The Ins and Outs of Concrete Repair
Concrete may be durable, but it has limits. Cracking, uneven distribution, and even sinking occur, often because of “voids” in the soil underneath. When a void causes damage, repairing cracks will repair the damage.
Voids
These are subterranean zones where the soil is less suited to supporting soil compacted beneath the concrete. Many things cause voids that include:
- Underground water dissolving limestone, leading to soil collapse.
- Improper soil compaction before the concrete was added.
- Loss of support due to construction or excavation efforts in neighboring areas.
Voids can be diminished by draining and thoroughly compacting soil before adding the concrete. Unfortunately, voids are not always unpreventable.
Concrete Damage
Concrete does well against compression but terribly against tension. Pre-stressed concrete, reinforced with rebar, is intended to counteract concrete’s failings at surviving tension. While this helps, some limits and cracks emerge upon breaking those limits. You can repair concrete damage with concrete crack repair epoxy.
Concrete Repairs
Repairing cracks is not as easy as filling them. Just filling your cracks does nothing to stop them from reopening while the concrete further seeps into the voids.
Properly filling voids is known as “mud/slab jacking.” This procedure has the repair inject concrete repair products directly into the voids to provide density to the soil, allowing it to better support the concrete, fill the void, lift and straighten concrete, and stop further collapsing of the soil. There are two types of repair.
- “Mud” grout is a loose blend of water, cement, and aggregate.
- Polymer grout is an expanding foam. It cures quicker than mud grout and can be added to even moist soil.
If you are concerned about your concrete needing repair, do not hesitate to call Capital Industries. We have the ideal concrete crack repair product for any situation. Contact Capital Industries at 631-298-6300 to find out more and figure out which concrete repair product you should get.
Capital Industries, Inc. is a leading supplier of commercial and industrial concrete repair products. For over 30 years, we have proudly serviced contractors, factories, warehouses and distribution centers for industrial, institutional and commercial customers. We carry a full range of concrete repair materials, including those specifically designed for low temperature areas such as freezers and coolers. Our floor repair products are rapid hardening, allowing you to reopen repaired areas with minimal downtime. All of our products are designed to be used by in-house maintenance personnel and come with an ironclad 100% guarantee of satisfaction.