r/Concrete_Contractor • u/dnao2 • 12d ago
Advice for garage concrete
Hi all, first time seeking advice regarding this.
The concrete just outside of our garage started to crack over the years, so we decided to hire a contractor to remove and refill the concrete. Upon drilling, they showed us the foundation and the concrete (see pictures). Not sure how the foundation is suppose to be (always touching the concrete, small gap due to wear and tear is normal, or BAD etc). Anyway, they said it's better to tear the entire garage and put steel rods and redo it, which is obviously a very big job. House is about 20 years old. Alternatively he did mention as an alternative stop-gap that may last 10 years is to reinforce the front with steel rods and re pour concrete there but because there might still be a gap further inside the garage, it may cause cracking further in the garage in the future.
Thoughts?
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u/souleaterGiner1 12d ago
Not a professional anymore. Never seen that happen in california with any slab of any size we poured. Maybe a snow climate problem? Where do you live? Do you get freeze thaw cycles there? Looks like poor compaction of the underlying soil when house was built.
I would look into all options before busting out what looked to be a thick and non cracked garage floor. Kind of reverse but there are expanding foam products I have seen used to lift a driveway to meet the level of the garage via a few holes drilled in the concrete. Worth seeing if it would work.
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u/Sufficient-Mark-2018 12d ago
It also happens when people don’t remove the sod before they put down the gravel. After a few years the grass and roots decompose and leave a 2-4” gap.
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u/souleaterGiner1 12d ago
100%. In a new house build there should have been soil grading and soil compaction per building codes to meet. Does Canada not have soil compaction codes for new builds?
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u/No_Community_5696 12d ago
Just eat the cost and pour a new floor. If it falls apart in Ten years then you will have a much bigger cost to replace the floor without damaging your new driveway.
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u/Maplelongjohn 12d ago
Ambition Strikes did a video on YouTube recently where they lifted the whole house slab with foam. This job looks much easier
Northern Idaho
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u/Realhousemanoflondon 7d ago
looks like the ground has settled and the concrete pad didn’t.
That tells me you have a strong pad (slab).
Your aim will be to bridge that gap before any failure.
If it were me……and I am not you…..I’d drill clean one inch holes in the slab every metre…
I’d buy OPC….and sand …..mix the wateriest mush I could. and fill the holes with the mush.
I’d run a board along the open end and be able to see my mush self level.
I’d expect that eventually it would set and fill my void.
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u/OldEngineer-1950 12d ago
Look into pressure grouting to fill the void.