Leveling a Sunken Concrete Barn Floor in Three Rivers, MI

Wednesday, July 21st, 2021 by Margot Cornelius

Challenge

Olga B. purchased her neighbor's plot and built a pole barn on the property. Soon after purchase, she noticed a deep void between the dirt and the concrete floor of the barn. Her concern was that a sinkhole was forming. The hole was so deep she could throw rocks into the depression that was visible from the edge of the driveway. The washout extended all the way under the barn's concrete floor and threatened the integrity of the driveway. Olga contacted Ayers Basement Systems to not only level the barn floor but also check the structural integrity of the driveway.

Solution

After a free and no obligation inspection, we found that the concrete floor and the barn structure it supports were too heavy for the soil to support. In this scenario, the concrete will eventually settle over time. Heavy rains and flooding can also cause washout to happen, and this needs immediate attention. We chose to use PolyLevel to restore the concrete floor to a level, stable position and prevent future erosion and washout.

During the PolyLevel installation, the crew drilled several small holes in the concrete floor and then injected the PolyLevel material, which consists of lightweight polymers which then expand to lift the slab back to a level position. These high-density polymers lifted the concrete slab back to its original position, preventing the floors and walls from cracking any further. Olga will not have to worry about any further sinking or washout as the polymers strengthen and stabilize loose soil over time.