Sidewalk repair

   / Sidewalk repair #1  

Dwellonroof

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2018
Messages
452
Location
Batavia, Ohio
Tractor
John Deere 3046r
I have a couple sidewalks that are sunken and/or shifted that I was thinking about renting a concrete saw and cut them at the joints, lift them with my John Deere 2720 and reset them.
Any other thoughts or ideas? IMG_0782.JPGIMG_0785.JPGIMG_0783.JPGIMG_0784.JPG
 
   / Sidewalk repair #2  
I doubt you will have much success raising it. How far down has it sunk? My first though was to remove the soil around it and plant grass again. Then I wondered if you could put pavers over it? There are types of concrete that you can pour over it, but the prep and cost of that stuff is pretty expensive. Pavers would be cheaper. or maybe flagstone?
 
   / Sidewalk repair
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I thought about pavers and actually did that at another place I used to own but I can’t here because of the area at the lower steps.
 
   / Sidewalk repair #4  
As long as you are not looking for a perfect result and willing to spend time re-leveling, you'll probably do fine. Otherwise, break-up, frame out and pour new.
 
   / Sidewalk repair #5  
I have done a few of those, it's pretty easy.

You dig a hole on one side, about 8" deep. The hole only needs to be big enough for a floor jack. A small floor jack will work just fine.

Then, undermine the concrete enough to put the end of the jack under the slab.

If the ground isn't firm, use a piece of wood or heavy gauge steel, under the front of the jack. Otherwise the wheels will just sink into the ground, and you can end up with a bent jack.

Next, jack up the side of the slab, and insert your fill. 304 lime stone sand gravel mix, some call it "crusher run", is ideal. But, just limestone sand, or dry concrete mix will work. play sand, or mason sand, will attract ants, so it's not ideal to use here if it's near you house.

You can also put bricks, or treated wood in areas, if it's really sunk, to help stabilize it while things settle.

It may take a couple of tries to get it just where you want it. And, you may have to do both sides of some pieces. But, without a lot of effort, you can fix this really nicely. Even the grass can be put back if you remove it carefully.

The only thing you need to be sure of, is that the control joints are cleanly broke all the way through. If not, when you jack it, it will bind up, and it won't move. If that happens, you need to let it back down, and saw cut the ends all the way through cleanly. If you don't, you may end up with them breaking off, and it will be all chipped up.

I once leveled a couple of sections of regular sidewalk for someone, by just putting pieces of treated 2x4's under them, and it was fine decades later. Grass, dirt, and sediment will eventually get under there and fill any voids.
 
   / Sidewalk repair #8  
Possibly not the same problem as the OP experiences but still a problem. About five years ago the county poured concrete sidewalks - both side of the main road out of town. They were very nice and the walkers were in 7th heaven. Then came the heat of late summer. These sidewalks buckled up at almost every other expansion joint. Some as much as 8" to 10". There was not enough room allowed for expansion due to heat. It was an easy fix. A couple slices at each raised joint. Now the sucker lays flat as it's supposed to.
 
   / Sidewalk repair #9  
There are concrete leveling companies out there. Daughter and son in law had their sidewalk done. Looked horrible before hand, really nice and level afterward.
 
   / Sidewalk repair #10  
There are outfits that can pump some stuff underneath them to raise them up. Around, here there's an outfit named JES.
 
 
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