When there is an issue with the soil around your home, you are faced with a serious dilemma. Since picking up your home and moving it to another area of soil is not an option, you have to think of a more practical solution. One of these solutions is compaction grouting. Compaction grouting is a method of soil correction that works to repair issues with settlement problems, for both new and old homes. How is Compaction Grouting Performed? Compaction grouting generally begins with the installation of a still grout casing that houses an injection pipe. This casting is typically installed around your home using a specialized piece of equipment, known as a drill rig. Using a method called the rotary wash, the casing is inserted as deep as possible into the ground. By forcing the casing to maximum depths, it is better able to penetrate into the limestone several feet. This step is repeated until all the necessary grout casings have been installed. Once they have all been properly installed, every pipe is flushed in order to ensure that it has a clear path free of obstructions. If the flushing is successful the process can move forward, if the flush is unsuccessful the entire process will need to be repeated for that particular casing and pipe. Once all the pipes have been flushed properly, the grout is now ready to be pumped through. The grout is pumped through the pipes by attaching the pipe to a concrete pump. Once the connection is secure, the grout is pumped into each of the pipes. While the grout is being pumped through each of the casings, the process of removing the casing is begin. As part of compaction grouting process, the casing that was inserted into the ground also has to be removed. In slow, measured increments, the steel casing is slowly removed from the ground. This process can take some time as the casing is only moved a couple of feet each time. As the casing is removed, the compaction grout will begin to spread around until it has covered the entire surface of the limestone. By spreading around and covering the surface, the compaction grout creates a barrier of sorts that helps to prevent the upper levels of soil from penetrating through any small cracks or fissures in the limestone. Each time the grout casing is removed from the ground at increasingly higher areas the compaction grouting installed. This is part of the reason that the lifting of the steel casing is so slow – to ensure every area receives equal injection. Each time the steel casing is elevated, pumping of the grout continues again. Once the level of pressure on the pump is high enough, it will lift the steel grout again and repeat this process until it has reached the surface level. It's Important to Choose the Right Service The process of compaction grouting is a highly specialized process that should not be attempted by just anyone. Since it is so specialized, it is important that you be cautious when selecting companies to perform this type of service for you. A settlement problem can potentially lead to a major issue, so you don't want to leave the safety and well being of your home and family to just anyone. Instead, you only want to rely on those who have a proven track record of experience and successful results. Although it might be difficult to find a large number of companies who offer this service in your local area, taking the time to research and find the most reliable compaction grouting service will be well worth the effort in the long run.
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