A major public university in the Midwest began a multi-phase renovation of its student recreation center— that houses weight rooms, group-fitness studios, and intramural courts. Phase 1 exposed a critical issue: a 3,600 ft² slab in the strength-training zone had settled as much as 2.5 inches with concrete voids, jeopardizing plans for a new high-performance sports flooring system. The design-build team faced three constraints:
- Time – Phase 2 (installing a shock-absorbing overlay and new equipment) was scheduled to start in five days to keep summer-session athletes on track.
- Budget – Nationwide price spikes in concrete, rebar, and trucking had already stretched the project’s contingency.
- Durability – The space sees hundreds—sometimes thousands—of students per day, with free weights exceeding 800 lbs being dropped repeatedly. Any remediation had to deliver long-term slab stability and manufacturer-approved flatness for the overlay warranty.
Challenge
Traditional tear-out and re-pour would have taken weeks of demo, forming, curing, and grinding—well beyond the schedule—and added roughly 40% to the concrete scope. Self-leveling underlayments alone could hide the dips but would not arrest the underlying soil movement that caused the settlement, risking reflective cracking and voids within a few seasons.
Solution
The university’s facilities team engaged LevelUp Concrete Solutions to evaluate an alternative: polyurethane slab-lifting and soil stabilization using the PolyLevel® system from Supportworks.
Assessment & Engineering
- Foundation and concrete assessment for structural components.
- Laser-level survey established a detailed lift plan with 0.125-inch tolerances to satisfy ANSI FF/FL criteria for athletic floors.
PolyLevel Injection
- The crew drilled 3/8-inch ports in a 4 × 4-foot grid – 3600 square foot area – to inject expanding two-part polyurethane.
- PolyLevel’s rapid expansion raised low areas up to several inches, returning the slab to within ±¹⁄₁₆-inch of design elevations.
- The foam achieved 90% compressive strength in 15 minutes, allowing real-time laser verification and iterative lifts until specs were met.
Deep Soil Stabilization
- To avert future settlement, an extended-set polymer was injected an additional below the slab perimeter, binding loose fill and increasing bearing capacity.
- The process created a moisture-resistant subgrade, critical for a building with fluctuating humidity from pool and shower facilities nearby.
Results
| Goal | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Tight Turnaround | Complete lift, stabilization, and surface prep in one day enabling Phase 2 to stay on its original start date. |
| Finish On Budget | Delivered at an estimated 52% lower cost than demolition/re-pour, keeping the overall renovation under the Board-approved cap. |
| Optimal Durability For High Traffic Area | PolyLevel carries a 10-year transferable warranty against resettlement. |
| Minimal Disruption | The recreation center remained open; only the weight-room bay was cordoned off for one day versus a projected week-long closure. |
Client Feedback
“LevelUp turned what looked like a schedule-killer into a one-day fix. Their real-time leveling checks gave our facilities management and engineers confidence, and their warranty lets us focus on students—not slab movement.”
— Director of Facilities
Key Takeaways
- Speed without compromise: PolyLevel’s rapid cure enabled same-day return to service, proving invaluable for academic facilities bound by tight timelines.
- Cost control: Eliminating demo haul-off, formwork, and extended labor cut nearly substantially of the anticipated concrete spend.
- Long-term assurance: Deep injection addressed root-cause soil issues, supporting heavy loads from racks, platforms, and constant foot traffic.
About LevelUp Concrete Solutions
Based in Indiana, LevelUp specializes in precision concrete lifting, void filling, and soil stabilization for residential and commercial customers. The team pairs Supportworks engineered materials with digital-guided tools to deliver durable, warrantied results—often in a single day. If you need concrete repair, reach out to us for a free estimate.
