Case Study Overview

Site Sluice between river and trout farm
Location Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Repair Type Crack repair
Defect 700mm long crack in underwater wall

Repair Products

Sylmasta AB Original Epoxy Putty

Case Study PDF

Case Study Details

Trout farms in North Yorkshire are allowed to draw a limited amount of water from local rivers and streams. Extraction is normally controlled by a sluice connecting a farm to a river, which also enables the Environment Agency to monitor water levels to ensure no more than the permitted amount is taken.

Anomalies with data from one farm alerted the Environment Agency to a potential issue, initially believed to be with the sluice or the monitoring equipment. An inspection revealed that the problem was actually a 700mm long crack in a wall next to the sluice. The crack widened into a sizable hole as it reached the riverbed.

Water from the river was now escaping through the crack and into the trout farm, making readings of the flow through the sluice completely inaccurate. The wall needed to be sealed to prevent water loss and ensure that the true level of water being taken by the farm could be recorded.

Sylmasta AB Original Epoxy Putty provided the ideal solution. AB Original is a ceramic-filled, high strength epoxy putty which cures underwater. It comes with a two hour work time, meaning that significant amounts of putty could be mixed to fill the crack without the threat of premature curing.

An engineer from the Environment Agency attended the site with a large quantity of AB Original. The putty was kneaded in dry conditions. Once it had turned a uniform white colour and whilst it still remained soft, it was pushed into the crack.

The application began above the waterline, proceeding below it and then right the way down to where the crack met the waterbed. High-strength adhesion was achieved between the putty and the wall. Once cured, AB Original formed a rock-hard material to permanently fill the crack.

After the repair was completed, water levels were carefully monitored. A very small leak remained, identified as being at the crack’s widest point near the riverbed. During the initial repair, it had been impossible to tell if all underwater areas in the wall had been sealed.

Further AB Original was applied at the base of the wall on a return visit. This brought the amount of water being drawn by the farm from the river back to expected levels, indicating that the crack had been successfully repaired.

Given the challenging nature of underwater repairs, the Environment Agency were delighted to have discovered such a versatile material capable of being effective underwater. They have since begun using AB Original for other applications and projects.

Products Used

AB Original Epoxy Putty Stick
Epoxy putty which bonds and sets underwater to repair holes, cracks and damage

Related Case Studies

Case Study: Reassembly & Repair of Composite Stone Water Fountain Cracked into Pieces

The upper bowl of a tiered composite stone water fountain which cracked into multiple pieces during freezing winter weather is reassembled and repaired by its owner

Case Study: Classical Composite Order Column Restoration at Former Cinema Built in 1920s

Damaged concrete classical composite order column capitals are returned to their detailed original state during the renovation of a 1920s neoclassical style former cinema

Case Study: Luxury Portable Toilet Trailer Leaking Wastewater Holding Tank Repair

Wastewater holding tanks underneath two luxury portable toilet trailers undergo repair and strengthening after heavy corrosion weakened and breached the metalwork

Case Study: Leaking Concrete Flood Defence Wall Repair at Multimillion Pound Dam in Scotland

Gaps in a relatively new concrete flood defence wall at a multimillion pound dam in Scotland are sealed by a civil engineering company using AB Original Epoxy Putty

Case Study: Rotted Wood Beam Repair in Renovation of Welsh Home

Large voids in a rotted wooden beam are filled to create a flat, smooth surface enabling the outside of a house to be rendered as part of a home renovation project

Case Study: Pipe Joints Sealed in Cast Iron Rainwater Stack Repair at London Office Block

300 pipe joints in a 250-metre-long internal cast iron rainwater stack suffering with corrosion are sealed, avoiding a total system replacement during the refurbishment of an office block

Case Study: Underground 600mm Concrete Water Main Pipe Break Repair in Canada

A city authority in Canada repair a break in an underground 600mm diameter concrete pipe at the exact point it passed through a wall, significantly reducing levels of water loss

Case Study: Seawater Storage Tank Floor Repair at Gas Processing Plant in Saudi Arabia

Gaps which had developed between rubber sheets covering the floor of a seawater storage tank at a gas plant are filled in to protect the exposed concrete coating the bottom of the tank

Case Study: Fence Spurs Suffering from Concrete Cancer Filler Repair Using Epoxy Putty

Spurs suffering from concrete cancer which began disintegrating during the replacement of a trellis fence are repaired and rebuilt using Sylmasta AB Original Epoxy Putty