Mud lifting, also known as concrete lifting, concrete lifting, or slab lifting, is a cost-effective alternative to removing and replacing your sagging and uneven concrete. Unfortunately, homeowners are largely unaware of how mud sequestration works and why it is an effective option for repairing concrete. Let’s go to the “classroom” and learn a little about mudjacking.

The process occurred in the late 1920s and early 1930s as a way to repair sunken concrete in roads and fill the voids under concrete slabs. You can find images of the process in Iowa, Wisconsin, and California. Today, it has been used extensively in the US as a cost-effective repair for sagging and uneven concrete.

When your concrete settles causing a hazard, or your driveway subfloor erodes causing voids or cracks, you don’t have to remove hollow or empty concrete slabs and replace them; you can have them carried away in the mud.

The process requires just a few steps and some special equipment, including a small slurry pump designed to precisely pump the slurry or grout in a controlled manner. The process also requires grout and a few small hand tools. Most contractors typically use a small dump truck or a truck and trailer combination to complete their work. There is a larger, more autonomous truck on the market designed to mix and pump simultaneously. Due to the higher cost of this truck, most mud hijackers use the truck and trailer method.

Is that how it works:

1. A matrix of small holes (less than 2 “) is drilled through the concrete slab. A standard sidewalk section may require 4 holes, a transmission slab may require up to 6.
2. A grout or grout is mixed and pressure pumped through the holes in the concrete fill holes. As the pressure increases, the hydraulic system takes over and the slab rises to its original level. The concrete slab is now raised and supported by the pumped grout underneath it. If multiple slabs are placed in mud, the slabs are leveled at the joints and a new grade is often established.
3. Holes that were drilled are discreetly patched with a concrete mix and capped to mix and hide as much as possible.
4. The concrete that has been sequestered is now ready for use. You can walk on the sidewalks and you can drive on the roads.

The main lesson for homeowners is this: When you have a sagging sidewalk or uneven driveway, consider the mud sequestration process as a cost-effective concrete repair.