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08 August 2015

Interesting Information About Mudjacking Colorado Springs

By Elaine Guthrie


Any paving usually has supporting layers of material underneath for strength and to keep it level. Pavers typically use compacted soil and gravel for this purpose. But sometimes these layers disappear over time, and the rigid concrete remains above, unsupported. The paved surface then develops a hollow area, or cracks into pieces and collapses. Companies who perform mudjacking Colorado Springs CO can solve this issue for you.

Some concrete paving is so thick that you can't work out whether it's hollow underneath or not. It won't even sound hollow if you walk over it. At other times, you can't see what the situation is underneath the paving. But you need to determine the damage first, and how prevalent it is.

Yet the danger remains. A heavy object or vehicle, such as a truck or dumpster, can crack the surface or destroy it, causing it to cave in. This might be entirely unforeseen, for example in a parking lot that has been in use for several years. The pending disaster needs to be detected as quickly as possible.

Once the surface caves in, the problem is obvious. You then only need to inspect the area to see how extensive it is, and how large the cavity underneath has become. Companies who do mudjacking can do this for you, and also inspect the area for other risks or potential problems.

Once the assessment has been made, the actual repair of the paving can begin. This relies on the simple principle of inserting new material at high pressure into the cavity, in order to fill it and level the hole in the surface. The material used is usually grouting, hence the alternative name for the process - pressure grouting. In some instances, structural foam is used, which expands in the cavity to fill it. This is known as foam leveling.

Slabjacking is another term in the industry, and refers to the way that a sunken concrete slab is raised back into its original position. It is almost the same as mudjacking, in principle, except that the slab or piece of concrete is literally shifted physically back into its initial position or to its initial height.

A possible risk factor in the process of mudjacking is that sometimes the concrete is structurally unable to survive it and starts to break up. The mudjacking firm needs to inspect it first to ensure that this is not a risk. Also, mudjacked concrete is not necessarily going to stay repaired if the reason for the damage or collapse still exists.

There are many paved surfaces which are used by thousands of people on a daily basis. There are also parking areas and yards which have to sustain the traffic of heavy vehicles or objects. Broken or cracked concrete is a serious hazard and cannot be left to disintegrate. If you see areas like this in your paved surface, you should get in touch with a mudjacking company immediately, so that they can assess the damage and advise you on possible repairs.




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