A bad slab shows itself slowly: a crack that reopens after each winter, a joint that spalls under forklift wheels, a low spot where water stands after a washdown, a corner that has settled a half inch. At some point the repair stops working and the right answer is to take the floor out and put in a new one. We handle the demolition and slab replacement for industrial and commercial floors in the Santa Fe area, from a single trench for new drains to a full interior floor.
This is noisy work by nature, and the way to keep it quiet is method. Saw cutting makes less vibration than hammering, water suppresses dust, and good planning keeps trucks on the road for as short a time as possible. We tell the neighbors, the landlord and your shift supervisor when the loud days are, and we try to put them in as few days as we can.
Most important is what happens under the slab. Replacing concrete over bad soil only repeats the failure, so we test, correct and compact the subgrade before any new concrete is placed.
Cut, break, load out, correct, place
The sequence starts with a survey of the floor: utility locates, a scan for rebar, conduit and post-tension tendons, and a look at what the old slab sits on. Then we saw cut the limits of the removal, break the concrete in sections that can be handled, and load it out for recycling where a facility can take it. Crushing on site is sometimes possible and cuts hauling.
With the slab out, we inspect the soil. Soft spots are dug out and replaced with compacted base, utilities are repaired while they are exposed, and a vapor barrier goes down where the floor will be covered or hold temperature. Dowels tie new slab to old at the cut line. Concrete is placed, finished, jointed and cured with attention to the details that decide whether it cracks.
Before the first cut: what is in the building
Older buildings can contain asbestos, lead paint or stored chemicals, and a concrete saw cut will not tell you. Surveys come first, and abatement is done by licensed specialists before demolition begins. The renovation of the State Capitol in 1992, for example, included asbestos abatement alongside its mechanical, electrical and accessibility work, a reminder that older public buildings are routinely opened up this way.
Underground hazards deserve the same respect: gas lines, electric conduit, process piping and old tanks. We locate and mark them, hand-dig near them and shut off what must be shut off. Silica dust from cutting and breaking concrete is a health hazard, so we use wet cutting, vacuum extraction and respirators where needed, and keep your workers away from the work zone.
Jobs we do on floors
Typical work includes full floor replacement, partial panel replacement, trench cuts for drains and conduit, equipment pit and sump removal, thickened slab for new equipment, ramp and dock apron replacement, and the repair of heaved or settled sections. We also remove obsolete foundations and machine bases left from earlier operations.
For washdown floors, we form slopes to drains and finish surfaces to the standard food and beverage users need. For forklift traffic in a warehouse building we choose a mix, thickness and joint plan for the loads. When a floor change is part of a larger renovation, it ties to our industrial tenant improvements, and complete building removal goes to industrial demolition services.
Why floor replacement costs what it does
The price turns on area, depth, reinforcement and access. A thick, heavily reinforced slab takes longer to cut and break than a thin one. Tight access, such as a floor inside an occupied building with a narrow door, means smaller equipment and more labor. Disposal and recycling charges add up with volume.
Subgrade condition is the wildcard. If the soil under the slab is soft or wet, the repair grows. We include an allowance and report each finding with photographs, so you see what is under the floor before approving added work. Redeveloped sites, such as the large enclosed retail center on the Cerrillos Road corridor that has seen apartments, a hotel and a bookstore announced in recent years, show how often buildings are reshaped, and slab work is a common part.
Phasing floors around a working plant
Concrete is placed in sections so one part of the plant can keep running while another is replaced. Failed freezer floors, which are a separate problem, are handled with the cold-space team under refrigerated dock retrofits. We sequence the cutting early, protect nearby equipment with barriers and tarps, and bring concrete to the site on schedules agreed with you. Cure time is part of the plan: a slab needs days before light traffic and longer before heavy loads, and we do not rush it.
Winter and summer both affect placement. Cold calls for heated enclosures or blankets, and heat calls for early starts and fogging. We watch the forecast and move pours when the weather is wrong, since a poorly cured slab shows its problems for years.
What a floor job needs from the building department
The Regulation and Licensing Department lists the 2021 New Mexico Existing Building Code, which applies to work in buildings that already stand. Slab replacement is usually a repair or alteration, and the engineer decides whether the structure around the slab is affected. Cutting near footings or columns requires engineering review and sometimes temporary shoring.
Inside the State Capitol and Bataan complex and similar public buildings, owners have their own review procedures that sit on top of permits. We ask early which agency has jurisdiction and what it asks to see.
Look under the floor first
Show us the floor, tell us what is wrong with it and what will sit on the new one. We will survey the slab, test the subgrade and provide a plan with a phasing diagram, an allowance for the unexpected and a straight account of the noise.
Common Questions
Can you replace a slab without shutting my plant?
Often yes, in sections. We cut and pour one area at a time, wall it off, and keep traffic routes open. Some tasks, such as breaking near critical equipment, may need a pause. We list them in advance so you can choose the timing.
How do you control dust and noise?
Wet cutting, vacuum attachments, barriers and scheduled hours. We use saws instead of hammers where possible and limit the loud work to certain days. In a lease building we coordinate with neighbors and landlord. We cannot make demolition silent, but we can make it predictable.
How thick should the new slab be?
It depends on loads, soil and use. Light-duty floors may be 5 inches; heavier forklift or equipment floors are thicker and reinforced. A structural engineer sets the design. We give you an option and cost for each so the decision is informed.
What happens to the old concrete?
We recycle it where facilities are available, often as base material. Crushing on site is sometimes feasible. Rebar is separated and sold for scrap. This reduces trucking and landfill fees and is usually cheaper than disposal.
Do you test the soil under the slab?
Yes. We probe or test after removal and before placing base, and repair soft areas. If a geotechnical engineer is involved, we follow their recommendations. A new slab over bad soil fails quickly.