Our Sinkhole Repair Process

Our teams utilize the newest equipment and technology for drilling and grouting operations. This ensures that your sinkhole repair, or remediation, is completed very quickly (often in less than a week). In addition, the placement of piers and underpins can be done with the utmost precision, ensuring your repair lasts for a lifetime.

Remediation Tools

Geo-Logical can choose from several different options (and combinations) to lift, re-level and permanently support a building or structure that is being affected by sinkhole activity.

Steel Pressure Underpins

Steel pressure underpins are installed around the perimeter of the structure and are attached to the foundation slab. Steel pressure underpins are pushed (or drilled) down to the top of the rock surface using high-tech precision hydraulic machinery and are used to lift, re-level and permanently support the building or structure.

The applications for Underpins include, but are not limited to:

  • Single story buildings & structures
  • Multi-level buildings & structures
  • Commercial and industrial structures
  • Interior load bearing walls
  • Concrete grout material injection and compaction
  • Any other heavy structure

Compaction Grouting

Compaction Grouting is a method of improving subsurface soils affected by sinkhole conditions. The process begins by advancing 3 inch diameter, flush coupled steel casing to competent limestone. In Florida, this depth can vary between about 5 and 150 feet. Geo-Logical, Inc. exclusively utilizes the mud-rotary wash method of casing installation. This method allows us to install grout casing with zero vibration, thereby minimizing the risk of unplanned rapid consolidation or collapse of soils.

Once the casing is installed the pumping process can begin. We start by slightly raising the grout point and then pump at carefully monitored and controlled pressures a grout mixture designed to meet the projects specific needs. This grout material is similar to the mortar used between concrete blocks or bricks. Unlike a slurry grout, it does not mix with subsurface soils, but displaces them; expanding in the path of least resistance. This grout material pushes weak soils, thereby compacting them and increasing their strength.

Compaction Grouting accomplishes three distinct improvements to the subsurface environment. First, it fills in any voids or solution channels that exist at the surface of the limestone. Second, it creates a seal across the surface of the limestone and finally, it strengthens soil weakened by sinkhole activity by displacing and compacting those soils.

During the pumping process, the force required to inject the grout is constantly measured and the subject and neighboring structures are constantly monitored for movement.

Grouted Injection Piers

The methodology for installing grouted injection piers to lift, re-level and permanently support a building or structure is nearly identical to underpinning, except that a controlled-pressure injection of grouting is also added to compact the soil surrounding the piers to provide additional stabilization.