Comparing mudjacking with polyurethane raising and levelling
The cost of polyurethane material is much greater but it weighs far less. When raising concrete slabs that are over unstable ground polyurethanes' light weight of 3-4 pounds per cubic foot compared to 100-150 pounds per cubic foot of traditional slurry, gives it an advantage.
Traditional mudjacking slurry has advantage over polyurethane when it comes to compressive strengths. We can make the compressive strength of mudjacking slurry be whatever is needed (up to 2400 PSI). Whereas polyurethane is around 80-100 PSI compressive strength.
Polyurethane utilizes a hole that is only 5/8” compared to mudjacking holes that run between 1 1/8” and 1 3/8”. In either case the holes are patched with cement.
Mudjacking
Benefits of Mudjacking
- It can be done in virtually any weather
- The slurry containing concrete material injected beneath the slab provides a strong base; polyurethane does the same job as traditional mudjacking
- There is little or no disruption to landscaping
- Much lower cost & mess over replacement
- Far faster than replacing concrete slabs
About Mudjacking
Once the leveling is complete, both the concrete slab, and the soil beneath it, will be much more structurally sound. Using the old concrete slab has another benefit. Aged concrete is structurally superior to new concrete. As long as sinking is the only issue, repairing the old concrete slab is better than making a new one.
Mudjacking uses two types of material to lift and level concrete. One is a slurry mixture of water, sandy soil, cement, the other is polyurethane. Liftec can use either type of material.
The decision on which to use is yours. Use our site to determine if our concrete repair expertise can be effectively used to repair your concrete. It is likely yes!
Traditional Mudjacking
A pattern of holes between 1-1/8 and 1-3/8 inches are drilled through the sunken concrete slab. A grout mixture is pumped under the slab using a hose with a nozzle that fits into the holes. Once voids are filled the grout becomes pressurized, hydraulically raising the concrete slab to the desired height. The grout is a low strength but strong material that does it's job exactly. It is water, sandy soil and cement. The drilled holes are patched using a concrete mixture. This method is 100% environmentally friendly.
Polyurethane Leveling Lifting
A pattern of smaller holes 5/8 inch are drilled through the sunken concrete slab. A special mixing system pumps a polyurethane mixture under the slab where it begins to expand. Once any voids are filled the operator pumps more polyurethane mixture until it raises the concrete slab to the desired height. The drilled holes are patched using a concrete mixture. It has an advantage of requiring smaller holes.
Considerations
Take a look at the concrete that needs repair, raising, leveling or are draining improperly.
As a general rule we can lift and level any concrete slab that is still mostly intact with some cracks. If it has crumbled into many smaller pieces then that slab usually has to be replaced.
The best strategy is to first mud jack the concrete slabs that are in good condition.
Then have the slabs that are not repairable replaced to match the height of the repaired concrete. We tell all our customers. Repair what you can and only replace what you have to!
See all the cracks in the picture below. It shows you the type of concrete damage that cannot be helped by mudjacking as it is cracked and crumbling.
The one just above it can be mudjacked as it has no or few cracks. The customer only had to replace one concrete pad and mudjacking saved four. RULE: if your concrete has few or no cracks it is usually a candidate for mudjacking.