Masonry Magazine June 1992 Page. 26
Another benefit realized from the foil packs is less waste and easier disposal of the empty packs. As the epoxy is dispensed, the foil packs are gradually compressed until empty, leaving only a small foil disk for disposal. In this application, the contractor used the pneumatically operated tool. It's equipped with aluminum guide cylinders which house the foil packs. This design allows maximum pressure to be applied to the foil packs, unlike plastic cartridges which could burst at cooler temperatures.
Proper mixing of the components is assured by the design of the reusable mixing manifold assembly. It consists of a converging head with a clean-out port on each end and removable leak resistant cylinder end caps, each of which is equipped with a cutting blade to automatically open the foil packs at the beginning of the dispensing cycle. The components are automatically blended in a static mixing nozzle. This device is motionless and combines the components through a series of mixing elements to insure a consistent and proper blend.
The installation process begins with the drilling of one-hundred 4" diameter holes into a wall section at one time. Since this application calls for anchoring in a hollow base brick wall, the gel is injected into 4" Rawl screen tubes. The slow set hardener is used to ease threaded rod installation because the epoxy will not harden prematurely in the 100 hole pattern. Hole and screen tube lengths vary to accommodate different rod lengths for wall thicknesses that change from one location to another.
Made from a 300 series stainless steel, the screen tubes are designed to confine the gel in the hole so that it will only partially penetrate the voids. As the threaded rods are inserted into the tubes, the adhesive bonds to the solid areas of the masonry wall and forms a key lock in any hollow sections.
"The injection gel system performed as specified," comments Cliff J. Lawrence, president of the contracting firm. "We also found that it was relatively easy and simple to use. Our crew required very little familiarization time to efficiently handle the system."
What Do Your Brochures Say About Your Company?
One of the most frequently used and most effective tools to let your target audience know about your services is the company brochure.
HERE ARE a lot of ways that you can let your targeted audiences know about your company services. Advertising, a sometimes costly venture, works best for products. Public relations, that broad category under which community relations, special events, networking and one-on-one contacts and a multitude of other tools fit, can be less expensive-and in many cases, more effective-way of establishing a position in the market.
One of the more frequently used tools is the brochure. We don't encourage large, forty-page corporate brochures. They can be costly to produce and mail when compared to the low readership they receive. Your money would be better spent on a smaller brochure which focuses on one or two services or products you specialize in and, assuming you have a marketing plan in place, addresses the particular needs of your targeted audience. This is known as "target marketing."
The first step in thinking out your brochure is to determine which message you want to convey. Increase awareness of who you are? Position yourself with a new product or technique? Give knowledge to produce action on the part of a buyer and generate leads? Or a combination of these?
On a limited budget, generating a response should be your goal. Therefore, you want to make it as easy as possible for the recipient to respond by offering him or her a simple response section... something that can be torn off the rest of the brochure and mailed back to you (postage paid offers the least amount of work on the part of the responder).
The next step is designing the brochure. Color, type styles and sizes, text and artwork are all factors to consider. Among other things, these affect the price of the piece as well as the impact it can have on your target audiences. Whatever the concept or design you have in mind, let a professional help you. Professional copy writers, freelancers and consultants frequently have a wealth of sample brochures and ideas which can help get your message across clearly and effectively. Fees vary depending on the intricacies involved in the design, the turn-around time required and other variabales such as the area of the country in which you live.
For instance, larger metropolitan area agencies command a higher fee than small or moderate sized cities. But don't let the price tag fool you: sometimes, the higher priced, slick brochures project a company image which may not be right for you-or worse, might be offensive to your target audience. The resulting perception may be that if you can afford to do an outrageously slick piece, then certainly your prices will be outrageous too. Be prepared to shop around until you find an agency or freelancer with whom you feel comfortable, someone whom you think listens to you and understands what you need.
FMI CORPORATION is the nation's largest management firm exclusively serving the construction industry. Their offices are located at 5151 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina 27622. Phone 919/787-8400.