Concrete Lifting

Sinking concrete can be a serious problem. One concrete characteristic that can cause problems is the weight of the material –about 150lbs. per cubic foot. Sometimes the soil beneath a concrete element doesn’t have sufficient load-bearing capacity to support the material and the static loads imposed on the concrete. When this happens, all or part of the slab will sink.

Settled or sunken concrete is usually a serious problem. Sunken sidewalks and pool surrounds pose a safety hazard. A concrete factory floor that cracks and sinks in one area can make the building unusable. The same goes for an airport runway.

Concrete leveling can help prevent expensive demolition and reconstruction work. One solution to sunken concrete is to demolish and remove the slab or slab sections that have settled. But this necessitates building new formwork, installing proper reinforcement, pouring fresh concrete and waiting for new flatwork to harden and cure. A less costly and more expedient solution involves using concrete leveling techniques to raise the sunken concrete back to its proper level.

The terminology associated with concrete leveling can be confusing. Some terms (like slab jacking and slab raising) are generic. Others refer to specific techniques. Mud jacking is used both ways: to describe concrete leveling in general, and to describe a particular slab jacking technique.