People often choose concrete lifting over services that are more traditionally rendered or that are more complicated for a variety of reasons. Concrete lifting is quickly becoming an incredibly well-liked service among company owners as well as individual homeowners who are searching for a solution that is both straightforward and efficient to their concrete problems. We cover all there is to know about concrete lifting in Calgary in this blog post, as well as some of the perks that come along with selecting this service rather than others.
Concrete lifting is a way of elevating a concrete slab in order to make it equal and stable – without having to replace it. Concrete lifting is often essential when settling and erosion have occurred. Slabs, footers, and steps that were previously uneven become regular once again as a consequence of a process that stabilizes the soil underneath it. In addition, structures such as bridges, airport runways, and roads have a longer lifetime as a result of this process. There are two primary varieties of concrete lifting, and each method is best used for a distinct set of tasks.
Before we get into the best procedures for concrete lifting in Calgary, we wanted to quickly go over how this process even started. John W. Poulter, a mechanic with the Iowa State Highway Commission, came up with the idea for slab jacking or mudjacking, as the procedure was first known at the time it was developed in the 1930s. After drilling holes in the pavement, he pumped a combination of Portland cement, earth, and water into them to fill cavities in the soil. He then used hydraulic pressure to elevate the concrete to the desired height. Due to the overwhelming level of success achieved by the method, mudjacking machines were eventually manufactured for sale.
When it was first developed, mudjacking enabled highway personnel to work on one portion of a road without having to close down the whole route. Additionally, mudjacking was far more cost-effective than the alternative of rebuilding a section of concrete that was fractured, cracked, and sunken. This method was used often as a speedy and cost-effective means of repairing runways. As the years went by, equipment for smaller scale projects became available on the market, and the process quickly became a very popular way to repair foundations, level floors, driveways, pool decks, patios, and sidewalks, and even lift sinking stairs.
In the 1980s, businesses began using closed-cell polymer expanding foam for grout as an alternative to the traditional material. A two-component polymer is injected simultaneously into a hole that is typically 5/8 inches diameter. When the air bubble in the material expands, the two portions of the mixture consolidate to fill the gap and elevate the concrete; it is the expansion that causes the impact as opposed to the hydraulic pressure that is used in conventional mudjacking techniques.
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Prior until around 2003, when the material’s patent rights expired, the most common applications for foam were in the building of roads and in heavy industrial work. This has resulted in price cuts, which have made it more viable to employ foam in residential projects.
At the moment, the vast majority of the market for residential and small commercial works is still held by mudjacking, although foam jacking is the method of choice when dealing with huge slabs that are more than 100 square feet in size. Additionally, it can raise huge slabs for bridge approaches, rail crossings, highway slabs, equipment bases, and floors that store backup battery power packs. These applications include roadways and bridges.
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The process is normally the same regardless of wherever the concrete is located on the property. Drilling holes with a diameter of 5/8 inches in a cement slab is the first step in the process of repairing damage with polyurethane injection. The holes are then used by contractors to inject high-density polyurethane foam, which starts an expansion process that fills all the spaces that are below the concrete. The concrete slab is raised because the foam hardens and expands as it cures.
Slab jacking, also known as polyurethane concrete raising, is an alternative to mud jacking.
In comparison to the more traditional method of mud jacking, the lightweight nature of the foam material used in concrete lifting and leveling is one of the most important benefits of this method. In point of fact, the polyurethane component accounts for 2% of the total weight of mud slurries.
The normal lifespan of foam systems is much greater. It is a substance that is impervious to subsurface water, resistant to vibration, and will break down mud slurries.
According to the findings of industry experts, the average life period of conventional mud jacking for concrete leveling is between seven and twelve years, but the life term of polyurethane foam is infinite.
As was previously stated, the presence of voids underneath the slab is the cause of an uneven and drooping concrete surface. Void formation may be caused by a variety of factors, including but not limited to subsurface groundwater, sloping terrain, a lack of neighboring support, tree roots, sinkholes, and/or vibration. Water that collects on roofs that have gutters or downspouts that are not suitable might lead to the formation of voids.
Step 1: The analysis of the problem, followed by the proposed remedy, is the first step in the process.
Step 2: To lift concrete, there are holes drilled in the slab that are 5/8 inches in diameter.
Step 3: Inject polyurethane foam via the port that was drilled in the workpiece.
Step 4: Concrete lifting will elevate slabs to the proper height so that they match the height of neighbouring surfaces.
Step 5: Finally, repair any holes, and then fill up any cracks and the expansion joint.
If you are ready to have one of our experts come by for a full evaluation of your property, please give our experts a call or fill out a contact form and we will be happy to assist you in getting started on the concrete lifting process with our FOAMEXperts team in Calgary.
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