What’s the Issue with Settled Concrete?
Concrete settlement is practically guaranteed to happen over time due to its weight, gravity, and soil erosion. Although settled concrete is a common issue that all property owners will likely deal with eventually; it can still pose some serious risks if ignored. Symptoms of settled concrete slabs can present themselves in wall or floor cracks, difficulty opening windows or doors, visible cracks in foundation, uneven floors, and improper water drainage. While these issues may not seem immediately critical, they’re symptoms of a potentially larger issues especially in the case of building foundations. Left unrepaired, a sinking and cracking foundation can lead to expensive damages ranging from opportunities for rodent and insect infestations to plumbing and mold/mildew issues. In the case of sidewalk, walkway, and driveway concrete slabs, the unlevel or sunken concrete could pose a dangerous trip hazard. This is especially concerning if you own commercial property, as you are subject to liability for any accidents caused by poor maintenance.
Thankfully, there are fast, effective, and affordable solutions to settled concrete. Polyurethane concrete lifting and leveling can restore sunken or settled concrete back to its original grade.
What is Polyurethane Concrete Lifting?
Also known as Foamjacking, Polyurethane Concrete Lifting is a method for raising sunken or settled concrete slabs. The process is similar to another common concrete lifting and leveling solution called Mudjacking. While Mudjacking relies on a mixture of water, soil, sand, and cement injected beneath sunken concrete, Foamjacking instead relies on geotechnical polyurethane foam to do the job.
How Does it Work?
Foamjacking or Polyurethane Concrete Lifting is a fast, non-invasive process. No excavation is required to complete a concrete lifting job using this method. Instead, a series of 5/8 inch holes, slightly smaller than a dime, are strategically drilled into the sunken concrete slab. A geotechnical polyurethane solution is injected through these holes where it expands to fill voids and compact the soil beneath the slab.
As the injected polyurethane expands, with the weight of the concrete slab forcing the foam down into any voids or crevices, the slab will begin to lift back to its original level. Once the slab has raised to the desired height, the holes used to inject the polyurethane are patched with cement. The surface is available to use about 20 minutes after the job is finished, unlike other concrete lifting and leveling solutions which may take many hours or days. A typical foamjacking or polyurethane lifting job could take as little as two hours or less to complete.
Clean up for a standard foamjacking/polyurethane concrete lifting job is also a breeze. Contractors will bring their equipment on a truck, drill holes in the slab to be raised, install injection ports, and inject the polyurethane solution with an injection gun. Afterwards, all that’s left to do is remove the injection ports, patch the small holes with cement, and move the truck.
After your polyurethane lifting job has been completed, you can rest assured knowing that the fast and affordable process was also effective. Unlike mudjacking and other concrete lifting or leveling solutions, the polyurethane offers durable and long-lasting stability to concrete slabs. Polyurethane foam is a very light-weight material that binds soils to increase density. Another valuable benefit to polyurethane is that it is weather resistant, so freezing temperatures and moisture will not cause it to erode or wash away. While foamjacking may cost more than mudjacking or similar solutions to your concrete lifting or leveling needs, the benefits are worth the extra cost.
