FAQ
Frequently Asked QuestionsIs polymer concrete a coating?
No. Polymer concrete is neither a coating nor is it an additive. It is a homogenous mixture of resin, high silica aggregate, and fillers. There is zero Portland cement and zero water in polymer concrete.
How do you reinforce your products?
We use steel reinforcement per ASTM C478 and ACI 318 to ensure our products offer the same structural integrity and yielding that is used in conventional reinforced concrete design.
How does the weight of polymer concrete structures compare to conventional concrete structures?
The unit weight of polymer concrete is around 147 lbs/cuft. However, without the need for sacrificial mass due to corrosion, polymer concrete will typically have thinner walls for round structures and therefore be slightly lighter.
How do you seal your sections and pipe connections?
Our sections are sealed using conventional ASTM C443 rubber gaskets for round structures and ASTM C990 butyl sealant for square and rectangular structures. Our structures do not require an external joint wrap.
What makes polymer concrete non-corrosive?
The raw materials that come in contact with potentially corrosive substances are inert. The resin, aggregates, and fillers are all immune to the effects of an acidic environment. The steel reinforcement is encapsulated in the polymer concrete and not subject to exposure.
Is reinforced polymer concrete a rigid structure?
Yes. Our structures are designed to resist loading conditions by relying on the compressive strength of the polymer concrete and the tensile strength of the reinforcement.
Can polymer concrete products be field modified?
Yes. Should a field modification be required, coring or cutting can be accomplished in the field utilizing conventional carbide and diamond cutting tools. Field place grouts can also be cast in areas that have been modified.
Are all polymer manholes being supplied in the U.S. made the same?
No. Currently, there is no ASTM standard for reinforced polymer concrete manholes. Each manufacturer has approached this with their own design and marketing philosophy. This can make comparing products tricky. It is often up to the design engineer or agency to decide if two suppliers are providing an equivalent product despite having different characteristics. Often times the installers will simply buy the cheapest product. This means it is very important to ensure the products are truly equal in the specifications. We have addressed this by adopting as much from the existing ASTM standards relating to reinforced concrete manholes as possible. Minimum steel reinforcement is called out in ASTM C478. Gaskets and joints are per ASTM C443. Pipe to manhole connectors are per ASTM C923. This references are called out in black and white and not subject to interpretation.
How are your products different than other manufacturers?
What is currently separating the various manufacturers are wall thickness, type and amount of reinforcement, type of section joints (gaskets), means of sealing pipes to the structure, and handling requirement.