In early February of 2018, a major water line break caused significant voiding beneath the floor slab of a large commercial retail warehouse in Riverton UT. The pressure of the water was so great, in addition to causing large voids beneath the floor, it actually cracked the slab, and push water through the control joints in the concrete, flooding portions of the store. Scott Davis with Kleinfelder Engineering contacted CST concerning the damage, looking for an in situ solution to fill the voids. Soil testing performed after the water line break revealed that the soil compaction beneath the floor was good, but the voided areas would need to be filled. The solution would need to be performed without having to move permanently installed shelving units and merchandise and be completed without a lengthy closure for the business.
CST partnered with Tradesmithe Property Management and Kleinfelder Engineering to design an in situ repair plan to fill the voids and provide continuous , uniform subgrade support. The solution needed to provide a minimum of 6,000 PSF compressive strength of the soil and maintain dimensional stability for the life of the structure. CST’s in situ soil stabilization technologies employs a high density, expansive structural polymer injected through small holes directly through the floor slab and into the subgrade soils. The polymer, in it’s liquid state travels along finding voided areas and expands to fill and re-compact the compromised soil. Injection holes are very small and are filled with grout once repairs are complete. Once cured, the polymer reaches a much higher compressive strength that easily exceeded what was required for this project.
Once all voided areas were identified and marked, CST installed ESP material and completed void fill on a total area of 26,000 SQ FT. All repair work was completed in 3 nights, allowing the business to stay open during the day.
Due to the highly advanced injection techniques and equipment, permanent shelving units and merchandise did not have to be moved in order to make the repairs.
The repair process efficiently and effectively restored compaction to the sub-grade soils and provided a solid solution to extend and preserve the useful life of the floor slab and structure.
CST’s polymer injection process does not require excavation and is environmentally friendly while providing fast, clean, permanent results.
- Locate all voided areas and complete repairs without moving permanently installed shelving features and
merchandise. - Permanently installed shelving, fixtures, and appliances could not be moved during the repair.
- No excavation required.
- Environmentally friendly.
- Little to no disruption to business.
- Extends the useful life of existing slabs and structures.