Case Study

Liquor Warehouse Slab Lift

We lifted and leveled a warehouse’s damaged concrete slab while minimizing disruption to the building’s operations.

Project Summary

The weight of the inventory in a converted warehouse caused the floor to crack and weaken and created a safety hazard. We worked to stabilize and realign the uneven floor slabs, grind down high spots, and repair joints and cracks. The entire project was completed in 3.5 days, allowing the hub to continue operations with minimal disruption.

The Customer

Built in 1976 over an old creek bed, this warehouse once served as an electronics distribution center for over 20 years. It now is the sole storage and distribution hub for imported liquor in the State of Wyoming.

In 2012, the State of Wyoming purchased a warehouse that was used as an electronics distribution center for over 20 years, turning the facility into a storage hub stocking Wyoming’s liquor inventory for statewide distribution.

Shortly after the state purchased the warehouse, installation of newer, higher shelving was erected to store over $18 million worth of liquor inventory. The shelving exceeded 15 feet in height allowing additional inventory to be stored for future statewide distribution.

The Challenge

Soon after liquor inventory was stocked on the warehouse shelves, warehouse managers noticed cracks appearing and growing larger in the floor slab. The additional weight from liquor inventory combined with constant pounding and vibration from forklift traffic expedited the weakening of the sub-base and floors. Warehouse management quickly recognized the topple hazard of the uneven shelving and trip hazards created by uneven floor slabs, as a huge safety concern for employees working in the facility.

After a complete evaluation of the pre-construction and existing conditions of the warehouse, results showed 1) numerous areas of differential settlement in the slab, 2) high spots caused by poor finishing techniques, 3) unraveling joints in several locations, and 4) cracks in the concrete slab ranging from hairline to 1/4” in width.

The Solution

With the goal to improve the ride and extend the useful life of the warehouse floor, the following solutions were applied to treat 12,000 square feet of warehouse floor:

The CST method was used to underseal, stabilize, and realign mismatched and uneven slabs
Joint sealing and crack repair to protect surface
Grinding/smoothing high spots in rolled joints
Remove and replace unrepairable concrete sections

The Results

Concrete Stabilization Technologies successfully treated approximately 12,000 square feet of warehouse flooring. CST completed the undersealing, slab lifting and realignment, and overall stabilization of the entire warehouse floor in 3 ½ days.

In addition to CST injections, approximately 6,300 square feet of concrete was ground down and a special concrete hardener was applied to protect the surface from future damage.

Timely completion of the warehouse stabilization allowed this important liquor inventory distribution hub to continue operations with minimal disruption and downtime.