What is Slabjacking?
If your concrete is sinking. there is a very good possibility that
the concrete slab was installed on poorly compacted fill dirt. Sub-surface
erosion and shrinking soils are also possibilities.
If you are fortunate enough to have a slabjacker in your area, you
should not have to replace the concrete. These individuals can float
a slab back to its original position by pumping a mixture of sand,
cement, fly ash, and other additives beneath your slab.
They simply drill strategically placed holes into the slab. Using
a portable pump and flexible hoses, they fill these holes with the
special mixture. Lifting a slab using this method can often be accomplished
in a few hours.
Often the cost to perform this service is less than half that of replacing
a new slab.
There are numerous benefits to slabjacking.
It can be done in virtually any weather. The material injected beneath
the slab provides a strong base. There is little or no disruption
to landscaping. Nothing needs to be moved off the slab, as the pump
can lift the weight of the slab and anything you have placed on it.Why
concrete sinks in the first place
Fill dirt is almost always placed along side of house and garage foundations
after the foundation work is completed. This fills in voids created
during the foundation construction process. Rarely does a builder
take the time to compact this dirt.
Soils consist of solid particles and the spaces (voids) between these
particles. However, void spaces in soil can cause big problems for
buildings and concrete slabs. Concentrated loads, such as buildings
or slabs can literally squeeze air and water from soils.
When this happens, the soil sinks and the buildings or slabs follow
closely behind.
Avoiding
this problem in the first place
The problem could have been avoided. Instead of installing fill
dirt, a builder should install granular fill such as sand or a sand
and gravel mix. These materials can be compacted quite easily with
a hand held vibratory compactor.
This material should also be used to fill trenches that cross sidewalks
and driveways.
Proper compaction will remove air voids, which if not removed, will
later settle and cause the concrete to crack and sink.
|