Mobile Concrete & Grout of Alaska

Terry has 30+ years experience batching with computer-controlled dry batch and central mix stationary plants, a computer-controlled portable dry batch plant for remote projects on the road system, a volumetric Mixer with computer for local and remote projects, and Fastway plants for remote projects with local aggregates, accessible by road, barge, or ferry.

Projects such as bridge deck overlays and tunnel linings require concrete or shotcrete strengths in excess of 10,000 psi. Very low water to cement ratios are used to achieve high strengths, in conjunction with additives like Silica Fume, along with plasticizers, retarders, and air entrainment admixes. Stringent QA/QC measures are critical to achieve consistent results no matter where it is produced.

Cellular Concrete is made with pre-formed foam added to either a sand, cement, and water, or neat cement and water, to achieve densities between 30 pcf and 110 pcf, and strengths between 75 and 1,200 psi. Due to the flowable, insulating properties, cellular concrete is excellent for backfilling sheet piles, MSE walls, bridge abutments, and soft areas where dynamic and lateral loading is important.

Remote is considered anywhere far enough away from our base that equipment, materials, and personnel individually or together have to be shipped in by truck, barge, ferry, or plane. As there are limited roads in the state, most shipping is by barge and plane.

We use the same Putzmeister swing-tube line pumps for grouting as well as concrete. The difference for most applications is that we slow down the pumps to a minimum output. For underground grouting the volume measurements are in cu ft per min and with the TK20 we can pump down to 1 cu ft per min at 2000 psi line pressure. That is important for densifying deep soils and lifting heavy structures and buildings.

Due to many years of remote concrete production, Terry knows what the most cost effective and efficient method to get materials and equipment to most any remote location. We work with local providers around the state for materials and/or equipment when possible, or supply what is needed. Many times we use the owner's or contractor's batch plant, trucks, or pump and help get them in good working order. Terry can also train local personnel to run the equipment.

Compaction Grouting is the stabilization of poor soils under buildings, structures, roadbeds, railroads, or runways, by driving injection pipes down to stable ground and then injecting low-mobility grout to densify soft soils and form grout columns. Injection is continued in a pattern to cover all of the target area until the ground, building, or slab is raised back to original elevation, eliminating all voids.

Filling voids or pipes can be as easy as plugging both ends of a pipe and filling with grout, or as complicated as figuring out the mix and method to inject grout 40' underground through a spring-loaded, expandable steel form with an inflatable plug to fill a void.

Slab jacking is the raising of sunken or settled concrete floors by drilling holes and Injecting grout underneath. Determining what caused the settlement is important to determine the best method for a long term fix. Small test holes are drilled to find out the size of the voids and stability of soil underneath so that an accurate estimate can made. The same holes can also be used as vent holes when grouting.

Low-density cellular concrete, or grout is used to fill the annular space between an older damaged host pipe and a new plastic liner pipe, usually HDPE. The pipes can be for sewer lines, or culverts under roads or railroads. The grout density is usually kept between 40-55 pcf which is lighter than water so that the water-filled liner will not float. It also needs to be extremely flowable to keep injection pressure to a minimum, around 5 psi and travel long distances (800’) or very small spaces (1-2”) and still achieve 100-500 psi.

We use the same Putzmeister swing-tube line pumps for grouting as well as concrete. The difference for most applications is that we slow down the pumps to a minimum output. For underground grouting the volume measurements are in cu ft per min and with the TK20 we can pump down to 1 cu ft per min at 2000 psi line pressure. That is important for densifying deep soils and lifting heavy structures and buildings.