Case Studies

Injection drying solution for problem floor

A domestic property in Bedfordshire recently had the benefit of injection drying process to restore the concrete floor slab following a serious flood, from a burst water pipe.

The property was a 15 year old new build. The flooring throughout consisted of a DPC over a concrete base, 150mm of concrete, 100mm layer of insulation, a slip, and a top concrete screed of 75mm. The property had 20-30mm of standing water throughout the ground floor. On the first visit all carpets and laminate were removed, anti-microbial treatments were applied, and initial drying equipment installed.

Normally, drying a concrete floor is relatively straightforward. Setting up an effective drying environment will lower the equilibrium relative humidity to the desired 75%. Our concern on this job was the water had travelled below the layer of insulation we needed to ensure that everything above the DPC level was dry. The property owners were a young family with a third child just weeks away.

We needed an effective drying solution that would cause as little disruption as possible. For this reason, a major strip out would not be an option. Our BDMA qualified technician suggested an injection drying system was introduced. This incorporates desiccant dehumidifiers with an in-built high static pressure air mover. By attaching 25mm pipes to the air mover outlet the air movement can be ‘injected’ through the concrete. 6 inlet holes were then drilled through the concrete for each dehumidifier, the holes were drilled evenly over the floor area maximising the drying efficiency.

In addition, a number of ‘outlet’ holes were drilled to allow air to escape. The insulation contained so much water that it started spitting the water out in a “mini fountain” style. To monitor the drying, we drilled 10mm holes through the concrete and relative humidity sleeves were inserted, theses were connected to a supervision system, so the drying could be monitored remotely.

Injection drying was considered the best solution for all parties. Using all our knowledge and experience a highly satisfactory solution to a difficult situation was provided.