The Problem
A driveway slab had settled roughly 4 inches due to washout from uphill water. The concrete itself was in excellent condition, but the loss of supporting material beneath the slab had left a significant drop.
The homeowner had been using gravel as a bypass to get over the drop in the slab. There was also a low spot near the garage, while the sidewalk approach to the front porch had sagged over a void and was beginning to develop hairline cracks. The front porch step had also dropped over a void.
The gravel was removed so the driveway could be properly addressed rather than continuing to work around the settlement.
The Work
Driveway Lift
Starting with the driveway, the solution was a mechanical lift using a jack. The driveway would lift until the concrete began to bind. At that point, the concrete saw was run along the seam before continuing the lift.
This lift-and-saw process was repeated approximately five or six times. By working through the cycles gradually, the slabs could be separated and lifted until the driveway was raised edge to edge.
Lifting into place exposed many hairline cracks and these were crack-chased and caulked.
The driveway was ultimately raised approximately 4 inches, restoring the elevation without replacing the existing slabs.
Garage Area
The adjustment near the garage was relatively simple. A few shots were used to make the necessary correction, followed by void filling to support the slab beneath the repaired area.
Sidewalk and Porch
The sidewalk and front porch area required a mechanical lift at the lowest section of the slump, followed by void filling to restore support beneath the slabs.
Hairline cracks were crack-chased and caulked as part of the lift and repair.
The front porch step was also lifted and supported after being found to have dropped over a void.
The Result
The completed project demonstrates how much damage water can do when it washes out the supporting material beneath concrete. In this case, the existing slabs were still in excellent condition and did not need to be replaced.
The driveway was lifted back toward its original elevation, the low area near the garage was corrected, and the sidewalk and porch areas were lifted and supported.
The result was a restored driveway and improved access to the front porch while preserving the existing concrete.