U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were faced with a challenge: An 800 foot tall Oklahoma dam image005construction project needed epoxy grout, for bonding the sliding gate channels in place. Working from scaffolds positioned around the dam, engineers were attempting to mix two epoxy parts on 16″ x 22″ plastic palettes, then apply it to the dam/channel surface. The Problem:  the epoxy parts would cure in place bonding to the palette surface creating a hard mess that had to be removed before new epoxy could be applied to the palette. This required additional hours of labor expense trying to clean off the hardened epoxy mix, or having to replace palettes, as well as adding weeks of additional labor to the project. The solution: TearOffs were made to fit the palettes in 4 layer stacks. This allowed the palettes to receive the two part epoxy mix, engineers could perform the application to the dam, then return the palettes where the top layer could be removed quickly, and new epoxy parts added to the palette and returned to the engineers for the next application. The benefit: Reduced overall construction labor by weeks, saving thousands of dollars in labor cost, and bringing the project in ahead of schedule and under budget.