We were contacted soon after a fire sprinkler main burst at this warehouse facility, causing erosion of base material under the slab and lifting the slab up 4 in. before the water was turned off. The water eroded portions of the base material, forcing it up through the joints in the slab. We immediately responded to the call to begin documenting damage and sediment deposits.
The water had eroded under the concrete tilt-up panels and foundation footings. We were able to quickly work with a local contractor to stabilize and brace the wall panels, until repair work could be completed at the broken pipe.
When a warehouse slab is lifted by water, it does not always settle back into its original position because the water can transport the soil to new areas, leaving voids under the slab where the slab in no longer in full contact with soil. In a warehouse, these voids can become a problem due to the cyclic loading on the slab caused by heavy forklift traffic.
We performed a relative elevation survey to view the relative levelness of the warehouse slab. We also coordinated the use of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Slab Impulse Response (SIR) to determine the extent of the voids and loss of subgrade support under the slab. Based upon the testing performed, We were able to recommend how much of the slab needed to be replaced. TSA also supplied construction documents for the replacement of the slab and performed construction administration during the work.
