Join me, Kelton at Roadware at @ICRIorg’s Virtual Fall Convention #ICRIFall20. I’ve been selected to present in a product demonstration, Less Invasive Crack Repair for Concrete Floors and Structures on October 13, 2020. 2:40 – 3:10PM CST. See a preview of the presentation on YouTube. Learn more about the virtual convention here.
Here is the Roadware Concrete Mender One Page Pitch. Things you need to know when considering, recommending, specifying, and using Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™
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Repairing full-depth cracks in warehouse floors typically requires cutting open the cracks with dry diamond saws. This process tends to be slow and produces a significant amount of hazardous silica dust that must be managed carefully. However, repair contractors working on an Amazon Warehouse project have adopted an innovative method to address cracks in the floor without relying on traditional cut-and-fill techniques.
Some people wonder why it’s important to repair cracked floors. In industrial and commercial environments, these cracks can become a liability. As wheeled traffic moves over them, the cracks will continue to expand, causing further damage. Additionally, cracks can accumulate dirt and debris, making the surface difficult to clean. The Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ is a structural polyurethane designed to restore load transfer and can help bring the floor back to its original condition.
This three level Amazon Warehouse developed thousands of linear feet of shrinkage cracks prior to being places into service. Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender will be used to repair them.
To repair the cracks, we will use sacrificial vinyl weatherstrip to create a dam alongside the cracks. This will hold the Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ in place while it seeps down into the cracks. When mixed, Concrete Mender™ has a water-thin consistency, allowing it to flow easily into open cracks. Since it begins to gel within 5 to 7 minutes, it will naturally seal the bottom of the crack as it cures. It may require three or four light applications, but this will fill the crack completely and initiate the structural Microdoweling™ process. Microdoweling™ is a method by which Concrete Mender™ utilizes low surface tension and molecular attraction to penetrate concrete surfaces, locking into the aggregate and rock matrix.
With Concrete Mender™, there’s no need for expensive pumps and equipment. First, vacuum the cracks and clean the surface. Then, you can apply the weatherstrip dam. Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ can be mixed by hand in one-gallon batches using a bucket, and it can be poured directly into the cracks. While additional manufactured sand can be added for larger cracks, it is not recommended for this type of repair. For more details, see the Concrete Mender Bulk Application Instructions.
When the Concrete Mender™ cures in about 10 Minutes at 72 degrees F (21C) , the weather stripping and excess material can be shaved clear or ground smooth with standard equipment.
After buffing and clearing excess material, floors can be returned to service immediately.
Finished concrete crack repair blend in nicely at an Amazon warehouse using full depth Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™.
Additional buffing and service traffic will blend the repairs even more into the surrounding concrete.
Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender Technical Data Sheet
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Concrete Mender™ TDSProduct used in the project:
Roadware stands ready to supply immediate concrete repair needs for warehouses, cold chain logistics, manufacturing, and supply. Repairs can be made with almost no downtime and under operational conditions. Please call 1-800-522-7623 or 1-651-457-6122 to be connected with our worldwide network of distributors waiting to assist. Or, send email to sales@concretemender.com
We ask that visitors to Roadware Headquarters in South St Paul, MN, or any of our Roadware Distributors, call the location ahead to verify operating hours and local conditions.
Local distributor information can be found here:
Thank you and be safe,
Roadware, Inc.
Two post automotive hoists and lifts are generally bolted to the floor using compression anchors. When the lift needs to be replaced, the new anchors can not interfere with the old anchor points. If the old anchor points are too close to the new anchor points, the concrete needs to be replaced before the new lift can be installed. This can close a service bay for a month or more.
With Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender, we can remove the old compression anchors, repair the concrete and install new compression anchors without having to replace the concrete.
After removing the old lift, the compression anchors need to be removed. If the original anchor hole was drilled full depth, they can be driven down beneath the floor with a hammer and a punch. If the anchor are not full depth, a core drill is used to remove the anchor.
After drilling, the holes are cleaned and reamed with a reaming bit to roughen up the sidewalls. A shop-vacuum is used to remove all dust and debris. The concrete is than cleaned with alcohol or a similar evaporating cleaner. The holes have to be clean and completely dry before proceeding.
Use duct tape to mask off the holes to be filled with Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™
Gather the materials needed to repair the holes. Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender is designed to repair cracks, spalls and holes in concrete. Not just simply fill them. The Microdoweling™ penetration of Concrete Mender into the concrete is a structural repair and can bring the concrete back to original design parameters.
Items needed:
We made a short video to demonstrate the basic technique of filling a core drilled hole in concrete. Concrete Mender doubles in volume when adding sand. All we need to do is fill the hole halfway with Concrete Mender and then add sand to bring it up to the top. Note: In the field it may be impractical to get the bottom of the hole completely dry or clean especially if the hole is full depth into the base material. Simply repair the bottom 1/4 of the hole with Concrete Mender and sand first and allow it to cure before repairing the rest of the hole up to the top.
