precursors sinking concrete

Precursors to Sinking Concrete

At Lift-Up Concrete Lifting LLC, we’re here to help with all your concrete raising and lifting needs, whether they’re residential, commercial or municipal. We’ve helped clients achieve comprehensive and affordable solutions to concrete sinking issues large and small, from sidewalk repair to basic driveway leveling.

We can also help with the prevention of future sinking issues, much of which comes back to understanding why your sinking took place to begin with. There are several possible contributors to this happening, depending on where you live and what kind of concrete materials you’re using. Let’s look at some of the most common reasons for sinking concrete, plus how to prevent them.

Base Erosion

One of the most frequent reasons why concrete sinks is erosion of the slab’s base. This is generally caused by water that’s able to make its way under the concrete, then begins to slowly decompose it over time.

Stopping this from happening is as simple as making sure your concrete areas are protected from water flow. Make sure water lines, downspouts, gutters and other water transportation elements are directed properly, plus sealed firmly.

Climate Effects

Depending on where you live, concrete sinking might be more or less likely due to the climate. Harsher climates lead to quicker breakdowns of numerous materials, and concrete is among them. Know that visual damage is only one part of this picture – if you can see damage on your concrete, chances are there’s more significant damage below the surface as well.

Workmanship Issues

In other cases, your sinking issues will be due to concrete slabs that were not built or installed correctly. During this process, crews have to spend time on details like the compacting of the soil, gravel and anything else under the area where the slab is going – if poor workmanship is done here, the foundation won’t be able to support the actual concrete piece. This will lead to sinking that you can’t do anything about, and that might require costly repairs.

Slab Curl

The slab curl is a term for when the concrete is in the curing stage and actually curls up a bit. This happens due to some of the concrete curing faster than the rest, changing the shape slightly. This impacts the way the concrete settles, and may cause it to sink in certain areas faster than it would in others.

Nearby Vibrations

If you live near heavy traffic or there’s been major construction taking place in your area, these vibrations could impact your concrete. Vibrations settle the earth underneath your concrete, which can lead to major impacts on sinking.

For more on the precursors to your concrete settling, or to learn about any of our concrete lifting, raising or leveling services, speak to the pros at Lift-Up Concrete Lifting LLC today.