Your Premier Commercial Concrete Partner in Kalamazoo

Our process begins with a thorough site analysis and review of the geotechnical report. Understanding the soil’s load-bearing capacity, composition, and the water table level is paramount. We then engineer a foundation solution tailored to these specific conditions. This may include:

• Shallow Foundations: For stable soil conditions and lighter structures, we design and install conventional strip footings and spread footings, ensuring they are placed below Kalamazoo’s frost line to prevent structural damage from frost heave during the harsh Michigan winters.

• Deep Foundations:For larger, heavier structures or sites with less stable soil, we have the expertise to work with deep foundation systems like caissons or helical piles, ensuring your building is anchored to a firm, load-bearing stratum.

We utilize advanced forming techniques and high-quality, specially formulated concrete mixes with the appropriate strength (measured in PSI) and air entrainment to resist freeze-thaw cycles. Our ACI-certified technicians oversee every pour, ensuring proper placement, consolidation, and curing. With JDE Concrete, your business will be built on a foundation of unwavering reliability and engineered longevity.

From the bustling floors of warehouses and manufacturing facilities to the polished surfaces of retail stores and brewery taprooms, solid and level concrete slabs are the unsung heroes of commercial operations. They provide the stable, durable base upon which your business functions day in and day out.

Our Slab-on-Grade Expertise:

The quality of a concrete slab is determined long before the first yard of concrete is poured. Our process includes:

1. Subgrade Preparation: This is the most critical step. We meticulously prepare the subgrade, ensuring it is properly compacted and graded to provide uniform support and prevent future settling or cracking. In areas with expansive clay or poor soil, we may recommend soil stabilization or the use of an engineered fill.
2. Vapor Barriers: To protect your interior space from moisture migrating up from the ground—a crucial consideration in Michigan’s humid summers—we install a high-quality vapor barrier directly beneath the slab.
3. Reinforcement: Depending on the intended use and load requirements, we engineer the appropriate reinforcement, which may include welded wire mesh, rebar, or fibrous reinforcement integrated directly into the concrete mix.
   To protect your interior space from moisture migrating up from the ground—a crucial consideration in Michigan’s humid summers—we install a high-quality vapor barrier directly beneath the slab.
4. Pouring and Finishing:Our team is adept at placing and finishing large-scale slabs to tight tolerances for flatness and levelness (FF/FL numbers), which is critical for warehouse operations involving forklifts or sensitive equipment. We meticulously plan control joint placement to manage natural shrinkage and prevent random cracking.

We adhere to the strictest standards of craftsmanship, ensuring your slab can withstand heavy machinery, high foot traffic, and the demands of your specific industry while maintaining its structural integrity for decades to come.

Engineered for Michigan’s Climate:

Concrete paving in Kalamazoo must be engineered to endure two primary adversaries: heavy traffic and the relentless freeze-thaw cycles of a Michigan winter. Our paving solutions are designed with this in mind:

• Subbase: A properly prepared and compacted aggregate subbase is essential for longevity.

• Mix Design: We use air-entrained concrete mixes specifically designed for exterior paving, which creates microscopic air pockets that allow moisture to expand during freezing without damaging the concrete.

• Thickness and Reinforcement: The thickness of the pavement and the amount of reinforcement are engineered based on the anticipated traffic loads, from standard cars to fully-loaded semi-trucks.

• Joints and Drainage: Proper jointing is critical to control cracking, and effective site grading ensures positive drainage, preventing standing water that can lead to premature deterioration.

Our paving solutions provide a durable, low-maintenance surface that enhances safety, accessibility, and the curb appeal of your property.

Concrete no longer has to be plain and gray. JDE Concrete can transform the ambiance of your commercial space with a wide array of stylish and durable decorative concrete options. These finishes not only enhance the visual appeal of your property but also fortify your surfaces against wear and tear.

• Polished Concrete: Ideal for interior floors in retail spaces, restaurants, showrooms, and offices. The process involves grinding the concrete surface to the desired level of aggregate exposure and then polishing it to a low, medium, or high-gloss finish. The result is a beautiful, modern, and incredibly durable floor that is easy to clean and reflects light, brightening your space and potentially lowering energy costs.

• Stamped Concrete: Perfect for patios, walkways, pool decks, and storefront entrances. We can replicate the look and texture of more expensive materials like brick, slate, flagstone, or cobblestone at a fraction of the cost and with the durability of concrete.

• Colored Concrete: We can add integral color to the concrete mix for a consistent, fade-resistant hue throughout the slab, or apply topical stains and dyes for a more variegated, artistic effect.

• Exposed Aggregate: This classic finish involves removing the top layer of cement paste to expose the natural stone aggregate beneath, creating a beautiful, durable, and slip-resistant surface ideal for sidewalks and plazas.

Over time, even the best-laid concrete can suffer from the stresses of weather, use, and age. JDE Concrete provides expert concrete repair and restoration services to extend the lifespan of your concrete surfaces and protect your initial investment. Addressing minor issues promptly can prevent them from becoming major, costly problems. Our services include:

• Crack Repair:We analyze the type of crack (from minor shrinkage cracks to major structural cracks) and employ the correct repair method, such as epoxy injection for structural bonding or flexible sealants for moving joints.

• Spalling and Surface Repair:We repair surfaces damaged by freeze-thaw cycles or de-icing salts by removing the unsound concrete and patching it with advanced, polymer-modified mortars that bond strongly and resist future damage.

• Slab Jacking / Leveling: For settled slabs, we can often lift them back to their original position by injecting a high-density polyurethane foam beneath the slab, a less disruptive and more cost-effective solution than full replacement.