Concrete Tripping Hazard Repair

The nature of the sidewalk trip hazard will determine the approach you take to repair it. If it were due to a sunken block, you’d need to raise it.

If it were due to a raised region on the sidewalk, you’d need to remove the hazard to level the ground. Here are a few quick solutions for leveling the concrete sidewalk hazards.

Raise Sunken Sidewalk

You can raise sunken sidewalk blocks by using polyurethane foam injection, the mud jacking technique or just replacing the concrete. Replacing the concrete will be a viable option if it has deteriorated or it if it has cracked dramatically.

For this option, you’ll basically pour a new concrete slab though the problem may reappear again if the soil underneath may not handle the weight of the slab.

For the mud jacking approach, you’ll be lifting the concrete to level the sidewalk by pumping grout through the affected concrete area. You’ll then push this grout from below to push the concrete up.

Finally, the polyurethane foam injection

approach relies on expanding polyurethane foam for lifting the concrete slab. For this approach, you will inject the foam through a hole that’s about ⅝-inch and allow the reaction between the two part-poly of the product to lift the slab.

Level Raised Concrete

If the sidewalk hazards are due to raised sections on the ground, you still have three options of leveling the affected regions. Here’s a breakdown of the options that are available for you.

• Precision Concrete Cutting

Most contractors prefer precision concrete cutting because it leaves an aesthetically appealing ground. It is also much more efficient as compared to conventional methods of leveling raised concrete sidewalks.

Of course, if your sidewalk contains concrete curbs you’ll want to make sure you’re using the correct tools and machinery for that aspect of the project as well.

For this approach, your focus will be on texturing the concrete to convert it to a non-slip surface. You’ll basically be saw-cutting the trip hazards with patented equipment to ensure that they comply with the Americans with Disabilities Acts requirements.

• Using Concrete Grinders or Scarifiers

Your choice for the concrete grinders or scarifiers will be influenced by the type of concrete sidewalk you wish to level. If the trip hazard was due to bad pour or demolition activity on the surface, and the concrete is more than ⅛-inch, a scarifier would be a preferable option.

This is because it would clear the mess quickly than a grinder would do. If the trip hazard was due to thicker coating and you wish to polish the pavement after removing the trip hazard, the concrete grinding approach would be a preferable option.

Dig Out/ Remove Raised Concrete & Replace

This is a more labor intensive approach for leveling sidewalks to remove trip hazards. Usually, it involves removing the entire pavement so you remain with bare ground.

After exposing the bare ground, you’ll level it and perform other prep activities to make it ready for the new slab. Once you’re sure that the surface is prepared, pour the concrete slab and let the sidewalk to cure.

The primary advantage of this option is that it addresses other possible underneath conditions that could make the surface become a trip hazard. It also improves the physical appeal of the sidewalk.

Contributing Factors to Tripping Hazards:

• Buckling: These refer to large and uneven broken concrete slabs. In most cases, they develop from tree roots that push up from underneath the sidewalks.
• Snow and Ice: Snow and ice are quite common in arctic regions. It is always advisable to remove them to minimize the risks of trip, slip and fall accidents.
• Cracks: Cracks on the sidewalks are usually caused by changes in seasonal temperatures, the soil conditions or change in weather conditions. They may also be due to inferior materials that could have been used in repairing the sidewalks.
• Uneven Pavements: The common cause of uneven pavements on sidewalks is the separation of concrete or asphalt. This may be due to heavy traffic or tree roots heaving up some areas on the pavement.