Breaking Up A Cement Sidewalk Crack

[Ellyn Petrusky]

Although most people believe that the roots are responsible for cracking the cement through which they grow, this actually is not true. Cement cracks on its own, responding to changes in soil volume as it expands and contracts due to moisture level and temperature. Once the cement begins to crack, the roots find an opening which offers them both light and air, and they move toward it. This widens cracks considerably, and pushes up the cement underneath, also known as heaving.

breaking up a cement sidewalk crack
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Many trees have roots that grow quite quickly, and are invasive. They do not confine themselves to their planting areas, pushing instead through any opening providing by cracking or crumbling sidewalks. Avoid trees like sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, or American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9. Avoid shallow-rooted species altogether, opting instead for trees that grow deep roots.

When installed properly, concrete is one of the most durable and long lasting products you can use around your home. But it is important that concrete contractors follow well-established guidelines with respect to concrete placement. Durable, high strength, and crack resistant concrete does not happen by accident.

The Sidewalk Crack Project is an attempt to document locations where Davis sidewalks are in desperate need of repair. This includes major cracks and uplifted sections. Naturally, potholes should be document with the Pothole Project. Sidewalk cracks present hazards to the elderly, disabled, Chihuahuas, those pushing strollers, and people who do not pay attention to where they are walking. Furthermore, they are potentially dangerous to people on roller-blades, roller-skates, skateboards, and bicycles. These sidewalk deformities are a liability and, in some instances, can lead to litigation and even death.

This specialty foam gently elevates concrete slabs or other damaged surfaces, restores its stability and structural integrity, and provides a moisture barrier between the soil and the concrete. Steps, sidewalks, residential driveways, slab floors, pool decks, and other concrete with cracks and uneven areas are all capable of receiving this easy, quick treatment.



Multiple cracking is the condition where panel(s) have more than a single random crack running through it. This condition is judged on the severity and the walkability of the affected panel and the normal longevity of the sidewalk when this condition exists.

Sidewalks should be free of cracks or holes and have an even surface. NYC relies on property owners to maintain the sidewalk adjacent to their property, including repairs and removal of snow, ice, or debris.

Existing sidewalks in these commercial districts do not need to be replaced to meet the standard. These may remain as they are, unless replacement of more than 50 percent of the sidewalk in front of a lot is planned, then pigmented concrete must be used. Property owners may choose to use the pigmented concrete standard if replacing less than 50 percent of their sidewalk.

If any sidewalk flag on the PIR (sketch) is marked with an "X", NYC DOT may replace the sidewalk flag at no charge to the property owner. A final decision regarding the replacement of such flag will be made by a Department of Design and Construction (DDC) engineer at the time of construction.

Tripstop helps t0 eliminate future sidewalk repairs that are costly, damaging to the environment and highly inconvenient. It also removes any trip and safety hazards that occur when regular sidewalk lifts and cracks. If the whole sidewalk needs to be replaced, use to obtain maintenance free sidewalk.

Many alternatives to traditional sidewalks exist, ranging from short-term responsive measures to proactive installations that allow for long-term tree growth. Additionally, alternative repair and replacement designs can help expand planting site size and limit further conflict from existing trees. Utilizing such alternatives could reduce costly maintenance and repairs while helping preserve trees in Portland.

One problem with traditional paving is that it cracks and raises when roots grow under the surface. Alternatives include rubber pavers, composite plastic pavers, bricks, or pervious concrete. Pavers and bricks are more flexible than concrete, allowing roots to grow underneath without cracking the surface. They are also easier to repair. Pervious concrete allows air and water to pass through the surface of the sidewalk more easily, encouraging roots to grow deeper under the surface.

Never pave over the roots of a tree, as doing so will almost certainly kill the tree and lead to many problems in the future. If you have to put in a driveway, consider bending it away from the tree (similar to the meandering sidewalks), or using pavers. The pavers are less likely to crack and easier to replace.

QUIKRETE Concrete Patching Compound (No. 8650-35) is a ready-to-use, trowel applied acrylic latex formulation for making repairs to cracks, holes and breaks up to 1/4" deep in concrete, stucco or masonry walls, sidewalks, patios, driveways, etc.

