Concrete Lifting
Benefits of Polyurethane Foam
Poly Foam injections may eliminate trip hazards and improve safety for you and those around you.
By utilizing the existing concrete, it’s more cost efficient than replacing. Thus, keeping the integrity of the natural look.
To inject poly foam, one or more ⅝” holes (about the size of a nickel) would be drilled through the top of the slab that would need to be lifted.
A fast, efficient process with minimal clean-up and the space can be utilized within hours of completion.
Why Does Concrete Settle?
The clay soils of North Texas are some of the most “expansive” soils in the country, expanding and contracting with moisture content. Excess moisture causes the soil to expand, pushing the concrete up. As the soil dries, it becomes less dense and loses its ability to support the weight of the slab, meaning it loses its load-bearing capability. Ironically, hyper saturated soils also lose their load-bearing capacity, like a stone sinking in mud.
Poor compaction of soil can be another reason slabs begin to settle unevenly. This can happen within months or over decades, making this issue for concrete both old and new.
The collateral impact of prolonged drainage issues can also negatively affect soil, especially soil that was improperly sloped when grading.
Small Exterior Slab Lifting With Polyurethane Foam
Leveling driveways and other thin exterior slabs with polyurethane foam injection is a simple, minimally invasive process. First, small 5/8” holes are drilled in the concrete in the area to be lifted, then the polyurethane is injected through ports that are placed in the holes. When the poly foam is injected into the port it flows underneath the concrete and reacts, expanding and filling the void under the concrete slab and lifting the concrete back into place, restoring your concrete back to a safe position, eliminating your trip hazards and bring back seamless transitions to your driveways, sidewalks, patios and porches.
Get Your Pool Ready for Summer
If you have an uneven pool deck, you may be putting your summertime guests and family at risk of tripping and falling. Not only is this a safety hazard, but it can also take away from the overall beauty and enjoyment of your pool area. Fortunately, injecting polyurethane foam can be a cost-effective solution to level and smooth out the surface of your pool deck, making it safer and more enjoyable for everyone. And typically, your deck can be ready to use again within hours.
Interior Slab Lifting With Polyurethane Foam
The standard way to lift an interior slab is to cut a 2’ by 2’ hole through the slab and install the concrete or steel piling directly under the slab. That process is invasive and can damage finished flooring surfaces.
Concrete or steel pilings can also be installed under the interior of a slab via tunnels. The crew tunnels under the slab to the appropriate spot and the piling is installed from underneath the slab. The tunneling can be cost prohibitive but is not invasive and does not damage interior flooring surfaces.
A third option is to lift the interior of a slab with polyurethane foam. A series of 5/8” holes are drilled through the interior floor and the polyurethane foam is injected via a port in the slab. So, the process is minimally invasive. The slab is then hydraulically raised and the small holes are patched. Your structural analyst can discuss the different options available to you and help you decide which approach is best for you.
