What is Poly Foam Used For?

What is JACKCRETE?

JACKCRETE is both a series of polyurethane foam systems and the company that applies them. As a subsidiary of a large contractor specializing in foam roofing and insulation, JACKCRETE was able to take the specializations of its parent company and apply it to a new arena- subterranean infrastructure repairs. By developing specialized foam systems with precise density, expansion, and weight, JACKCRETE was able to find solutions to many different residential concrete issues and infrastructure problems. Over time JACKCRETE has been able to expand on their expertise, finding solutions to problems that before would be significantly more expensive to fix with increased downtime.

Lifting and Leveling

JACKCRETE began with a core offering of lifting and leveling concrete slabs around the Hampton Roads area. Professional polyurethane foam concrete lifting and leveling is the cost-effective and safety-conscious way to repair settled concrete surfaces of any shape or size. While originally residential, large commercial property managers and multiple municipalities rely on JACKCRETE for wide-range concrete repair. This process will help to reduce injury risks and can restore property values.

Stabilization

There doesn’t have to be settlement for infrastructure problems to surface. By reinforcing an area before other signs of damage begin to appear, a long-term project can be reduced to an afternoon stabilizing a structure to prevent further damage from occurring. When tasked with stabilizing the RuhRPumpen facility in Hampton, JACKCRETE had to stabilize the soil without lifting the factory floor more than 1/1000th of an inch. This work allowed RuhRPumpen to continue production and avoid weeks of downtime that would have otherwise been necessary. For the work, JACKCRETE was awarded the 2016 Industry Excellence Award in the Specialty Applications category. 

Void Filling

Large voids underneath infrastructure can cause settlement or cracking, and can potentially lead to the infrastructure being decommissioned for large-scale repairs or replacement. While most void issues addressed by the JACKCRETE Team have been under garage slabs, pool decks, or driveways, voids can exist under significantly larger infrastructure too. The team recently completed a project under the bridge at Beach Road in Hampton, Virginia, where soil washout was leaving large voids underneath the bridge. This expansive hole added strain to the concrete, potentially lowering the usable life of the bridge were it to continue operating without repair. To avoid any structural damage and ensure a long lifespan for the bridge, JACKCRETE injected industrial foam systems to eliminate all voids and prevent further washout from occurring. To date, no further voids have formed under the bridge at beach road!

Breach Abatement and Underpinning

When water is able to bypass infrastructure meant to keep water out, there can be serious consequences. After breaching a concrete barrier, large areas of soil are washed away as more water flows in. Repair options for such a problem are minimal, historically being relegated to destruction of all infrastructure, soil compaction, and recreation of the infrastructure systems. For many areas such as bridges or tunnels where a several week long closure is simply not an option, JACKCRETE comes in. The best example of our work in this arena was at the Midtown Tunnel connecting Norfolk to Portsmouth in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Over the course of the multi-day project the different water-logged voids present behind the walls of the tunnel entrance were eradicated with light-weight, slowly expanding foam. Since completion, there have been no reported leaks in the areas worked by the JACKCRETE team and the project was significant enough to be nationally awarded.

In Conclusion

JACKCRETE began as a way of diversifying our parent companies vast knowledge of spray foam systems into other markets. As we continue to grow, our exploratory approach continues as we strive to save homeowners, companies, and governments the cost of large-scale repairs or infrastructure replacement. In the future we plan to continue researching innovative uses for our different systems so we can continue to save Hampton Roads companies time and money.

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