Tunnel
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Leak Repair
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Tunnel Water Stop Injection Leak Repair with Polymer Grout Injection
Introduction:
Tackling water leakage in tunnels, this piece outlines the challenges and solutions associated with different tunnel types, such as utility, vehicle, subway, rail, and pedestrian tunnels. It proposes the use of Polymer Injection Grouts, specifically acrylate gels and polyurethane resins, for effective leakage sealing and structural consolidation.
The article discusses the properties and applications of acrylate gels, guiding through the steps of leak repair including diagnosis and material selection. Additionally, it highlights SealBoss’s products tailored for addressing underground water ingress and emphasizes the importance of proper training and equipment for repair personnel.
Tunnels, serving diverse purposes and varying in structure, are crucial infrastructures. Below is an overview of the tunnel types most susceptible to water leakage and the associated risks:
Utility Tunnels: Hosting vital systems like electrical wires, water pipes, and gas lines, water leaks in these tunnels can cause pipe corrosion and electrical faults, endangering safety and disrupting services.
Vehicle Tunnels: Susceptible to water leakage from tunnel walls and the road, accumulated water can create dangerous driving conditions, resulting in accidents and traffic congestion.
Subway Tunnels: Positioned beneath city areas, they are at risk of water leaks from surrounding soil and existing utilities, leading to service disruptions, delays, and increased maintenance costs.
Rail Tunnels: Highly sensitive to water intrusion due to their electrical systems and the high-speed trains, water leakage can damage the track bed, potentially causing uneven rails and, in severe cases, derailments.
Pedestrian Tunnels: Vulnerable to water leaks, they can become slippery, posing fall risks, and the dampness can foster mold and bacteria growth.
How to stop leaks of high hydrostatic pressures with Injection Grouts
Water ingress can cause immediate damages as well as lead to increased project costs and may lead to many other issues down the line.
Water leaks through cracks, joints and voids can be repaired with cost effective and highly successful injection systems, utilizing chemical grouts such as multi component acrylate gels and single component polyurethane resins.
Appropriately engineered resin injection systems do not not only seal leaks in the structure itself, but can transform loose sands behind the structure to a confined consistency similar to sandstone, and consolidate gravel to a bonded conglomerate.
Example: SealBoss Acrylates Used to Seal Leaks in Tunnel
What are Acrylate Gels?
Acrylate Gels, also known as Acrylic Gels, are very flexible, super low viscosity — similar to water — hydrophilic gels designed for non-structural injections of cracks, joints, voids, and used for grid, curtain, bladder injection and as sealant in the injection tube system.
Due to their extremely low viscosity and low surface tension, polyacrylate gels offer superior penetration properties. Acrylates are gel time adjustable to meet jobsite conditions such as temperature and injection distance.
Acrylic gels are used to waterproof leaks and create a compression seal due to their hydrophilic swelling behavior when in contact with water.
Acrylate injection equipment can easily be cleaned with water.
SealBoss provides a wide range of products to control water ingress into underground mining works, tunnels and many other commercial structures with leakage issues. We supply materials for waterproofing, consolidation, sealing, crack and joint repair, bonding and cavity filling.
Tunnel Water Stop Injection Leak Repair
How to Start Acrylate Injection Leak Sealing Injection Repairs
The principal steps to solve a problem are:
- Diagnosis of the problem
- Specification of injection methods
- The correct choice of resin, pumps, packers and accessories
- Training of installation personnel, a well trained and experienced team is paramount
Will I need more than One Product?
That depends on the conditions of the jobsite. Polyurethane and Acrylate injection systems offer a variety of solutions to problems found in geotechnical applications, in tunneling, waterproofing underground works and civil engineering in general. While there is no single resin that will suit all conditions, the correct resin must be used to achieve the best results possible and to meet the requirements of the specification.
If there are any questions about the various chemical grouts available, please do not hesitate to contact us, we are here to assist in any way we can. Always remember to work safely by wearing eye protection and gloves when handling any type of chemical systems.
Which products are shown in the videos?
Products used for Tunnel Water Stop & Leak Sealing Injection
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Call Your SealBoss Technician
If you have any questions on crack injection water stop procedures or any injection related applications, please contact our team of qualified SealBoss representatives to schedule an on site consultation & full injection systems training. Call us at 714-662-4445.
