System and method for repairing and/or strengthening a porous structure, and unidirectional carbon fiber material for use therewith
A system and method for repairing and/or strengthening a structure. The system may include an epoxy paste filler, a primer, an saturant/bonding adhesive, and a unidirectional carbon fiber. The method may include application of a paste filler, a primer, a bonding saturant and a unidirectional carbon fiber. The carbon fiber may be applied between application of a first bonding saturant layer and a second bonding saturant layer. The amount and/or length of the unidirectional carbon fiber may be based on the type of damage (e.g., the type and/or location of a crack) to the structure.
1 . A system for repairing and/or strengthening a porous structure comprising:
a paste filler applied to a surface of the porous structure;
a primer applied to the paste filler;
a first saturant applied to the primer and the paste filler;
a unidirectional carbon fiber material applied to the first saturant, over the paste filler and the primer; and
a second saturant applied to said unidirectional carbon fiber material;
wherein a roller device is applied to said first saturant and said second saturant for removing air bubbles from said first saturant and said second saturant,
wherein the unidirectional carbon fiber material is formed into a first sheet and a second sheet,
the second sheet is applied over the first sheet in an orientation along the surface that is perpendicular to the first sheet,
the first sheet and the second sheet each extend across a crack in the surface,
each of the first sheet and the second sheet has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface of the first sheet and the first surface of the second sheet each face a surface of the porous structure,
each of the first sheet and the second sheet cover portions of the surface of the porous structure on opposite sides of the crack, and
the first surface of the second sheet covers the second surface of the first sheet.
2 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a hydraulic cement or an expandable foam applied to another crack in the surface.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the paste filler is a high viscosity epoxy paste that comprises a 100% solids non sag epoxy paste.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the primer comprises a low viscosity polyamine resin that penetrates and cures inside of the porous structure.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first saturant comprises an encapsulation resin.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the primer comprises a resin component and a hardener component.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the unidirectional carbon fiber material comprises:
a plurality of carbon fibers, each comprising a high strength modulus fiber having a weight in the range of about 4 oz/sq yd to about 11 oz/sq yd, wherein the plurality of carbon fibers are in a parallel alignment, and wherein the unidirectional carbon fiber material has a tensile strength of at least about 370 ksi.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein each carbon fiber has a weight of about 11 oz/sq yd.
9 . The system of claim 7 wherein the unidirectional carbon fiber material has a tensile modulus of at least about 20 Msi.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the primer is applied to the paste filler before the paste filler fully dries, and the first saturant is applied to the paste filler and the primer before the primer fully dries.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said second saturant is applied to the unidirectional carbon fiber material, over the first saturant, the paste filler and the primer, and the surface in that order.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the second saturant impregnates and encapsulates the unidirectional carbon fiber material with the first saturant.
13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first saturant and the second saturant are formed from a same resin material.
14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the second saturant is applied to the unidirectional carbon fiber material before the first saturant fully dries.