Are you an environmentalist with sunken concrete? Are you worried as much about your carbon footprint as your concrete cracks? If so, it’s time you learn more about the mudjacking process for repairing concrete.
Mudjacking is one of the most eco-friendly cracked or sunken concrete repair methods available today. If sustainability is important to you, mudjacking may be the answer for a damaged, cracked or uneven slab.
Mudjacking, sometimes called slabjacking or concrete lifting, involves injecting a mud-like material through the slab and into the soil underneath. This material fills the voids in the soil foundation, and the resulting pressure raises the concrete slab back to a level position.
The ingredients used to create the mud- or slabjacking material are all natural. The mixture starts with portland cement (a mixture of limestone and silica) to which clay, shale and slate are added. Next, water and soil are added to the portland cement mix. Depending on the project, the concrete repair contractor may also mix in sand or additional limestone aggregate.
No chemicals or synthetic fillers are used to create the mixture. What could be greener than that?
To complete the mudjacking process of sunken concrete repair, the slurry mixture is pumped directly into small holes drilled through the slab. The repair technicians pump in the exact amount required to restore the slab and the rest stays in the truck for the next customer. Nothing is wasted.
Now compare this process with the waste involved in concrete slab replacement. If you decide to tear out your old concrete and pour a new slab, all the pieces of your old slab will be headed to the landfill, along with the forms and other waste created by constructing a new slab.
Keep in mind also that ripping out a concrete slab can result in considerable damage to the grass and landscaping elements nearby. With mudjacking, your lawn and garden areas will not be disrupted.
Repairing your existing concrete with requires significantly less energy than replacing it.
Mudjacking repair uses a special drill to create a few small holes. The cement slurry mixture is transported in a truck with an attached hydraulic pump, which is used to inject the material into the soil foundation. Since most mudjacking concrete repair projects are quick, the process requires minimal fossil fuel energy.
In comparison, slab replacement has a much larger effect on the environment. The demolition and haul-away of the old slab require the use of energy-hungry tools and equipment. Gas-guzzling trucks are used to bring in aggregate base as well as the concrete itself. Overall, ripping out an old slab and pouring a new one will increase your carbon footprint significantly, in comparison to the easier, quicker and less-expensive repair process.
Here at Lift Right Concrete LLC, we strive to practice sustainable, low-impact techniques to protect the precious Utah environment. Contact our Grantsville or West Jordan location today to learn more or to schedule your cracked or sunken concrete repair consultation
