Using Crackit: Hole Filling

Immediately after mixing the Crackit powder into proper slurry, pre-drilled holes need to be filled with the Crackit paste.

Filling of the holes with Crackit

Please observe the following points while filling the pre-drilled holes with Crackit:

1. Crackit should be poured into holes within 10 minutes after mixing with water. The Crackit mixture may loose fluidity within 10 minutes of mixing and will become difficult to pour. Once its fluidity is gone, it should not be diluted by re-mixing with water, as its strength is reduced. Longer mixing time will cause blow-outs.
2. Crackit is best filled using a bucket with spout or funnel. For a horizontal hole use a grout pump. Drill horizontal holes with some slope to help in filling.
3. Crackit must be poured into every hole upto the brim.
4. For a horizontal hole, the hole can be easily plugged with Crackit as it reaches clay like consistency as it starts setting.

Use of polythene sack in hole

1. If there is water in the hole, place a thin polythene sack equal to the hole diameter into the hole, insert a wooden rod into the bag and then fill Crackit into the sack. Crackit in the sack will displace the water in the hole. There is no change in the cracking strength by the use of this kind of sack.
2. When there are many joints or large voids/holes in the material to be cracked or when Crackit leaks from the hole, use the sack method.
3. When a lot of the water in the Crackit slurry is being absorbed into the material being cracked (for instance, a dry concrete), use the sack method or alternatively, spray water. However, in cold temperature, avoid pouring water as it may freeze in the hole.
4. When the material to be cracked is immersed in water, use the sack method. Use a bucket or pump when filling the sack and then seal the sack from the top to avoid Crackit slurry dilution. If there is no flow of water around the mouth of the holes, Crackit may be directly poured into the holes using the pump. This should gently displace the water in the hole.

After Treatment

1. DO NOT leave excess Crackit slurry in the bucket as blow-outs may occur.
2. Tamping with mortar or sand is not required after filling with Crackit slurry. It is also not necessary to put any kind of restrictive cap. Just leave it as it is and wait until cracks initiate. Covering the filled hole with tarpaulin is desirable to avoid dilution of Crackit slurry from external water source until cracking starts.
3. Spraying the surface with water, after the cracks initiate, tends to increase the width of cracks and speeds up the cracking process.

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