Concrete Heaving

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Concrete Heaving

The cold temperatures here in Ottawa can cause the physical properties of a material to concentrate or contract, this happens to masonry, and concrete, and anything constructed from these materials, such as patio slabs, sidewalks, driveways, foundation, and retaining walls. Water, on the other hand behaves just the opposite. This translates into when moisture freezes it expands due to the property of water that makes it increase in volume by ten percent greater than its volume in its fluid state this is called frost heaving.

Additionally, when water is trapped or absorbed in a confined area into, beneath, or between concrete sections, the expansion will cause the concrete to heave resulting in crumbling, cracking or breaking apart, know as concrete heaving. This is due to the force that frozen water can exert, upwards of 79,000 lbs per square inch. This impact will manifest into cracked foundations, walls, sidewalks, and driveways, and may result in causing a deck post to rise out of the ground. However, water is not always the determining factor with damage to concrete or masonry.

Another resource is the Ottawa soil that may have high concentrations of clay that has a strong absorption rate of moisture. This means that rather than allowing moisture to drain or filter through the soil, it traps it, which, when it freezes causes the soil to expand and creating the same issues a frost heaving. The destructive nature of moisture can be devastating and therefore, when it comes to repairing the damage it takes someone experienced in foundation repair.

A Foundation Repair Ottawa specialist has the ability to identify the root cause of the damage. Once they determine the how the damage happened, they will find the best avenue to address the issue and make the repairs in a manner that will prevent concrete heaving in the future. When the issues are caught in a timely manner, it can avoid further troubles manifesting in more severe damage to a foundation, wall, or floor.


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