Do You Have Any of These 4 Common Types of Damage? Call a Concrete Paving Company

If you notice damage in your concrete, it’s important to address the issue and to fix it. This will prevent the situation from becoming worse, and you will be able to complete repairs while the damage is still minor.

Before you try to repair the damage, you have to first identify the type of damage, and the following are the four common types of concrete damage:

Cracks

These are inevitable and will occur over time. Hairline cracks are not concerning, and even though they may affect the appearance of the concrete, they will not cause any big headaches. If, however, you notice that the cracks are allowing water to get underneath, this would require repairs because the damage can become worse. If the crack is starting to become a safety hazard, this, too, would require repairs or a replacement so that people do not trip and accidents do not happen. Lastly, if a crack looks really bad and is affecting the image of your business and its reputation, you should intervene so that this doesn’t negatively impact your success.

Spalling

This will happen whenever concrete is exposed to freeze-thaw cycles or if it was installed with improper mixing. Chipping and flaking will occur on your concrete’s surface as a result, and while spalling is not dangerous, it is unsightly, so you can consider resurfacing and sealing your concrete to fix this problem.

Settlement

Concrete will crack whenever voids form under a concrete pad. The concrete will also break and will settle into the void, and you will have an unstable and uneven surface. This will require you to act fast; otherwise, larger damage can occur, and voids generally form through some type of problem with the soil. If, for example, it was loosely compacted at the time of pouring, voids can form.

Lifting

This, too, is a possible consequence of freeze-thaw cycles, and you will see this on sidewalks whenever tree roots grow close by. This can cause a concrete pad to lift, and frozen moisture under the surface may also cause larger sections of a concrete slab to lift at the joints. This would allow for water and debris to enter underneath, which would result in greater damage. If you see that the pads have been lifted quite a bit, you have to address the issue; otherwise, this can become a safety hazard for pedestrians, vehicles and those in wheelchairs. 

Depending on the severity of the situation, concrete can sometimes be restored, so the damage must be assessed to determine whether restoring the concrete or replacing it would be best.

The experts at Ampac Paving can help you make you an informed decision, and we will always provide you with our professional and honest opinion. Our team can remove and replace the entire area of damaged concrete for commercial settings, so contact us today to hear more about our services and how we can help!