Walkway Trip Hazard Repair in Duluth, GA

GCS August 11, 2021

Commercial & Industrial Concrete Leveling

Recently GCS was called by one of our property management customers. One of their medical building complexes had several trip hazards on the walkways and main entrance. We were able to lift and level the slabs by injecting Alchemy-Spetec’s AP Lift 430.

Polyurethane Slab Lifting Procedures

The slab lifting process is completed in a few simple steps:

Complete a thorough site evaluation
Saw cut joints if necessary, to release any bound slabs
Determine an injection point sequence, based on conditions
Drill the initial injection holes, starting at the lowest point on the slab
Inject AP Lift polymers in controlled short bursts
Monitor for lift with Zip levels, dial indicator, or laser transit
Observe slab for evidence of cracking or binding while lifting
Drill and inject additional holes as necessary to level the slab

Efficient Slab Lifting Solution

The high-density expanding polyurethane foam made quick work of the concrete lifting project. We were able to eliminate all the trip hazards by lunchtime and avoided any downtime to the tenants. Call us for a free assessment of your commercial property, we’d love the opportunity to help!

Concrete Lifting and Soil Stabilization in Buckhead Village

GCS July 29, 2021

Ground Consolidation Services recently completed another round of repairs in Buckhead Village for a large real estate management company. In addition to trip hazards due to sunken slabs, a geotech report provided by an engineer revealed unstable soil up to three feet deep in some areas underneath. GCS performed compaction grouting before the slab lift in order to stabilize the soil, thus addressing the root cause of the settling. Compaction grouting entails driving injection probes on a grid pattern to the required depth. In this case, the GCS crew injected Alchemy-Spetec’s AP Lift 430 into the soil. This high-density expanding polyurethane foam fills any voids present and compacts the loose unstable soil.

Once the deep soil issues were resolved we could then inject AP Lift 430 directly underneath the slabs, gradually and precisely lifting them with the expanding foam. An efficient, surgical repair process like this beats ripping out and replacing a slab most of the time. Imagine having to remove all concrete and unstable soil, repack the subgrade, and repour new concrete. Which option do you think requires less time and money (by a lot)? We were able to hit several areas of the property over the course of 2 days with zero disturbance to the retail businesses. Trip hazards and litigation risks can be easily avoided if slab settlement issues are dealt with properly. Call us today for a free assessment!

Sunken Pool Deck Slabs – Causes and Solution

GCS May 26, 2021

Causes of Sunken Pool Deck Slabs

Sunken pool deck slabs are a very common issue. Pool deck slabs are typically poured on unreliable fill dirt. In addition, it is difficult to properly compact the fill right up to the pool itself. These factors coupled with the inherent amount of water around a pool (water that gets under the slabs through cracks and unsealed joints) cause the pool deck to settle. The slabs generally settle away from the pool, which separates them from the liner – posing more unwanted issues. Then there’s the whole trip hazard risk that comes along with uneven concrete slabs. Many a broken toe, and unfortunately much worse (more serious injuries, lawsuits), have resulted from unaddressed trip hazards around a pool.

The Solution to a Sunken Pool Deck Slab

Call Ground Consolidation Services for a free site evaluation. Our high-density polyurethane is injected through the deck slabs via ⅜ inch injection holes, the smallest in the business. The expanding structural foam travels the path of least resistance, therefore, filling all void areas as well as compacting any loose unstable soil. Once the soil is compact, the expansion of the foam creates the power to lift and recover the slabs. We also have proprietary jack systems to aid in mechanically manipulating the slabs as well. This process in most cases takes a half-day to complete. The alternative is to do nothing until the pool deck is so far gone that an expensive replacement project is the only option. Who wants that costly mess on their hands?! Avoid all that and let us help!

