How Concrete Lifting Works with PolyRenewal™

Concrete is a heavy material and so are the vehicles, machinery, and structures that concrete slabs and footings are expected to support.

Sometimes, the combined weight of concrete and what it supports causes concrete settlement to occur. The soil beneath the concrete compresses and can cause major problems.

Commercially, concrete roadways can become dangerous or unusable. This often results in sections of runways and parking lots being closed down. In the example of trains, train service can be interrupted because of erosion and settlement beneath the track bed.

This can cause problems at your home as well. Uneven sidewalks, walkways, and steps can cause tripping, and sunken driveway slabs can make parking your car in the garage quite a challenge. PolyRenewal™ is designed specifically to repair this type of problem throughout Indiana.

PolyRenewal™ geotechnical capabilities:

• Lift settled slabs and slab foundations
• Lift sunken sidewalks
• Strengthen and stabilize loose soil
• Fill sinkholes and other voids
• Lift and stabilize roadways and airport runways
• Repair and stabilize rail beds weakened by soil washouts
• Treat soil to improve load-bearing characteristics in preconstruction applications

Benefits of PolyRenewal™

• Strong but light. PolyRenewal® weighs only about 4 lbs. per cubic ft., compared to 120 lbs. per cubic ft. for standard fill material. Because PolyRenewal™ is lightweight, it is useful where denser fill material might impose an undesirable load on weak soils. Despite its lightweight, PolyRenewal™ can support substantial loads; it typically provides greater lifting power than mudjacking.
• Waterproof. Once cured, PolyRenewal™ will not wash away. The material’s waterproofing properties can be beneficial in certain applications.
• Stable and inert. PolyRenewal™ does not react with soil or moisture; it will not leach harmful chemicals into the soil.
• Quick curing. Downtime is minimized with PolyRenewal™ concrete repair. Full loading of the foundation, roadway, or other structural element can usually happen about 15 minutes after the material is injected.
• Adjustable. Adjusting the density and expansive force of the 2-part foam affords a wide range of geotechnical uses. Lifting force can be adjusted by fine-tuning the chemical reaction that causes the foam to expand. An experienced applicator can factor not only the weight of the structural element but also soil characteristics, and temperature and weather conditions. Special formulations are possible for applications where water must be displaced.
• Noninvasive. PolyRenewal™ injection equipment isn’t bulky, enabling applicators to access confined areas. When properly injected, PolyRenewal™ is not as messy or disruptive as other slab and foundation-lifting techniques.

PolyRenewal™ has a simple 4-step concrete lifting process that results in a safe, secure, and even concrete slab. Contact Indiana Foundation Service to meet with one of our experts and to schedule an estimate to have your sunken concrete slab lifted with PolyRenewal™ in Indianapolis,  Bloomington, and throughout Indiana.

How PolyRenewal™ Works

Polymer injection solves soil settlement and stabilization problems

In the past, contractors often raised settled concrete by pumping a liquid mortar beneath the settled section (called mudjacking). But this pumping process is hard to control, and the added mass of the mortar puts even more weight on the soil.

Fortunately, foundation and concrete repair specialists now have a new technique that’s more effective at raising settled concrete. Polymer injection harnesses the expansive force of a structural grade geopolymer to provide fast concrete lifting, fill voids in the soil, and strengthen soil that has poor load-bearing qualities.

The polymer consists of two separate liquids that are combined right at the injection nozzle to trigger a chemical reaction that turns the blended ingredients into expanding, high-density foam. The foam flows into voids and between loose soil particles, expanding to about 15 times its initial volume. This expansive action effectively lifts settled concrete. An experienced technician, like those at Indiana Foundation Service, can control the application to create just the right amount of rising pressure.

The polymer begins to harden quickly after doing its raising work. Within just 30 minutes, it reaches 90% of its final strength, enabling damaged concrete roads and slabs to be put back into service right away. The speed of polymer injection repairs is another huge advantage over mortar pumping.

In addition to lifting and realigning settled and/or shifted concrete, polymer injection can be done before construction to improve soil stability and strength. Injections are as deep as 20 to 30 ft. are possible.

Holly Richards-Purpura

Content Writer

Holly is a Content Writer for Groundworks who has written and edited web content for the foundation services industry for 10 years. With a background in journalism, her passion for the written word runs deep. Holly lives in Columbus, OH, with her husband. Along with educating homeowners, she also has a big heart for the Big Apple.

_{*Disclaimer: “Concrete leveling” means the process by which cracked, uneven concrete is stabilized, and in many cases lifted, by means of PolyRenewal™ polyurethane foam. Indiana Foundation Service does not guarantee that PolyRenewal™ can make your concrete perfectly level.}