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Options to raise concrete driveway
I have a concrete driveway that needs to be raised from zero to about 4 inches. The current concrete is in good condition. Just have water issue on it where need to park. I think where it needs to raise by 4 inches can pour additional concrete on top of it with rods drilled into current to prevent it moving. Now the from zero to about 3 inches thick must remove that concrete. Unless there is a material I am not aware of that could be used to build it up. Do not want to use asphalt.
Suggestions?
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Options to raise concrete driveway
I'm an engineer and here are my thoughts. First, think about raising the slabs. Mud jackers do it all the time, but you can also with the right equipment. You can make a mud jack pump. If I am e mailed, I can hep.
Otherwise adding concrete on top can be done. First clean off that surface and roughen it up with a jack hammer. Sweep or blow off all dust. leave it dry. Mix up your concrete at a 1:2:4 mix. Cement : concrete sand : and gravel. Immediately before placing concrete, apply a paste of cement mixed with water about the consistency of school paper paste. this will tend to soak in and is the "glue" that keeps the old and the new stuck together.
Apply concrete mix. Keep damp for a week.
If you expect freezing and salt on the concrete, all cement must be with air entrainment additive.
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Options to raise concrete driveway
Oldguy, thank you.
Mudjackers? Is that the people who jack up a slab that has settled or such? I have seen add for a company here who does using some sort of fluid that hardens pumps up such slabs. kt
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Options to raise concrete driveway
KT: OK as to mud jacker question. Usually they mix up local topsoil, commonly a mix of silt and clay and very little sand with water and inject it into hoes drilled in the slab. Consistency is that of "mud". Once a little area is filled, and combining several holes so filled, there is sufficient lift crated that it then becomes easier to push in more and raise the slab to desired level. If a little cement is added to the mud, later it hardens and keeps things up where left. To fluidify it, sometimes some bentonite (drillers's mud)is added. One has be be careful so as to not lose the heavy fluid from under, along the sides. That may take pounding down temporary barriers, such as plywood or any thing that can resist that push from under. It really takes very little psi to lift a slab. the hand pump that I made has been used for many years by a local contractor friend.
I'd like to post a sketch of the pump I made, but have to figure out how yet. We shall see if this works. Valves are golf balls.
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Options to raise concrete driveway
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The tube is a 3" diameter tubing used for various purposes. the plunger is two steel discs with the sole from one of my old shoes for the seal. The pipe going into the drilled hole is a tight fit. The whole thing has to be held down, by angle irons (not shown) on the concrete for standing on. By doing experimenting with various mixes, you will be surprised at how well this can work. The 1" diam holes were drilled (recently done work here) with drill bought from Harbor Freight. the drillers mud comes from suppliers for water well drilling (here just industrial supplier of plumbing) here called Volclay. Length of pump handle about 4 feet.
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Options to raise concrete driveway
This looks like a great solution to your problem. I think you cold eliminate the frustration of trying to patent the process for a one time repair by using a local specialty outfit like this one or you may have already mastered it in which case I would love to see pictures of wha tyou came up with.
Link:
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oldguy thank you very much. I do like your drawing and can understand it very well.
I spent a good bit of time tracking down and talking with a company who jacks up slabs and he did not suggest I do it on what I needed raised. He had at least two concerns and I will give your method a try if redoing a drain does not solve it which will cost less and not look odd as the raised slab would. He uses an expanding foam at about 1600 PSI that they inject through holes in the slab also but the foam does the lifting not as much by the 1600 PSI as the foam expands as it dries and that does the lifting. He said the problem for him is as much as I want to raise it, get it on right slope for the size of the slab with be tricky as when he injects the foam and it fully expands he is not able to add more if it needs to be lifted higher and for the size of the slab he thinks it would crack when he begins to jack it asking one corner to support the full size of that lift till more is supported.
You know as I typed that I now wonder how correct he was, makes me think he did not want the job. Maybe bigger than he likes to do for think sidewalks was he big preference.
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Options to raise concrete driveway
One thing about any slab raising is you need to plug of any loss of the "mud:. That means jamming in plywood, boards, etc alongside the slab. It may even take jamming rags into joints between slabs.
No way would I use expanding foam. If it gets out of hand, no way to stop it. With jacking, as done for years now, you watch what is happening and you adjust your work accordingly. I failed to mention, you can include some cement with the mix if you fear it will be lost by some weak area. The cement will cause slow setting and will add a little fluidity as you pump, Getting the first flow can be difficult, due too little space under there for lifting. The more space filed with mud under pressure, the easier it comes up.
I'd call another guy and see what you get.
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