Measure out equal parts of Side A and Side B Concrete Mender and combine them into your mixing bucket. Mix with a stick by hand for about 15 seconds.
Pour equal parts A and b into a mixing container and mix for about 15 seconds with a mixing stick.
Fill the holes half-way with mixed Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender.
Add sand into the hole bringing the Concrete Mender level up to the surface. Make sure all the sand is completely saturated.
Level the surface with a trowel or stick and allow to cure for about 10 minutes at 70 degrees F (21C).
Remove the tape after the Concrete Mender cures and turns grey in about 10-15 minutes.
A finishing rubbing brick is used to quickly bring the repairs flush with the floor.
Holes to anchor the new lift are marked and drilled into the concrete. Time to test the repairs and make sure the repairs will hold the anchors for the new lift.
New compression anchors are installed and torqued to the specified level.
For the repair to be successful, the compression anchor must hold 3000 lbs or 1360 kg for 12 hours without cracking or splitting of the surrounding concrete.
Several anchor were tested. All passed and the lift was installed the next day and placed into service. Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ is designed to bring most concrete slabs back to original design strength. Repairing anchor holes prior to new automotive lift installation with Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender is now the specified choice for two of the largest auto service companies in the United States.
Click here to find a Roadware Distributor near you.
Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ and Easy-injection mixers make full-depth crack repairs in hairline cracks without cutting. This less evasive crack repair technique breaks the rules for concrete repair.
Broken Rule One Hairline cracks are not worth the trouble fixing.
Broken Rule Two You have to cut open a hairline crack if you want to actually repair it.
Broken Rule Three Crack injection requires pumps, ports, slow epoxy, and lots of time.
Let’s look at these “rules” one by one.
Broken Rule One: Hairline cracks are often dismissed as not worth fixing. However, it’s important to note that almost every concrete crack starts as a hairline crack. Some of these cracks are so tiny that they are not visible to the naked eye.
Cracking naturally occurs in concrete slabs as the concrete cures and shrinks. We use saw-cut control joints to guide the concrete to crack inside the designated joints, but sometimes the concrete cracks in unexpected places. We wish there were an efficient way to fix hairline cracks, but for now, we generally ignore them and attribute them to the nature of concrete. We might reassure customers by saying, “It will be fine; you still have aggregate interlock, and the crack is just on the surface,” or “All concrete cracks, and it’s just the nature of the product.” Unfortunately, customers who have invested in a new concrete floor are usually dissatisfied with these explanations.
The truth is, we would fix hairline cracks if there were a good and efficient way to do it.
Broken Rule Two: You have to cut open crack if you really want to repair it. A repair material has to actually get into a crack so it will actually do some good. Anything short of that is no better than caulk. For the most part, this is true. We can’t repair what we can’t reach. Traditional cut and cover techniques us a diamond blade saw to open up a crack, forming a shallow well for Concrete Mender to accumulate and flow down into the crack. It works really well, and Roadware has been doing it for over twenty years.
What is needed is a way to actively push repair products into hairline cracks. Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender can do the job with simple techniques and Easy Injection Mixers. That brings us to:
Broken Rule Three: Crack injection requires pumps, ports, slow epoxy, and lots of time.
For a successful crack injection repair you need to accomplish three things:
The Roadware Easy Injection mixers make it easy to fill cracks as small as 20 mil (0.02 inches) with Concrete Mender. Simply drill a 3/8-inch hole into the crack and then push the almost-water-thin Concrete Mender into the cracks. You can see the Concrete Mender flow along the entire length of the hairline crack. You won’t need expensive injection pumps for this – just a cartridge of Concrete Mender and a manual application gun.
Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender starts to thicken and cure in about 5 minutes after application, so the material will stay where you put it. Traditional injection epoxies take hours to cure. In many cases, at the end of the day, the epoxy all ends up under the slab and no longer in the crack.
Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ with Microdoweling™ penetrates traditional bond lines and repairs concrete from the inside out. This structural polyurethane will not become brittle over time. Epoxy injection resins become very hard and brittle. As the concrete deflects under traffic, the brittle epoxy will start grinding away at the bond-line and the deterioration will start all over again. Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender is designed to restore aggregate interlock and deflect with the concrete under heavy traffic and loading. This structural polyurethane will not become brittle over time and is designed to bring the cracked concrete back to original pre-cracked condition.
Getting Started
Make Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender part of your bridge preventative maintenance program. Repair cracks as they develop when they are small. Don’t let small cracks turn into big problems. Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ is extremely tough and will withstand even the harshest punishment. Use all year long… may be applied at temperatures as low as -20° F with excellent results.
Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender is great repairing surface cracks in a bridge deck. The flow-and-go application along with the 10 minute cure time allow repair crews to get on and off the bridge quickly. Traffic can be returned to the bridge in just 10 minutes after application. In the Philippines, crews often work at night when traffic is low and working conditions are cooler.
Crews work in teams. One person shoots the Concrete Mender from 600ml cartridges, one person applies filler sand, and one person trowels the repair smooth.
Workers repairing cracks in the Bantum Bridge in the Philippines using Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender.
What are the reasons DOT’s Roadware?
1) “Safety for the driving public.” Roadware repairs are ready for traffic in 10 minutes. Lane closure time is dramatically reduced.
2) “Safety for my crew.” The interstate is a dangerous work environment, the quicker repairs are made, the less exposure to the hazards of working on a heavily traveled interstate.
3) “Saves a lot of money.” Quick cure times, easy mixing, straight forward application, and good long term performance makes Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender a good value. After a few days of training, the crew was able to repair a bridge in half a day. One district in Wisconsin saved about $1500 per bridge over conventional repair methods. No overnight lane closures are needed and crews are more productive with less equipment requirements.
For many years, engineers have looked for ways to fully inject repair polymers into cracked concrete structures. The general consensus is to seal off the crack with a sacrificial epoxy and install injection ports every few inches. Then thick epoxy is injected under high pressure into the crack with expensive resin injection pumps. The process is time-consuming, the epoxy is brittle, the equipment is expensive and the skill level is highly specialized. This makes epoxy injection slow, expensive and not really effective in the field.
At Roadware, we look for ways to make concrete repair fast, effective and easy.
Fast is better. When injecting Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender into concrete, the fast gel and cure time allows you to make a full depth repair from the bottom of the crack up to the top. If the crack you are injecting has a large hidden void, Concrete Mender repairs will start to gel and plug up the void in several minutes. Injection epoxy that takes several hours to cure will sink to the bottom of your crack and pool in the base before it has a chance to cure.
Effective. Concrete Mender is a Structural Polyurethane**. It is about as hard as typical concrete with much greater tensile and bonding strength. It is super thin at 8cps with a surface tension 1/3 of water. It can to penetrate concrete cracks and surfaces. Concrete Mender does not need to be forced into cracks with high pressure pumps and extraordinary methods. Concrete Mender can easily flow into cracks and fissures with just simple manual tools and a specially designed application mixer. You can repair more cracks in less time with less waste then ever before. Repairs are structural in nature and will move with the concrete, not against it like very hard epoxies.
Easy Application. For a repair to be effective in the field, it has to be simple enough for crews to apply efficiently. Installation productivity saves money.
Using Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender and Soft-tip injection mixers, you can structurally repair concrete cracks and delaminations with simple tools and methods. This unique system saves time and money and allow for a high production rate for installers. The drill hole/inject method is much less invasive than traditional cut and fill methods and creates a lot less silica dust on the jobsite. The Microdoweling properties of Concrete Mender and Soft-tip Injection promises to be a winning combination for tough concrete repair challenges.
*“Workers may be exposed to dangerous levels of silica dust when cutting, drilling, grinding, or otherwise disturbing materials that contain silica. These materials and tasks are common on construction jobs. Breathing that dust can lead to serious, often fatal illnesses.” The Center for Construction Research and Training. Click here to learn how to work safely with silica.
** Structural Polyurethane: A polyurethane based material that restores structural integrity and aggregate interlock to distressed concrete by using low surface tension and low viscosity to penetrate concrete surfaces and cross-linking polymer chains to bond directly to the concrete-aggregate matrix. This bonding action utilizes capillary forces to self-inject polymer chains into the surrounding concrete. This material should have a modulus of elasticity less than the surrounding concrete and should not become brittle over time. This material may be combined with manufactured sand to form a PCC compatible polymer concrete that can structurally repair concrete cracks and spalls.
Bill Neal of Neals Design recently repaired spalled and cracked concrete on the fly at a service station in Washington. A customer had broken an ankle stepping out of a truck into the badly spalled concrete. Bill was able to make the repair in minutes, eliminating the safety hazard without major disruption to the service station.
Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender is your go to product for making long-lasting repairs with minimal downtime. At 70 degrees F or 21C, A Concrete Mender repair can be ready for heavy truck traffic in about 10 minutes.
The ultra low viscosity Concrete Mender mixes very easily with manufactured sand or quartz. A tough and durable polymer concrete mortar can be mixed in a bucket by hand with simple tools. No expensive pumps or power mixers needed. See how it is done here. Concrete Mender™ Bulk Application Instructions
Product used:
Roadware 10 Minute Concrete Mender™ Two-gallon Kit #80020
