Concrete, in its many forms, has been used as a building material for thousands of years. And for all this time, builders have been dealing with sinking slabs and steps. Concrete is heavy. Unless the soil underneath is properly compacted before laying concrete, sinking is always an issue. But there is a solution.
That solution is something known as ‘slab jacking’. Also known as ‘mud jacking’, it is an old technique that has been utilized in the U.S. for more than 100 years. Slab jacking in Salt Lake City is what we specialize in here at the Concrete Raising Company.
Slab Jacking 101
The premise of slab jacking is to avoid having to remove and replace sinking concrete by addressing what is behind the sinking. In every case, concrete sinks because the soil underneath has given way. There is a void underneath, a void that can be filled and pressurized in order to bring the concrete back to level. That is exactly what slab jacking accomplishes.
To fix a foundation or raise a concrete slab, we inject a specialized grout mixture into the void below the sinking structure. Once the void is full, we continue pumping the material in order to pressurize it. Under pressure, the grout acts like hydraulic fluid to push the concrete back up and into its original position.
The best part of slab jacking is that it isn’t limited exclusively to slabs. We can do more than driveways and sidewalks. We can raise concrete steps, foundations, and just about anything else made of concrete.
Why It is Better Than Replacement
It is awfully tempting to think that slab jacking is not as good as removal and replacement. After all, you are not getting a brand-new slab in the process. But concrete is concrete. Why put the money into removal and replacement when you can accomplish the same thing with slab jacking?
We submit that slab jacking is better in most cases. Here’s why:
- Cost – A typical jacking job is about one-third the cost of removal and replacement
- Speed – Raised concrete can be used immediately; there is no loss of use
- Waste – Slab jacking produces little waste. It also doesn’t leave a mess behind
- Weather – The process can be performed in any weather, so scheduling is not an issue
- Aesthetics – Slab jacking does not result in new and old concrete not matching aesthetically.
The final reason slab jacking is better in most cases is the fact that it actually addresses the underlying issue. This is most important. If you do not address the underlying soil and shore it up, you are not really solving the problem.
Why Concrete Sinks
As previously mentioned, concrete sinks because the soil underneath gives way. This could be due to poorly compacted soil, poor drainage, excess precipitation, or a number of other factors. At any rate, removal and replacement requires that the void be filled in with a proper material and compacted accordingly.
Unfortunately, even compacted soil can give way if the rest of the soil around it has not been compacted properly. Slab jacking, on the other hand, relies on a grout mixture that, under pressure, lifts up the sinking concrete to level. The mixture then hardens to create a permanent base for the concrete above.
If you have sinking concrete in Salt Lake City, you can choose to replace it or fix it. We urge you to consider raising that concrete by way of slab jacking. It is an old technique that stands the test of time, a technique that will save you money and save your concrete.