At Its Core

Polyfoam does not start off as the “foam” you see in our pictures and videos. At its core, “foam” is a polyurethane polymer. The foam you see is the result of a reaction between the isocyanate (Part A), polyol (Part B), and/or water. The repair application will dictate whether you use an expanding polyurethane polymer (2 Parts) or a permeation polyurethane polymer (single component).

Expanding Polyurethane – Plural Component

Expanding polyurethane is made up of the two components listed above. At the time of a repair, each respective part is pumped via air pressure to the injection site, where they are

automatically mixed and the expansion process starts. Depending on the material and the repair plan, the expansion rate could be up to 35x the original state of the
polyurethane resin and reaction time is as fast as 15 seconds. This is a closed cell foam and it is light in weight but high in strength, meaning you get maximum support with minimum soil stress. The strength of this foam is found in its expansive properties.

Permeation Polyurethane – Single Component

As its name suggests, our single component polyurethane resin is used for permeation grouting. This means the material actually infuses the treated area to combine with the materials already present in the soil, causing less soil disruption. Unlike its sister product, expanding foam, this single component does not produce a high expansion,
structural foam. Instead, its strength comes from the permeation reaction taking place under the soil. Our single component resin has hydrophobic properties meaning it will drive moisture out of the soil, fill all voids or water paths, and combine with soil properties to create a solid, water impermeable barrier. Once reaction is complete, the material will not shrink or swell.

All of our materials are NSF61-5 certified; safe for contact with drinking water .

Hopefully, this gives you a little more insight on Polyfoam. Both expanding and permeating polyurethane resins thrive in their respective repair environments and they are often times used together to reach a repair goal. The key is knowing when to use which “foam”. Contact Helms Polyfoam for a professional site evaluation and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for pictures and videos of foam in action.

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We were brought in on a project where a seawall along coastal waters was experiencing heavy erosion and washouts.  This particular project was part of a larger scale revitalization to a public access area, so safety and aesthetics were very important.  Prior to our involvement, the repair plan to fill the voids called for flowable fill, a cementitious mixture, to be pumped into all known voids.  This process was completed on a Friday and when the site was evaluated the following Monday, over half of the voids were back.  Why did this happen?  Below are a few reasons:

• Flowable fill is a cementitious mixture.  Cementitious means its made of concrete and Flowable means it has fluid properties.  Cement has a cure time and it is heavy.  So, pumping this into a void caused by water infiltrating an already weak seawall means two things:

  • Water is present so a longer cure time is expected. Longer cure time means more time for water to undermine the seawall.

  • Flowable fill relies on volume to fill voids.  More volume means more weight.  More weight on a weak/failing wall could make matters worse by adding weight to a weak metal wall.

• Part of sediment loss from behind the wall was due to larger, rusted holes. Based on the factors stated above, flowable fill will have a hard time setting up with water actively coming through the wall, which means you never get a complete seal on the holes.

• Flowable fill doesn’t combine with soil, but rather fills up large voids that it can flow to.  It is a thick material which means any small water paths will be hard, if not impossible, to reach.

The Solution:

Permeating, hydrophobic, polyurethane resins were used to seal off the problem areas.  The resins used were a bit of a hybrid chemical, meaning they have permeating and expansive qualities. It should be noted that the expansive qualities of this resin are not synonymous with the qualities of our rigid, two part expanding foams used to lift and stabilize structures, which could also cause a few issues (blog post coming soon) when repairing seawalls.

Two days after the repair was completed, this area was hit with a tropical storm dumping 8” of rain in a matter of days and sending a storm surge that caused waves to crash over the seawall. A thorough site evaluation the next week revealed the polyurethane resin repair held.  So, why was this repair successful?

• For starters, with active leaks and holes of size in a seawall, you want to stop the water inflow as fast as possible so that material behind the wall can be strengthened.  Material used here had an expansion rate of 50x its liquid state and is moisture activated.  This combined with hydrophobic properties means that as soon as the resin touched moisture, it began a process to work to seek and force out all water in the area.  This is saying a lot when you take into account the material was holding off pressure from coastal tides.

• Resins used have a very low viscosity (approximately 100cps) and are injected under pressure so anywhere water is going, it can go.  This is important because we are not just sealing the small holes, we are finding the small paths that flowable fill simply cannot get to.  There were instances where we had material reaction 10-15 ft from our injection point, meaning water was traveling that far to cause problems.  Flowable fill can’t find that.

• Remember we said this was a hybrid material and the permeation qualities are probably the most important part of this repair. Once the active leaks were sealed, the resin then permeates through the soil seeking out all large and hairline water paths.  As interaction with soil and moisture occurs, soil particles are combined and bound together to create a solid, water impermeable mass everywhere water once traveled.  Extra care is also taken to make sure the surrounding areas are treated to mitigate future erosion.  This is important because we are stabilizing the natural water paths, where water has been and will be trying to go, we aren’t just putting up a “dam”.  This method stops the water intrusion at its source and then strengthens the area.

This one got long winded, we know, but seawall failures are common and can be expensive and unsafe if done incorrectly. We want to make sure you have access to all the information necessary to make an informed decision.   The initially failed repair was not at all due to negligence, but simply a lack of information.  They weren’t aware of a better way.  There in lies our mission, to solve problems permanently and educate while doing so.

Be on the lookout for the next blog in this series.  We will compare permeating and expanding resins regarding seawall repairs and why you should ask questions about the type of resin being used on your project.

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A large portion of our repairs in the commercial market, whether it be concrete lifting, soil stabilization, or void fill, are in areas with high traffic.  This traffic usually consists of forklifts, heavy equipment, and semi-truck and trailers, all of which have a dollar amount tied to their load or run time.  Every minute they are aren’t running is a minute they either 1) are not making money or 2) are losing money on a late delivery or late project completion.

