Concrete Lifting and Repair

In civil engineering, concrete lifting is a process which attempts to rectify an unsightly concrete surface by adjusting the footing that the surface sits on. It sounds counter-intuitive, because concrete is typically built to be placed on a flat, level, and level location. By installing too much concrete or too little extra material, the finished product can be too uneven and look undesirable.

When leveling a concrete surface, it is generally preferred to use a drum roller system. The process utilizes a flat conveyor belt or rollers to gradually move the material from base to top, leveling the entire surface. For patios and driveways, it is usually preferred to utilize a series of smaller and larger drum rollers driven by electric motors. The roller system is used to gradually move the concrete surface to its desired height. This technique is ideal for leveling driveways and patios.

Concrete Lifting

Another common concrete lifting method is to utilize hydraulic or electric-powered scrapers that scrapping the dirt or debris from holes. These devices can also be equipped to drill into any type of concrete. The process utilizes large foam augers which are equipped with diamond blades for cutting through the dirt and debris. The blades are heated and the concrete is pulled through the holes using a powerful vacuum.

Concrete leveling can also be achieved by manually grading for the concrete slabs. Grading is used to smooth out the ends of sidewalks, driveways, patios, walkways, and parking lots. A rotating blade system is utilized to grind away the loose material from the concrete. After the removal of the loose material the remaining concrete slabs are then stacked one after the other to create one continuous slab. This process eliminates the need to hold the ground for the installation of concrete.

Another concrete lifting method is to use a settling machine that creates voids in the earth by excavating around them. When the machine reaches its destination it will be set upon its side and the dirt is removed and the area filled with a new concrete slab. This can also be accomplished by hand, but this is extremely labor-intensive and arduous task. Most experienced contractors have at least some training experience in the use of settling machines and concretes.

Concrete Repairing

Concrete slabs are typically placed on concrete lifting machines that are equipped with a special hoist. This hoist is powered by an electric engine. Once the hoist is in place, it is capable of gently raising the heavy slab up and off the ground. After the damaged slab is lifted into the desired location it will be positioned below the new concrete slab.

One concrete lifting method most often used is the sinking technique. This technique is employed when holes exist in the soil beneath a slab. The sunken or damaged slab is lifted up and moved to an area where it will be replaced with a new concrete slab. It is important to realize that concrete lifting and concrete repair methods do not substitute the services of a qualified professional when it comes to repairing holes. If holes in your foundation occur prior to placing the new slab, a repair contractor will be able to repair any damage he discovers without the assistance of this equipment. It is also important to understand that the depth of the hole must be at least three times the thickness of the concrete being used in the hole.

Concrete repair contractors will often use a combination of methods including concrete lifting and sagging to repair damaged slabs. There are many benefits to using these two methods to repair a damaged slab. The equipment cost is generally lower and concrete lifting eliminates the backbreaking task of lifting and moving a heavy slab. However, the combination of these two methods is only one component of a complete concrete lifting and repair solution. For more information regarding concrete lifting and repair it is highly recommended to speak to a professional concrete repair company.