Customers in the Greater OKC area are constantly asking us about the joints or 'lines' in their driveway and sidewalk slabs. Our readers have heard concrete is guaranteed to do two things: (1) Get Hard and (2) CRACK! These lines are designed to help prevent this from occuring over the expansive soils we have in the State of Oklahoma.
When a builder prepares the ground for concrete they typically grade the soil to a roughly desired pitch. The concrete forms are set up like dams to outline the pour area. Then a bed of aggregate is laid down as a way to support the new concrete. Many good contractors provide a 3-4inch bed of gravel prior to installing their slabs. Once the slab is poured then the joints are either trialed in or cut in after the dry period.
These joints are called EXPANSION or CONTROL joints and are designed to make sure as the soil shifts or moved under varying seasons the slab will not crack along the large flat portions. Many don't know that these expansion joints vary in design. Next time you are walking on your sidewalk you should notice that every other joint actually goes all the way through your concrete slab. This is designed to prevent large sections from 'creeping' down the line of sidewalks on your street. Imagine if a powerline falls, the cable pulls all the remaining poles down the line from both directions. This concrete joint method helps prevent damage down an entire street from occuring as our infamous red clay expands and contracts.
Vesta Foundation Solutions has been preventing damage and settlement to driveways and sidewalks by installing Nexus Pro joint protection along all joints preventing moisture, debris, and other elements from penetrating through the control joints. This allows the slab to expand and contract without inviting unwanted elements in between or beneath the slabs. Next, any voids beneath the slabs are filled using a foam called POLY Level. This is a two part expanding foam that compresses underlying soils and fills any pockets that could have been caused by poorly compacted fill or wet seasons washing out the aggregate. This is an industry proven method being used by hundreds of contractors throughout the Foundation Supportworks nationwide network.
If you are are a customer in the Norman, Moore, Del City, Oklahoma City, Bethany, Yukon, Peidmont, and Edmond areas in need of concrete repair feel free to contact us for a free inspection of your slab and a free inspection.
