15 years ago came across a product that I thought was a game changer. A polyuria that repaired cracks in concrete very fast. It was marketed by a company called “Road Mender”. I used it and actively promoted it…. And as usual responded to it when it failed to try and understand the reason for failure.
I cored the concrete and sent it in to the manufacturer for analysis. Twice. Both times it was ignored and discarded. So I was left to figure it out on my own. I came to realize that although polyuria’s have exceptional bonding capacity by themselves they have little ability to restrain concrete movement by themselves.
I experimented with lots of alternatives and supplements, and talked to a lot of experts, and finally arrived at the product we use today.
The typical process at that time called for cutting an inch wide and inch deep slot perpendicular to a crack, dropping in a #4 rebar and filling in around it with epoxy.
I realized that if I used the polyuria with a vertical carbon fiber laminate in non-parallel orientation, that they could work well together.
That was 15 years ago. At the time I did not think about getting a patent… although I probably should have. Since then many people have copied this idea so much so that most don’t even know where it came from.
Here is how Crack Stitching is done by Arizona Foundation Solutions:
Before - The problem area
Step 1 - Cut crack in non-parallel cuts
Step 2 - Install super high strength carbon fiber laminate
Step 3 - Fill cracks and around carbon fiber slits with super low viscosity polyuria
Step 4 - Grind the area smooth
Crack Stitch After - The Final Look
That is just one small example of the innovation that comes from understanding our failures. Learning from failures, experimentation, and the dedication that it takes to stick with setbacks in the greater need to solve a problem for customers.
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