Water seepage into elevator pits needs to be stopped to prevent potential damage to the mechanical components of the elevator. State inspectors will require that water in the elevator pit or rust on the mechanical components be addressed. While seepage, particularly in areas with a high water table, can be difficult to control, Walker Contracting Group has successfully installed waterproofing solutions in elevator pits throughout Florida using specific, time-tested products for each step of the process.
The process has several steps and may vary dependent on the particular conditions.
- Cleaning of the pit – The initial step is to eliminate all standing water and degrease the elevator pit to prepare it for treatment. Contaminated water is collected and dealt with appropriately.
- Block-out installation – If there is seepage around the elevator jack, concrete around the jack is carefully removed and the excavation poured back with an embedded injection tube for a polyurethane injection to provide a waterstop.
- Injection of De Neef Hydro Active Polyurethanes (a hydrophilic waterstop product) – We install injection ports in a grid pattern across the pit floor and 6” up the side of the pit. This allows us to inject the urethane grout which expands when it reaches water. As the ports reach through the bottom slab, the urethane reaches any existing voids and fills them with waterstop. This blocks the water from reaching the slab and therefore prevents seepage. After the ports are removed, the holes are patched.
- Waterproof Coatings – The interior of the elevator pit is additionally waterproofed with Tamms Joint Sealant installed at the vertical and horizontal joints and then a coating of Xypex waterproofing applied to the interior surfaces of the elevator pit.
- Metal coatings – Any rusted steel in the pit will be mechanically treated to remove rust and then the steel coated to prevent rusting.
Upon completion of the waterproofing, the elevator pit is ready for years of additional service.
Walker Contracting Group has excellent results using this system, however, there are occasionally follow up visits to address additional leaking areas.