Precision re-levelling of a settled industrial floor at a major aggregate processing facility

Challenge

Floor settlement within an industrial manufacturing facility creates immediate operational and safety risks. Differential movement of the slab can disrupt the alignment of heavy machinery, contribute to racking instability, cause conveyor misalignment and accelerate mechanical wear.

Uneven floor gradients also present significant challenges for forklift operations, where changes in level can affect load stability and increase safety risks for personnel.

Survey data identified critical settlement within the central section of the floor slab. While movement around the slab perimeter was relatively minor at between 3mm and 5mm, the central high-traffic area had settled by as much as 126mm.

A settlement of 126mm over a 15m span significantly exceeded normal industrial serviceability limits and rendered the affected area unsuitable for continued operation.

Alternative solutions considered

Traditional remediation methods, including a piled raft solution, were considered.

However, these approaches would have required extensive slab removal, deep excavation and major construction activities within the operational facility. The resulting programme would have forced a complete plant shutdown for several weeks, creating unacceptable disruption to production and logistics operations.

The client therefore required a precise, non-invasive solution capable of restoring floor levels while maintaining business continuity.

Why Geobear?

Geobear's BBA-certified geopolymer injection technology was selected because of its ability to accurately lift settled structures without excavation or demolition.

The expanding geopolymer generates controlled lifting forces beneath the slab while simultaneously filling voids and compacting surrounding soils. Combined with real-time laser monitoring, the system enables millimetric control of slab movement throughout the lifting process.

This approach offered a significantly less disruptive alternative to traditional underpinning or slab replacement while delivering the precision required within a live industrial environment.

To develop an accurate engineering solution and establish realistic material consumption estimates, Geobear first completed a smaller-scale trial area. The successful trial informed the full treatment design and enabled the development of a well-defined solution.

By applying Geobear's reactive design principles, the client benefited from a tailored treatment strategy and associated cost efficiencies.

Results

The treatment successfully restored the floor slab to a serviceable condition while significantly reducing differential settlement across the facility.

The deepest areas of the slab, which had previously measured between -120mm and -130mm, were lifted and re-levelled to within 0mm to -20mm of target levels.

The result was a substantially more uniform floor profile that restored operational functionality, improved safety conditions and reduced the risks associated with misaligned equipment and uneven floor gradients.

Time saving

The Geobear solution was completed in just two working days.

By avoiding excavation, slab replacement and traditional piled raft construction, the client avoided at least 15 days of operational downtime and the associated disruption to manufacturing and logistics operations.

The facility remained operational throughout the works, ensuring continuity of production.

Carbon saving

The geopolymer solution eliminated the need for large-scale excavation, spoil removal, concrete replacement and heavy construction plant.

By retaining the existing slab and improving the underlying ground conditions, the project delivered significant carbon reductions compared with traditional reconstruction methods while extending the service life of the asset.

Conclusion

Geobear successfully restored a failing industrial floor slab to a serviceable condition without requiring long-term shutdown of the facility.

By combining advanced geopolymer technology with real-time laser monitoring, the team corrected up to 126mm of settlement and returned the floor to operational tolerances within just two working days.

The project demonstrates Geobear's ability to solve complex geotechnical challenges in live industrial environments, helping clients maintain operational continuity, improve safety and extend asset life while avoiding the cost, disruption and carbon impact associated with traditional construction methods.