Using Viral Product, Saber Stabilizes Concrete at LAX After Rain Washout
A sinking concrete pad with heavy machinery caused a safety concern at Los Angeles International Airport, before it was stabilized and lifted back into place.
Saber Foundation Repair lifted a concrete pad at an LAX parking structure more than 5 inches in April as part of the airport's Capital Improvement Program.
Soil washout from under concrete slabs around LAX, and across much of southern California, caused a concrete pad to sink almost half a foot last month. The large concrete pad holds heavy machinery on it, which likely exacerbated the drop. A contracting company working at the airport determined the uneven slab was a safety hazard and invited Saber onsite to inspect the damage.
The unseasonable amount of rain the area received earlier in the year caused the soil to wash away. When water gets under a concrete slab it can soften and wash away some of the soil, eroding the layer under the slab. This causes concrete slabs to then sink or crack.
Saber’s concrete repair crew, headed up by foreman Alvino Cardenas, injected a polyurethane foam under the concrete pad. The foam expands under the slab, filling void areas of soil. Once the foam is done expanding, it quickly cures – or hardens.
Videos of the foam, called PolyLevel, have gone viral on social media. The product is supplied to Saber by Supportworks, a company headquartered in the Midwest.
