secure seal.
Decoding the Concept: Port to Port Travel of Resin
The term ‘Port to Port Travel of Resin’ refers to the observable movement of the injected product from its point of origin to the subsequent packer. The SealBoss steel injection packer is designed with a removable fitting that enables the user to monitor this progression, ensuring precise and controlled application of the injection material.
Clarifying Standard Zerk Fittings versus Low Pressure Zerk Fittings
You may be familiar with standard zerk fittings, but what about low pressure zerk fittings? These specialized fittings are engineered for applications where the injection pressures are limited by the dispensing or pumping unit. A unique feature of these fittings is the presence of an anti-return ball valve devoid of a spring. This design minimizes the pressure required to open the valve, allowing the injection material to enter the packer with negligible resistance.
Switching from Zerk Fitting to Button Head Fitting
SealBoss S-Type steel packers offer the flexibility to switch from zerk fitting to button head fitting, allowing usage with slide couplers. This versatile feature enables the use of both styles on the job site without necessitating different packer styles. Packers can be ordered with either fitting, based on the specific requirements of the project.
Each fitting incorporates an anti-return ball valve that opens under pressure, facilitating the flow of chemical grouts. Once the pressure is relieved, the ball valve closes, effectively preventing the backflow of the injection resin out of the drilled hole.
Advantages of using SealBoss’s steel injection packers, highlighting their durability, versatility, and cost-effectiveness
Durability
First and foremost, steel injection packers by SealBoss stand out due to their impressive durability. Crafted from high-quality steel, these packers are built to resist the harshest conditions and demands for leak sealing injection.
This durability is especially beneficial in high-pressure injection tasks. Regardless of the injection grout used, the SealBoss packers can withstand the pressure, maintaining their structural integrity and preventing failure. This ability leads to a more successful application of sealants and grouts, prolonging the lifespan of the structure being repaired.
Versatility
The versatility of SealBoss’s steel injection packers cannot be overstated. These devices are applicable to a wide range of sealing tasks, including cracks in concrete structures and natural structures.
Moreover, their universal design allows them to accommodate different diameters and lengths, making them suitable for both small and large-scale projects. Whether you’re dealing with a minor crack in a residential structure or extensive damage in a commercial building, you can count on SealBoss’s steel injection packers to deliver.
Cost-Effectiveness
While SealBoss’s steel injection packers might initially seem like a more substantial investment compared to their plastic counterparts, they provide a level of cost-effectiveness that’s hard to match. Their durability reduces injection failures, including blow-outs and leakage, meaning less downtime and more efficient work processes.
Ease of Use
With their simple installation process, SealBoss’s steel injection packers allow for precision in injecting grouting, ensuring the material reaches the target area effectively.
The packers are designed for easy insertion into pre-drilled holes and can be firmly secured to prevent movement and leakage during the injection process.
Conclusion
The steel injection packers by SealBoss provide a reliable solution for a multitude of structural repair and waterproofing tasks. By offering durability, versatility, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use, these packers are proving to be solid tool for professionals in the construction and waterproofing injection industry.
How to Convert a Zerk Type Steel Packer to a Button Head Packer
SealBoss Steel Packer with Button Head Fitting
SealBoss Steel Packers have the capability to be outfitted with either injection zerk fittings, often referred to as grease nipples, or button head fittings. These can be paired with zerk couplers or button head couplers respectively, the latter of which is also recognized as slide couplers.
In this video we demonstrate the quick button head conversion of the SealBoss Steel Injection Packer.
The button head configuration stands out for delivering the most robust and secure linkage between the injection pump and the mechanical packer, ensuring enhanced reliability during operations.
We present detailed descriptions and illustrative images for both zerk and buttonhead fittings, along with their corresponding couplers, in the sections below.
Zerk fittings / grease nipples available in various sizes and designs to fit various packers. Standard Zerks equipped with a spring loaded ball valve and Low Pressure Zerks with a ball only valve.
High Quality Steel Zerk Coupler for Zerk Type Mechanical Packers and Ports for secure connection
The secure fit SealBoss ZC Zerk Coupler for zerk type mechanical packers and ports. This zerk fitting coupler is made from steel and equipped with 4 (four) steel claws/prongs/jaws.
Introducing the SealBoss® EZ-Fit Injection Packer:
Elevating Precision in Packer Installation
In our quest to enhance the user experience and precision in packer installation, we’ve innovatively designed the SealBoss® EZ-Fit Injection Packer. One of its standout features is the strategically placed washer at the top of the packer body. This washer serves as an intuitive guide, ensuring swift and accurate packer placement.
Gone are the days of second-guessing during packer installation. The moment the washer touches the substrate, the applicator can be confident that the EZ-Fit Packer is perfectly positioned within the drill hole, primed and ready for tightening.
But that’s not all. We’ve fortified the injection port with heavy-duty steel, ensuring its durability and longevity. Complementing this robust design is a soft-grade rubber sleeve, which provides enhanced friction and grip, ensuring a secure and efficient injection process.
Experience the difference with the SealBoss® EZ-Fit Injection Packer – where precision meets performance.
The SealBoss ® EZ-Fit Packer style has a strong following with some experienced contractors while boosting confidence among contractors new to the crack injection business.
Packer Technology since 1988
SealBoss has been a leader in the injection packer technology since 1988. Mechanical packers and injection ports are the gateway to successful injection. SealBoss supplies injection packers to customers worldwide. We offer mechanical packers varying in all key designs including packer material types and dimensions. We also offer custom designs and production for our customers.