Why Your Garage Floor Is Sinking & What To Do About It

GCS May 18, 2021

Sinking Garage Floor – Causes

As with most slab settling issues, voids and poor soil compaction are at the root of the problem. This is certainly the case with sunken garage slabs. They are typically constructed by backfilling the area after the foundation is poured (or blocked) and pouring the concrete on top. Achieving proper and adequate compaction is often difficult and just not achieved in many cases. This, combined with time and freeze/thaw cycles creates voids under the garage slab. Concrete itself is heavy and can settle, but when we park vehicles on top of a garage slab that has voids under it? It is obviously a recipe for disaster!

Sinking Garage Floor – Solution

Call GCS for a thorough site evaluation. We’ll take the time to properly inspect the issue, which generally entails probing the slab to determine if there is indeed a void and/or unstable soil (and to what extent). Gathering this type of information is key to designing a proper repair plan and calculating the material amount.

Depending on the conditions found during site evaluation, there are a couple of different techniques we use (and oftentimes both). If the soil under the garage slab is soft and unstable to a certain depth, GCS will opt for the Deep Lift® method using Alchemy-Spetec‘s high-density polyurethane. The expanding structural foam creates a squeeze effect in the loose soil, essentially forming added support footings under the slab. Our other injection method, Slab Lifting, entails going through ⅜ inch holes drilled directly through the slab. The same structural foam described above is used. The expanding foam travels the path of least resistance, therefore, filling all void areas as well as compacting any loose soil. Once the soil is compact, the expansion of the foam creates the power to lift the slab. Our high-density polyurethane cures to 90% in fifteen minutes – which translates to the slab being traffic-ready by the time we are packing up our equipment.

Eliminating Trip Hazards

GCS April 7, 2021

Sunken Slabs Create Trip Hazards

One of the first reasons a sunken slab is often noticed is because it’s created a trip hazard. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a “trip hazard” as any vertical change over a ¼ inch or more at any joint or crack. Cities, school districts, hospitals, churches, shopping malls, universities, apartment complexes, homeowner associations, large buildings, and private residences should all be concerned with this liability.

Concrete Leveling with Polyurethane

Eliminating these hazards and avoiding litigation is as simple as hiring a contractor who is using the right concrete leveling technique and material. Ground Consolidation Services lifts and levels slabs using Alchemy-Spetec’s line of AP Lift products. These high-density polyurethane lifting foams are used in a wide array of applications from lifting walkways to lifting highway bridge approach slabs on DOT projects.

Slab Lifting vs Slab Replacement

In addition, GCS has specialized tools in our bag like the jack system we use to mechanically manipulate the smaller, harder-to-control slabs. The only other viable option to lifting the slabs, in most cases, is the removal and replacement of them. This option is generally much more expensive and certainly more time-consuming and intrusive. We often do jobs for customers who have gone that route in the past and every single time they say they wish they had known that GCS was an option. We are usually done within a few hours, with the treated areas being traffic ready immediately.

Lifting a Sidewalk at a Shopping Mall in Buckhead

GCS March 31, 2021

GCS is working with the Atlanta shopping mall Shops of Buckhead to solve settled walkway issues around that upscale property. In the picture included with this post, you’ll see a large sidewalk slab that has been lifted back to its original level. The surrounding small slab panels will then be reset to their original level by the property owner.

Stabilizing the Soil with Polyurethane

To get this large sunken slab lifted, we began with subsurface deep injections of Alchemy-Spetec’s AP Lift 430 to stabilize and tighten soft inadequate soil. Probe spacing of 4-5 feet on-center proved to be more than adequate to densify the soil. Once the root of the problem was taken care of, we were able to move on to lifting the slabs back to a level that pitches water away from the building.

Lifting the Slab with Polyurethane

With the now stable soil being compact, we injected AP Lift 430 foam directly through the slabs via ⅜ inch injection holes. The slabs began lifting right away and the clients were not only happy the project was a success but really enjoyed watching the process unfold. It is always a good day when your customers are present and part of the excitement! Give us a call for a free assessment of any soil or sunken concrete issues. We’d love to help!

