Cellular Concrete
StableFill™ cellular concrete solves problems in and around the home
StableFill™ is a lightweight cellular concrete material that has a variety of geotechnical uses, including load-reducing fill, backfill for tunnels and retaining walls, annular grout for tunnels, fill for sinkholes, and more.
Foam concrete can help overcome the problems and challenges caused by unstable soil. As experts in the industry, Baird Foundation Repair uses only the highest quality cellular concrete. Contact us today for a free estimate for StableFill™ cellular concrete in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and South Texas.
What is cellular concrete?
Product Features
- Density can be varied from 20-120lbs per cubic foot
- Compressive strength can be adjusted from 20-3000psi
- Resistant to freeze-thaw
- Lightweight & practically self-leveling
- Fast installation
Cellular concrete goes by a number of different names, including aerated concrete, lightweight insulating concrete, foamed concrete, and air-entrained concrete. Though it can be confusing to have different names for the same thing, this terminology contains some useful descriptive information.
Cellular concrete doesn’t contain aggregate (crushed stone or gravel) as conventional concrete does. Instead, cellular concrete is full of tiny air bubbles that are created by adding a foaming agent to the concrete as the material is mixed.
By controlling the foaming action, it’s possible to “craft” a lightweight cellular concrete mix with a density that ranges from 15 to 120 lbs. per cubic foot. Standard concrete is a much denser, heavier material, with a density of about 145 lbs. per cubic foot.
StableFill™ cellular concrete is an excellent lightweight fill
Since its invention in the 1920s, cellular concrete has been helping foundation repair specialists solve a wide range of structural problems in both commercial and residential applications. Some of the residential uses of cellular concrete include the following:
- Fill material around foundations. When a foundation is excavated for waterproofing or structural repairs, cellular concrete is sometimes used as the backfill material rather than native soil. Because of its lightweight and permeability, cellular concrete can provide improved drainage while imposing less weight against foundation walls. In situations where expansive clay soil has the potential to damage foundation walls, it’s desirable to use cellular concrete instead of clay-rich soil around the foundation.
- Filling voids. Cellular concrete is often the preferred material for filling voids beneath slabs and footings when these elements have to be raised by means of helical or push piers. The resulting voids are odd-shaped and difficult to access. Pumping cellular concrete into the void is a way to fill the space quickly and effectively.
- Slab repairs. Cellular concrete’s excellent flow characteristics make it useful as a skim-coating treatment over a deteriorated concrete slab floor. In this application, the concrete is typically pumped over the old floor. Workers use screeds to distribute and level the material. This treatment results in a new floor surface that’s flat, level and long-wearing.
- Retaining wall backfill. Retaining walls are very common in residential construction; so are retaining wall problems like cracking or tilting. Using cellular concrete rather than soil as a backfill material improves drainage behind the retaining wall, while also reducing the weight of the backfill against the wall.
- Underwater placement. Cellular concrete can be useful to homeowners who live on the water and have docks, jetties or seawalls that are being attacked by marine borers, shipworms or other pests. In these situations, cellular concrete can be used to encapsulate timber piles or retaining walls, creating a barrier to damaging organisms.
Discover if StableFill™ is the right solution for you
Ready to get started on your concrete repair needs? The experts at Baird Foundation Repair will inspect your home and suggest the best options for repairs.
We offer free estimates for all of our services throughout Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and South Texas. Schedule your estimate with us today!