How is Polyfoam beneficial to downtime?

• Small Footprint:  Helms Polyfoam has made the extra investment to add equipment to our fleet that allows us to be less of a hindrance on your job site, facility, or campus.  We generally have one truck and trailer or just a side by side UTV for all repairs.  We can work around high traffic areas and times to ensure your daily workflow is impacted in the least amount.

• No Excavation:  All of our repairs are completed using polyurethane resins that are injected through a 3/8” – 5/8” hole.  These injections are completed from the equipment mentioned above, requiring no heavy equipment. No heavy equipment means your employees will not have to alter their site flow to navigate around a large excavator or concrete truck.

• Fast Cure Time: When it comes to concrete lifting, our resins begin to set up within 15 seconds after injection and are 90% cured within 30 minutes. This means that by the time our crew leaves your site, the treated areas are ready for “business as usual” and can allow normal traffic.  Compare this to demolition and concrete pouring (days of labor and curing), and you see a huge savings on downtime.

If time truly equals money, and we all know it does, the above three reasons show how a polyurethane repair can keep downtime to a minimum and maintain an efficient workflow, thus keeping your bottom line in order.  When comparing estimates of various repair methods, don’t get stuck on the dollar figure, always compare the total repair plan and what it could cost on the back end.

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The Problem

There are many factors at play within soil that you and I cannot see with the naked eye. When

water is present, we have a whole new bag of worms. Whether it is a flowing river or a lake/reservoir/pond, water is creating hydrostatic pressure on its barrier(s). For our discussion, we are referring to an Earthen Dam, or a dam built out of compacting successive layers of soil. Over time, this hydrostatic pressure can cause weak areas in an earth dam. These weak areas could result in a void followed by a leak through the dam.
Traditional repair methods include filling these voids with more soil or backfilling with a cement mixture. These methods have only addressed the result of the problem, not the problem itself, which is water infiltration.

The Solution

Enter Polyfoam! Our polyurethane resins have many properties that aid in the diversion and sealing of water. Our single component, hydrophobic resin is specifically designed to seek out and disperse any water in the treated area, this includes sealing high-flow or slow leaks. After water is diverted and displaced, this resin permeates (not displaces or disrupts) the existing soil, creating a solid, water impermeable barrier. Once the problem has been solved, high density, lightweight, expanding Polyfoam can be utilized to fill and compact any voids created by the water leak. This is much lighter on already weak soil than traditional methods and it provides compaction pressure that back fill soil and cement slurry simply cannot match, especially at the depths that Polyfoam is capable of reaching

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Since the inception of Helms Polyfoam, we have centered our focus on our customer’s needs and aligned with partners and suppliers that enable us to provide a complete repair with as little downtime as possible.  When it comes to your commercial facility, we can:

•    Lift an existing slab WITHOUT MOVING THE EQUIPMENT

•    Work around your daily operations.  Our methods only need a 3/8” holed drilled through

the concrete so we have a very small working foot print.
•    Ensure minimal downtime. Treated areas are ready for normal traffic within 15 minutes.
•    Refill concrete control joints for help with load transfer to prevent chipping and spalling.

For the complete package, we can fix any trip hazards you have in and around your facility, that way you stay ADA compliant.  With Helms Polyfoam, you get one contractor and one total repair plan.  Explore all of your options.

Call 601-966-7821 to see how we can help with your next project.

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BACKGROUND

Tabor Management is a residential and commercial property management company located in Starkville, MS, home of Mississippi State University and the MSU Bulldogs.  Tabor is quite the staple in Starkville due to the superb job they provide in the property management sector

 as well as the construction industry with their sister company, Tabor Development.  Tabor provides exceptional service and quality housing to the many students that call Starkville home each semester.  As you can imagine, if a parking lot begins to erode away, this can wreak havoc for both a property management company and the residents that call the property home.  Fortunately, we connected with Tabor in time and had the perfect solution for the problem.

THE PROBLEM

Tabor Management manages several properties in the iconic Cotton District in Starkville, MS.  Next to one of the properties was a major construction project for a new development.  As with most new developments, this project required a large excavation phase where soil was hauled out by the truck load.  When the soil was pulled away, the soil under the parking of Tabor Management’s property lost support.  This in addition to poor compaction and vibrations from all of the excavation equipment led to erosion under the parking lot.  This erosion caused the parking lot to collapse, rendering it useless until repaired.

THE SOLUTION

After determining the extent of the erosion in regards to parking lot depth, Helms Polyfoam was able to pin point the precise locations to inject our high density, structural, polyurethane resins, and begin the stabilization process. A deep injection method was used through ½” rods driven in a grid patter throughout the parking lot to cover the failed areas.   Using this method, compaction was achieved at depths that “tear out and replace” methods cannot.  The grid pattern mentioned above completes what is known as a “soil squeeze” to not only compact the soil, but to also lock the soil together under the parking lot.  Once this solid foundation was completed, Tabor Management was able to overlay their asphalt parking lot and begin utilizing the space again, just in time for the upcoming school year.

New construction doesn’t just affect the lot being developed.  As in this project, we should always be aware of implication on the neighboring property.  Thanks to the quick reaction of Tabor Management, we were able to stop the problem before it progressed.

TESTIMONIAL

“Helms Polyfoam did an outstanding job stabilizing our parking lot and stopping erosion caused by excavation of a neighboring construction project. Helms Polyfoam completed the project in just two days with zero down time for our company. We will be using Helms Polyfoam for our future stabilization projects and we highly recommend their work.”

– Beth Bland, Project Manager, Tabor Construction

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