The weather is cooling and people are starting to enjoy their community parks and recreation centers. Trip hazards and standing water issues will start to pop up as a result. Cities, Municipal Utility Districts, and Homeowner Associations all need to inspect these areas which are sometimes overlooked.
CRC goes to School
A previous foundation repair left several rooms in an elementary school with significant voids, which needed to be filled before the end of summer. Jobs like these require more work on the front end to ensure they are completed quickly and cleanly.
The engineer called for a grout to stabilize/void fill the observed voids. We used our volumetric mixers to batch over 100 cubic yards on-site and pumped the grout over 3 days.
HOA’s – Homowner Associations
Most HOA’s are responsible for the provision of public safety on the community’s streets, public walking areas, and sidewalks. Uneven concrete, while one of the biggest causes of trip and fall claims, can also be an indicator of bigger issues relating to drainage and the structural stability of the slabs or nearby structures.
Community management professionals and boards should keep a vigilant eye on these issues. A small repair today could lead to a large repair tomorrow.
The community’s infrastructure(common areas including sidewalks, pool decks, patios, sport courts, and driveways) should be routinely reviewed for maintenance needs. The time period for scheduling these walkthroughs is dependent upon the current level of maintenance as well as the initial standard of construction. Generally, a review every 6 to 12 months should be sufficient with emergencies and obvious failures being the exception.
With scheduled reviews risks are minimized and problems are often curtailed before they mushroom into larger issues. It is a given that slabs crack, potholes grow, erosion continues, and pipes clog. The HOA board should include this topic on their agenda at least once a year if not semiannually.
CRC Difference
We often talk about the CRC difference, but what does that mean. Here is one example. We custom blend soils and run them through a screener to remove organic material and help maintain a consistent sand sieve analysis. A consistent soil mix leads to predictable results. We also store our materials onsite out of the weather, so we can keep working while others would have to wait for dirt yards to dry out after a rain.
Test Time
We use state of the art equipment for mixing our grouts, but material testing insures our mixes meet our standards. We blend and screen the raw materials at our facilities to help insure a consistent product and periodically test several different mix designs. This is just another example of the CRC difference. In 28 days we will have the final results for this year.
Tree Roots
We often get calls concerning tree roots. Can we fix it? Our reply is simple, maybe. Many times the panels that are pushed around by roots can be leveled, and the adjoining panels can be lifted to the new grade. This can work on walks and driveways, but you always have to look at the big picture. Issues such as drainage may make tear out and replacement the best or only solution.
CRC can look at these issues and determine if our method of repair is appropriate for your situation. The picture in this post shows a root that has not only grown on top of the concrete, but has also crushed the sidewalk. Unfortunately, for this customer, tear out and replacement is the only option.