Had a slab cave in on me at a job site in Phoenix last Tuesday

I was finishing a 4 inch slab for a new patio out in Chandler and the ground gave way right under my float. Turns out the crew before me didn't compact the fill good enough and there was a soft spot the size of a trash can lid. Wasted 3 hours jackhammering it out and re-pouring because of some lazy prep work. Has anyone else had to deal with subgrade failures on residential jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_gray8d ago

Wait, are you really blaming the crew before you for this? That subgrade is YOUR responsibility to check before you pour, not theirs. When I roll up to a job, I don't trust anyone else's prep work, especially on a slab that thin. Four inches doesn't leave any room for error, so you should have been walking every inch of that fill with a probe rod or at least stomping on it yourself. Sounds like you got lazy on the inspection and now you're pointing fingers. I've had to tear out my own work twice because I missed a soft spot, and it stung but it made me a better finisher. Take the hit, learn from it, and next time verify the base yourself before you even mix.

rose_murray8d ago

Preach. Takes one to know one.