Minor Joint Damage can turn into major problems if not addressed.
When forklifts run over the joints in the floor do they bounce up and down? Is it dangerous for the drivers loads and those around them? If the answer is yes, you may have more a problem at hand then you thought. Concrete slab joint problems are common in warehouse floors that have heavy forklift traffic especially if the slab is not reinforced (or not reinforced well). If this issue of joint deflection upon impact is not addressed, over time the concrete will not be able to take the stress any longer and will eventually crack and continue to crack. It could cause large obstacles for the forklift drivers, damage product they are carrying and damage the lifts themselves.
Solution for Rocking, Moving, or Shifting Slabs
When bouncing slabs are noticed, it is important to address them quickly to prevent costly repairs in the future. Installing a Somero Matson Joint Saver is the only permanent solution available today. There are other means of stabilizing the concrete slabs, such as epoxy, urethane, or subslab grout injections, but these are temporary fixes. Eventually the weak subbase will be compressed again causing the slabs to rock again. In addition, this is not a cost-effective solution. Because the technicians installing it cannot know how much will be needed to fill these sub slab voids, you are being charged an unknown amount based on how much material and time they have in the project. With the Somero Matson Joint Saver, rocking slabs are diagnosed with a deflection meter and the exact number of devices can be quoted to you to permanently stop you slab from moving under forklift traffic.
How the devices work:
The technology behind this device is amazing. It puts approximately 10,000 pound of pressure against each slab to lock them together. Once installed, the deflection is measured again and is brought within the ACI (American Concrete Institute) Standards for joint deflection. This not only protects your concrete floor from future damage and cracking, but also your forklifts and product are protected from damage.
Joint Stabilizers are installed with little downtime.
Titus Restoration is a certified installer of the Joint Saver and has successfully stabilized rocking slabs and joint movement all over the country. Contact us for more information on this product!