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| | Dear Sidewalk Wizard: In my walks around the neighborhood, including the southwest corner of Edna Street at Pennfield Avenue, I've noticed places where holes have been drilled in the sidewalk over an inch in diameter and three-to-four feet apart. Most are filled in, but not all. What's this about? B.P.@ |
| | Behold the work of Concrete Raisers of Idaho, a specialized company under contract to ACHD from time to time.
ACHD has a program to repair hazardous sidewalks. One hazard type occurs when a whole slab of sidewalk sinks, creating a good place to stub your toe, trip, fall, bloody up your palms, and sprain your wrist.
The Concrete Raiser drills the small holes you have seen and then injects a sandy grout under low pressure beneath the sunken slab. This raises the slab so it is flush with the slabs next to it, then hardens. The process costs a third of what it would take to remove the sunken slab and pour a new one.
Some holes at Edna/Pennfield are unplugged because the freeze-thaw of winter overtook the job. Nighttime freezes can pop the plugs out, so those will get fixed with warmer nights.
Homeowners and homeowner associations have been known to raise sunken (private) sidewalks, garage floors, patios, and driveway slabs. I bet it's fun to watch.
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