Optimizing Injection Packer Spacing and Placement in Leak-Seal Crack Injection
Injection Packer Spacing
Determining Mechanical Injection Packer Spacing Based on Site Conditions and Product Properties
In the context of leak-seal crack injection, the spacing of mechanical injection packers, also referred to as port spacing, necessitates careful consideration of various site conditions, such as crack width, substrate thickness, water flow, and product properties.
For numerous applications, an initial spacing range of 8 inches (20 cm) to 1 foot (30 cm) on-center is a suitable starting point. However, the presence of hairline cracks calls for tighter spacing, as the limited product dispersion hampers its ability to traverse extensive distances. Consequently, narrower cracks demand closer packer spacing.
Injection Packer Placement
Employing Staggered Injection Packer Placement for Enhanced Crack Intersection and Reduced Concrete Damage
To optimize the efficacy of leak-seal crack injection, contractors should, whenever feasible, employ a staggered injection packer placement strategy.
This entails alternating drill holes to the left and right of the crack and drilling at a 45-degree angle towards the crack, thereby creating a stitch grouting pattern.
Utilizing this technique increases the desired probability of intersecting the crack during drilling and diminishes the likelihood of inducing additional cracking or spalling in the concrete throughout packer installation or the high-pressure injection process.
It is generally advised to initiate the injection process at the lowest point and proceed in an upward direction.
"...You have to be sensitive to the owners wallet..."
How to Space Injection Packers Correctly – Mechanical Packer Placement Insights
This article is an excerpt from the SealBoss Podcast discussing Elevator Pit Repair with Chemical Grouts, hosted by Chris Coderre, featuring Jim Andrews of American Restore. Jim has over 30 years of experience in the chemical grout industry. If you’d rather listen, an audio version of the podcast is posted at the bottom of the article.
Chris Coderre: In relation to the packers — spacing of the Packers — technically speaking, with curtains and hydrophilics and hydrophobics, specifically to Packers, what do you see as the range, what have your experiences lead you to believe in terms of [spacing] what you go with on these elevator pits.
Jim Andrews: Well, that’s kind of a controversial question Chris, because you know, you don’t really know what’s going to happen. Even if you take a core, even if you run GPR [Ground Penetrating Radar] and you see you got a good dense mass — whatever the section is, however the section is built — you really don’t know what flow is going to be like until you’re hooked up and you are pumping.
And, as you know, you have to be sensitive to the owners wallet and a big part of this business, a big part of this work is labor. And why would you drill 50 holes in a pit when you might be able to accomplish the task with ten?
Chris Coderre: I love it.
Jim Andrews: We don’t go out there and drill a bunch of holes and set up a bunch of packers and then the guys start pumping and realize they could have they could have accomplished the task with a fraction of of that effort.
So what our guys will do — and we’re doing this right now — we’ve got two or three jobs and I was on one yesterday that we’re doing, where I said ‘gee man’, you guys have really drilled a lot of holes here and they said, … , we’re actually consolidating honeycombed concrete walls, and we’ve just want to get in the flow.
We weren’t getting the flow and so we had to put more holes in but they started with a you know, 12 inch, 16 inch, 18 inch spacing but at the end of the day they had to get down to 4 to 6 inches to get proper flow consolidation.
So on this kind of grouting, if you can get the proper grout at the proper viscosity behind the mass and you have the right pump and you can pressurize it — you can push grout, Chris.
I mean, you know, we were on a job together years ago in San Jose where we were pushing grout over a hundred feet behind improperly consolidated water stops, so we were pushing grout a hundred feet through one hole one packer. And even though the owner had to spend some money to fix the problem, we saved him a ton of money because we weren’t in there drilling all these holes.
So, you know, any time I see a specification and they’ve got this very uniform detail of where they want the packers set that tells me that the guy doesn’t really know what he’s doing and it also tells me he doesn’t have any respect for the owners wallet, because, you know, drilling holes through six or eight or 12 inches of concrete … — we spend a lot of money on packers. We spend a lot more money on drills, drill bits and hammer drills.
I mean does that answer the question? You can have four pits on in one building and they you could have four different processes to fix the problem. I mean water’s coming in, but you might have good consolidation soil mass behind one, not too good behind some others.
So anyway, it really boils down to the knowledge and experience of the guys doing the work.
“SealBoss How To” Podcast: Elevator Pit Repair with Chemical Grouts A Conversation Between Two Industry Professionals Episode 6
It was back in the late 1970’s when the company founder hand assembled the first mechanical packers from machined metal pieces and rubber sleeves. At the time these packers were produced for the family owned chemical injection grout manufacturing business.
Today, at SealBoss, we produce packers and surface ports in much larger quantities, shapes, and designs, meeting our customer’s needs world wide. Packer quality, availability, and affordability are still paramount.
When it comes to the right packer, it is often a matter of personal preference and personal experience.
Since 1988, we have been supplying companies near and far with millions of packers of all sizes and shapes. In recognizing our customers preferences, we strive to provide the most comprehensive packer selection in the industry.
We maintain a large mechanical packer and surface port inventory to assure customer convenience and to meet your job requirements right off the shelf. We also sell in smaller quantities, not every job requires thousands of injection packers.
Custom manufacturing services are available for specialty design needs and one-off applications.