Lifting an Office Park Entry Slab in Norcross

GCS February 17, 2021

Ground Consolidation Services received a call from a facility manager in Norcross, GA about an uneven walkway in a high-traffic office park entryway. He scheduled an appointment as soon as possible, well aware that potential trip hazard litigation could be costly.

The GCS crew arrived at the office park and immediately began the repair. We used Alchemy-Spetec’s AP Lift 430 high-strength polyurethane foam and super-easy Jack Attack System, specifically designed for manipulating small slabs. Once the slabs were injected with AP Lift 430 that compacted loose soil and filled any voids underneath, they were lifted back to their original level position.

The facility manager thanked GCS for lifting an enormous weight off his shoulders. Now he could get back to business without worrying about any trip hazards!

Lifting a Garage Slab in East Cobb

GCS January 16, 2021

This past week, a resident in East Cobb, GA reached out to Ground Consolidation Services about multiple cracks and settlement issues in his garage. Given that he parked his vehicle in his garage on a daily basis and used it to enter and exit his home, he was eager to get the slabs back in place. The GCS crew showed up for the appointment and inspected the entirety of the concrete slab. We observed that several sections had cracked, mainly as a result of poor compaction and seasonal freezing temperature fluctuations. To make matters worse, the cracked sections had sunk into the soil void underneath.

To repair the damage, we drilled non-invasive 3/8” holes through the slab and injected Alchemy-Spetec’s AP Lift 430 high-strength polyurethane foam. Once injected, the rapidly expanding foam compacted the loose soil underneath, filled in any remaining voids, and lifted the slab, curing to 90% in just 15 minutes. We also used a concrete polymer-blended material to seal cracks across the garage. The homeowner praised the GCS team for their speed and accuracy. He was even happier to have a level, crack-less garage!

Concrete Leveling at Ponce City Market in Atlanta

GCS August 21, 2020

Ground Consolidation Services was called in to eliminate trip hazards at the popular Ponce City Market in downtown Atlanta recently. There were a couple of areas of heavily traveled walkway that had settled over time to the point of becoming a trip hazard. The property management team was diligent in recognizing these issues early before repair became more invasive as well as more expensive. More importantly, they addressed the issue before any accidents occurred which would undoubtedly be followed by costly litigation. Oftentimes we see trip hazards removed by simply grinding down the concrete. While in the short term this may work it does not address the reason the concrete is sinking in the first place and eventually you run out of concrete to grind. Injecting our high strength polyurethane foam through the concrete via small 3/8 inch holes fills any voids, compacts unstable soil, and lifts the concrete back to its original position. Trip and fall lawsuits are a big business however they can be easily avoided with a little property maintenance. If you notice any uneven or sinking concrete around your properties give us a call for a free evaluation. We would love to help!

Leveling and Stabilizing a Factory Floor

GCS July 24, 2020

Recently Ground Consolidation Services was contacted by a South Carolina engineering and contracting firm for some help at an industrial food grade production plant. Due to poor compaction of the soils under the slab, cracking and settlement occurred. This was especially problematic because large injection mold machines sit atop this area and have to be level to work properly. Obviously having machines of this nature not running is quite costly to a production facility.

It was determined that soft unstable soils existed as far as 5 feet below the surface. GCS performed a series of deep soil injections using Alchemy-Spetec’s AP Lift 475, a high- strength hydro-insensitive polyurethane foam capable of supporting 14,000 lbs per square foot. The deep soil injection process used in this application is a form of compaction grouting designed to squeeze the loose soils in a confined space. Once the soil was stabilized, we injected directly through the slabs in order to lift them back to their original level position.

The facility engineers and managers were thrilled to get the machines back online, not to mention all this was done by lunchtime! These issues are all too common and unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know that these less invasive, less costly, and less time-consuming repair options are available. The alternative to our method would have been removal and replacement of the concrete. Could you just imagine the time, cost, and mess (especially in a food-grade facility)? If you see signs of concrete settlement, such as cracking or uneven joints, give us a call for a free evaluation!