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Crystal-Lok® Test Summary
Summary:
Permeability of Crystal Lok® treated one (1) inch thick structural concrete is zero.
Zero Permeability -watertight concrete- is achieved in all permeability tests of Crystal Lok® applied at the recommended rate of 300 square feet per gallon, through 400 hours of continuous pressure testing.
(See Permeability below for detail.)
Abrasion resistance: Crystal Lok® shows improvement. As it is a subsurface-activated product, do not expect surface abrasion resistance testing to demonstrate great change because most Ca(OH)2 (efflorescence) is released from the exposed surfaces. See Hardness results for another measure.
Absorption: The 244 test conducted by Wiss Janney, Elstner & Associates, Inc. Pfeifer and Scali (1981).shows that Crystal Lok® silicates resist water absorption better than siloxanes and siliconates but less than urethanes. For greatest vapor transfer protection, after applying Crystal Lok®, apply moisture cure polyurethane designed for high alkaline (pH 12) substrates.
Fully absorbed aged structural concrete can become impermeable by the application of Crystal Lok® to either face of the concrete. This is also true for unsaturated and for new concrete.
Compression: Amarillo Testing and Engineering, Inc. test cylinders, with Crystal Lok® as admixture, could not be loaded to failure. Testing maximum load was 250,000 lbs, or 8,843 compressive PSI. The testing laboratory could not break the test cylinders, and have stated that the PSI failure is much more than 10,000 PSI. Their calculations indicate probable failure at more than 20,000 PSI.
Installing Crystal Lok® treated concrete wall panels for a residence, Amarillo, Texas
Large Missile Impact : Crystal Lok® treated concrete and polypropylene fiber panels of 4 feet by 12 feet by one half inch thickness (4' x 12' x 1/2") sustained no damage up to the limits of the test apparatus. Apparatus fired 89 inch lengths of structural fir 2 x 4 inch lumber up to 200 miles per hour. Impact tests demonstrate significant improvements with the application of Crystal Lok®. Impacts of repeated firings of a nine (9) pound wood 2 x 4 fired from a compressed air cannon resulted in zero failures in this test. This test is required for the State of Florida, following destruction by Hurricane Andrew. Large missile impact requirements of Dade county, Florida, were lower, 50 miles per hour.
Freeze-Thaw: Architectural, structural and decorative concrete treated with Crystal Lok® obtain a permanent high degree of protection from freeze-thaw cycles, due to the inability of water to penetrate concrete, then freeze and spall.
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Permeability / Hydrostatic Pressure Resistance Tests Performed = Zero Permeability = Watertight throughout 400 hours continuous pressure testing.
• Pacific Testing Laboratory, Seattle, conducted by Kingsley Drake Associates, Materials Engineer confirmed and extended prior 1988 testing by Conpro Company.• Permeability tests performed on ASTM specification 6 inch diameter concrete test core, cut to 1 inch thick samples. The three one inch thick samples were saturated in water for one week in order to test on fully absorbed concrete.
• Crystal Lok was applied at the recommended rate of 300 sq ft per gallon, onto the saturated sample after Control testing.
• Conpro established 45 psi with no leakage. Pacific Testing Laboratory confirmed at least 75 psi with no leakage.
1. Control: 3 saturated, untreated ASTM structural concrete samples failed at normal ground water pressure.
2. Pressure applied onto Crystal Lok® treated face of the 3 ASTM samples proved to 75 psi withzero permeability - watertight - at all pressures (at least to 175 foot column of continuous water pressure).
3. Result of water pressure applied to the untreated face was the same.The 3 samples were reversed and pressure was applied to the negative, untreated face
resulting in zero permeability at least to a 135 foot column of water pressure.
Tests were terminated at a total of 400 hours, with no failures.
Photo of one of 3 test samples, with Crystal Lok® applied to this face.
(click image to enlarge)
Conclusion : Crystal Lok™ is effective as either a positive side and negative side barrier to most liquids for most above ground, below grade, and submerged applications where leakage through the concrete, not through cracks, is a problem. Crystal Lok™ performed well at the 175 foot depth equivalent.
