POLYURETHANE FOAM STABILIZES CURLED FLOOR SLABS
John Kelley of Advantage Construction in Quincy, Mass. was facing a dilemma; curling concrete floor slabs were slowing down his client's busy 150,000 square-foot warehouse. The phenomenon is typically referred to as "slab curling" – the distortion of a slab into a curled shape by distortion at the edges. If left untreated, the floors could deteriorate further, causing safety problems and the need for an invasive repair.
Traditional repair methods would not be employed to resolve the curled floors, as the existing business could not sustain a loss of floor space during construction. It was imperative to both repair the curling slabs and maintain the existing business operations without interruption.
Kelley contacted Engineered Foundation Technologies (EFT) of Nashua, N.H. a firm that specializes in a repair process knows as "slabjacking". It involves injecting a specialty grout through small holes in the concrete, stabilizing the concrete by completely filling in cavities below the curled slab. If required, the grout can also hydraulically lift the concrete from below when pressurized. This technology is routinely used to lift a wide variety of sunken concrete slabs, including those for pool patios, concrete walkways, warehouse floors, and even concrete highways.
With that said, traditional slabjacking was still not ideal, as a cleaning crew would be required to maintain the sensitive work area. Cleanliness was a major consideration in the selection process.
Fortunately, EFT offered an even better solution: a cutting-edge method of slabjacking called Polyjacking. This technique, now widely used by engineers in western states, had been developed and implemented by EFT at several New England sites, with great results in each case.
Polyjacking involves injecting a two part liquid polyurethane resin through the concrete. This high tech material penetrates underneath the concrete, expanding into a rigid structural foam. This polyurethane foam also fully hardens within 15 minutes, providing quick access to the repair areas. Furthermore, polyurethane injections also provide very easy clean-up, making it a clear choice. "It was the perfect solution", said Richard Porter, P.E., of Engineered Foundation Technologies, LLC.
Kelley is glad he chose to contract EFT for the slab repair."(Polyjacking) was by far the least disruptive method," Kelley said. "Another method would have taken too long for my client. It's also a cleaner and better technology."
Polyurethane slabjacking offers multiple advantages over traditional slabjacking methods, and for Kelley's project, it was the obvious choice. "Polyjacking was by far the best technology for stabilizing that concrete slab, and we completed the job without disrupting the warehouse operations at all," Porter said. "For many applications, this technology will save businesses significant time, money, and hassle from traditional concrete repairs."
Engineered Foundation Technologies provides these specialty slabjacking services to all of New England, routinely lifting concrete slabs for both the public and private sectors. More information about EFT and its slabjacking services can be found at www.slabjacking.com.
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