When our concrete steps were poured a few years ago, the contractor did not put an expandable joint between the bottom step and the concrete sidewalk slab. Can I use the grinder to create a joint and follow these directions. There is a crack between the step and slab.
thanks.

So, you might be asking, "How do I prevent my driveway from cracking and crumbling?" or "Should I use a driveway sealer?" And the answer is: it's easier and less expensive than you think to protect your driveway and other concrete, like sidewalks, patios, and pool decks.

Unfortunately, sprinkling salt on your driveway and sidewalks doesn't help either. Not only does it assist the freeze/ thaw cycle, but the salt itself accelerates the breakdown of concrete by causing corrosion under the surface, leading to cracked and crumbling concrete.

Tensile strength is the ability of concrete to resist breaking or cracking under tension. It affects the size of cracks in concrete structures and the extent to which they occur. Cracks occur when tensile forces exceed the tensile strength of the concrete.

Concrete is the most common building material around the world. Since the invention of modern cement by Louis Vicat in 1817, research and development efforts have improved its properties: applications have been improved, mechanical strength and chemical resistance have been increased and new materials such as pre-stressed concrete have been developed. Has concrete become perfect over the years? Looking carefully at the many concrete structures that surround us, even including the most recent buildings, we see that not one of these structures is perfectly intact. This highlights the unavoidable weakness of concrete: its tendency to crack. Cracking is exacerbated by the factor which made concrete so popular: its compatibility with steel, and the ability of reinforced concrete to meet the requirements for an advanced building material. However, are cracks all the same? Certainly not! In fact, cracks can be caused by several different factors such as deformation, hydraulic shrinkage, thermal shrinkage or swelling. The main differences are explained below.

The tensile strength of concrete is only about one 10th of its compressive strength, which is why concrete is almost never used without reinforcement. The most widely used type of reinforcement is the incorporation of steel reinforcement bars in areas exposed to tensile stress. This type of concrete is commonly referred to as "reinforced concrete". Other types of reinforcement may include synthetic fibers. Deformation cracks are mainly caused by soil settlement or loads which are too high for the structure.

A piece of concrete in the open air usually shrinks during hardening. This shrinkage is due to the evaporation of part of the water contained in the concrete. Cracking occurs when shrinkage forces become greater than the strength of the concrete. This can be seen as a race against time between two phenomena: the evaporation of water and the increase in the strength of concrete. This is also true for concrete parts that cannot deform. In the case of shrinkage, deformation cannot occur. These conditions create internal stress, which lead to cracking, when the stress exceeds the strength of the concrete. It should be said that any concrete structure which is immersed or located in an atmosphere saturated with moisture has very low dimensional variation. Cracking can take place before the concrete has set. This is not purely as a result of hydraulic shrinkage, but rather of a shrinkage due to evaporation of a part of the water or due to absorption of the support. This phenomenon mainly affects pavements cast in hot and dry weather, or concrete laid in cold weather in heated rooms or on a porous support. Cracks occur in specific areas such as concrete joints and in the vicinity of reinforcements.

There are several factors which may cause concrete to swell. The most relevant are the following. Concrete may swell because of salts such as sulfates, which can be contained in the earth in direct contact with the concrete. This leads to a chemical reaction with the aluminate in the cement itself forming an expansive substance. Swelling may also occur as a result of the freezing of the free water in the concrete, which increases in volume when it is turned into ice. Finally, swelling may be caused by oxidation of the internal reinforcement in the concrete, a phenomenon which is accelerated by the presence of cracks! All these phenomena, even if of different nature, lead to the same result: the creation of internal tensile forces, which will lead to the appearance of cracks if they exceed the strength of the concrete.

Concrete is highly alkaline and therefore protects steel reinforcement, ensuring that reinforced concrete is an outstandingly durable material. Nevertheless, the rebars may corrode under certain conditions, forming rust. As the volume of corrosion products (rust) formed is greater than the volume of the initial rebar, this causes tensile stress on the concrete. In the case of advanced corrosion, the concrete may crack and delaminate. The main causes of corrosion of steel in concrete are:
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