Restoring and Reinforcing Sunken Concrete

Sunken concrete structures are a common occurrence and can be a nuisance to those who own the affected properties. Nonetheless, it is normal to see one, such as a sunken portion of a pavement or a sidewalk, whose owner couldn’t care less. At the end of the day, it seems the degree of the sinking is what determines whether to rectify the problem. If you are reading this, it’s possible you care enough to want to do something about such a situation. Here is what you should know.

The Impact on Your Property

One of the reasons you may want to restore a sunken concrete construction is that it negatively affects the value of your property. If you intend to sell the property any time soon, a sunken pavement, patio, or even slab will rob you off some dollars because it makes your property less aesthetically pleasing.

Uneven concrete structures look – uneven, wrong, visually disturbing, as if something is just not right. Buyers who value aesthetics will quickly pick up on this and will not be willing to pay the initial price you set for the property. Unless you fix it, you’ll have to lower your price – and there goes the money you would have spent on that new kitchen installation, saved, or invested in something!

Having the affected area fixed will raise the value of your property, and you’ll get to enjoy the kind of money you expected to get out of it.

The Impact on Safety

Depending on where you live, someone may sue you for tripping and falling on your property because of uneven pavement or sidewalk. Alternatively, one of your dear ones may be the one who suffers an injury after tripping and falling due to an uneven walkway.

Either way, you get the sense that an uneven concrete structure is a danger zone. Unless it is fixed through concrete lifting, there is no telling who may get hurt – it could be you.

But Why Do they Sink?

Most people are not engineers, physicists or into DIY; therefore, they may be very surprised and even cautious when they see a sunken portion of a concrete structure. They may wonder whether it could affect the whole area, could it cause a landslide, or will it affect their house? The fear of the unknown is great here!

Most concrete structures may sink due to different soil properties. A common issue is soil erosion, often caused by water flowing through the soil underneath the structure. Water washes away portions of the soil, affecting its integrity, which in turn causes the structure above to sink.

Sometimes, the structure above the soil may be heavier than the soil beneath can handle; hence, the soil settles to accommodate the weight. In other scenarios, some types of soil, like clay, will contract once they dry up. A structure built on such kinds of soils will sink when the soil loses moisture but will never willingly go back to its initial position because of its weight.

Finally, resolving the problem

Restoring and reinforcing sunken concrete is a rather quick and affordable process. The most effective approach is using polyurethane jacking, a powerful technique that involves injecting polyurethane beneath a sunken concrete construction to restore it back to its initial level.

Polyurethane jacking is a reliable method because polyurethane is a powerful substance that can lift up to 4000 pounds – picture how strong that is. It is waterproof; so water erosion will no longer be a problem. It does not react to heat or cold, which means extreme temperatures will not affect its integrity. It cures within fifteen minutes of injection; hence, it will not waste any valuable time. Regardless of the location of the affected property, using polyurethane will prove a reliable solution.

Uneven and sunken concrete structures pose more risks when left in their condition. Albeit it is entirely up to the owner to determine whether to have them rectified, having them leveled up and reinforced will prove more valuable and will save the owner both money and the heartache of having to pay for preventable accidents.

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