Manhole rehabilitation

Strong-Seal · Structure lining

MS-2^®A Economical Cementitious Mortar

Q: MS-2®A or MS-2®C?

Both are fiber-reinforced, spray-applied liners. MS-2®A is the economical choice where there’s no sign of hydrogen sulfide corrosion. Where there’s mild to moderate corrosion, use MS-2®C. For severe corrosion, use High Performance Mix.

A spray-applied, fiber-reinforced liner for manholes and other concrete or masonry structures where there’s no sign of hydrogen sulfide corrosion. It stops inflow and infiltration and restores structural strength.

and higher, where there’s no H₂S corrosion

pH 3

shrinkage at 28 days (ASTM C596)

psi bond strength at 28 days

2,000+

The economical way to line a manhole

No digging, no replacement. MS-2^®A is a portland cement liner sprayed onto the inside walls of the structure. It fills voids, bonds to the old surface and cures into one seamless liner. At ½″ or thicker, its compressive and flexural strength exceed the original structure’s.

1 piece

Seamless liner

Fills voids and bonds mechanically and chemically to concrete and masonry, including brick. No joints for water to find.

3 ways

Walls, floors, overhead

Sprays on vertical, horizontal and overhead surfaces, then trowels smooth.

MS-2A 60 lb bag · 40 per pallet

1,200+ psi

Flexural strength

Alkaline-resistant fiberglass reinforcement helps it resist cracking. Over 800 psi tensile.

300 cycles

Freeze/thaw tested

Passes ASTM C666 with no damage, for cold-climate manholes.

Pick the liner by the corrosion

Hydrogen sulfide in a sewer turns into acid that eats concrete. The more corrosion you see, the more acid-resistant the liner needs to be.

Strong-Seal^® liner	Rated to	Use it where	Made with
MS-2^®A This page	pH 3.0	No sign of H₂S corrosion	Portland cement
MS-2^®C	pH 2.0	Mild to moderate H₂S corrosion	Calcium aluminate cement
High Performance Mix	pH 1.0	Severe H₂S corrosion	100% pure fused calcium aluminate
Geopolymer	pH 1.0	Large-diameter sewer and storm pipes and culverts	Fiber-reinforced geopolymer, 1″ minimum

Rebuilding heavy section loss before a polymer topcoat? Strong-Seal Profile Plus rebuilds the structure to its original dimensions and can be topcoated 48 hours after the final pass.
Lining storm culverts 24″ and larger? See Strong-Seal Storm Seal^®.

Five steps to a lined manhole

1 Clean

Pressure wash to a sound surface, 3,000 psi minimum. Remove loose brick, mortar and concrete.

2 Stop leaks

Stop active leaks with Strong-Plug®. Some leaks may need weep holes. Severe infiltration may need pressure grouting.

3 Patch

Fill large voids and repair benches and inverts with Strong-Seal QSR.

4 Line

Start on a damp surface with no running water. Spray up to 1″ per pass, from the bottom up, to ½″ minimum. Trowel smooth, then wet brush.

5 Cure

Keep it damp for 72 hours if humidity is under 70%, or use an ASTM C309 curing compound. Cover the structure if more than 15 minutes pass between coats, and shade it in hot, dry weather.

Back in service: storm runoff and surcharge after 4 to 6 hours. Force main impact after 6 to 8 hours.

Before you line

A liner is only as good as the surface under it. Stop active leaks first, then rebuild voids, benches and inverts, so MS-2^®A goes onto a sound, damp surface. Two Strong-Seal products handle the prep, and you can line over both.

First, stop the leaks

Strong-Plug^®

Sets in under a minute and hardens on contact with water. Once it sets, you can line right over it.

See Strong-Plug ›

Then patch and rebuild

Strong-Seal QSR

Fast-setting mortar for benches, inverts and voids. Final set in 15 to 30 minutes.

See QSR ›

Meet Fernco Infrastructure

An overview of our manhole rehabilitation and trenchless pipe repair solutions.

Technical data

Specifications

Part number	MS-2A
Packaging	60 lb bag, 40 bags per pallet
Compressive strength (ASTM C109)	Over 9,000 psi at 28 days
Flexural strength (ASTM C293)	Over 1,200 psi at 28 days
Tensile strength (ASTM C496)	Over 800 psi at 28 days
Bond strength (ASTM C882)	Over 2,000 psi at 28 days
Freeze/thaw (ASTM C666)	Pass, no damage, 300 cycles
Drying shrinkage (ASTM C596)	0% at 28 days, 90% RH

Wet unit weight (ASTM C138)	134 ± 5 lb/ft³
Yield per bag	0.55 ft³, or 13.0 ft² at ½″ thick
Rated to	pH 3.0 and higher
Made with	Type I/II portland cement, pozzolans, masonry sand and alkaline-resistant fiberglass
Thickness	½″ minimum total, up to 1″ per pass
Water	1.2 to 1.5 gallons per bag
Spray equipment	SprayMate^® 35C, SprayMate^® 35D or MiniMate II. For other equipment, check with our infrastructure team.
Typical structures	Manholes, tanks and containment, tunnels and pipelines, wastewater facilities

FAQ

Common questions

MS-2®A or MS-2®C?

Both are fiber-reinforced, spray-applied liners. MS-2^®A is the economical choice where there’s no sign of hydrogen sulfide corrosion. Where there’s mild to moderate corrosion, use MS-2^®C. For severe corrosion, use High Performance Mix.

How thick does it go on?

Up to 1″ per pass, starting from the bottom. The total thickness can’t be less than ½″, including at the invert or center of the floor.

Does it work on brick manholes?

Yes. It’s made for concrete and masonry structures, including brick. Remove loose and protruding brick and mortar before you line.

When can flow go back in?

Storm runoff and surcharge after 4 to 6 hours. Force main impact after 6 to 8 hours.

What weather can I apply it in?

Don’t apply below 40°F, on frozen surfaces, or if the surface could freeze within 24 hours. Keep the material under 90°F and the mix water under 80°F. Chill with ice if you need to.

How is it tested on the job?

Cast four 2″ cube samples each day, or for every pallet used, whichever comes first. Package, label and return them to the manufacturer for compressive strength testing per ASTM C109, following the owner’s or manufacturer’s directions.

For distributors

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