The story below originally appeared in Foundation Supportworks, Inc.'s June newsletter, and was written by Mike Fuqua, a technical project manager within FSI. Mike received his B.M.E from the University of Delaware in 2006, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
PolyLEVEL injection for concrete leveling and lifting has been one of the biggest construction breakthroughs in recent years. Quick curing, durable, minimally invasive, environmentally sound - it almost seems too good to be true.
Because PolyLEVEL is so much lighter and more easily injected than mud jacking, we often get questions from our customers as to how durable PolyLEVEL can really be. Well, in 2006 the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois began running tests on PolyLEVEL materials, and came to some pretty outstanding conclusions. According to the study:
- PolyLEVEL does not lose strength in dry or wet conditions - even at temperatures reaching 195°F.
- PolyLEVEL does not lose strength or integrity during the freeze and thaw cycle that we see here in the Midwest.
- PolyLEVEL doesn't show any breakdown or release of gases when exposed to the equivalent of 1,000 years-worth of radiation.
- PolyLEVEL doesn't biodegrade when exposed to microorganisms.
Even better news: since PolyLEVEL does not degrade under the slab, there is no need to worry about the contamination of soil or groundwater with dangerous compounds. Multiple studies have shown that, over the lifecycle of a buried polyurethane foam (PUF), there is no evidence of leaching of any dangerous chemicals which could cause health or environmental problems.
What's more, just because PolyLEVEL doesn't degrade under the slab doesn't mean it's impossible to dispose of properly. At the end of PolyLEVEL's service life, it can be recycled or reused in a variety of ways; ground PUF waste can be used as filler in other materials, while incinerated PUF can enhance fuel burning efficiencies of municipal solid waste furnaces. And, because it doesn't leach chemicals, disposal in landfills is always a viable option as well.
So, no need to pause on PolyLEVEL-it is the best long term solution for slab lifting.
With multiple options for disposal and no environmentally harmful chemical leaching, PolyLEVEL is the ecologically safe solution that will last (more than one) lifetime.
You can click through to find out more about how PolyLEVEL works, or give us a call today at 800-827-0702 to schedule your free estimate with one of our PolyLEVEL technicians.