The History of Mudjacking, Slabjacking & The Mudjackers.

The method was developed in 1929 by John Poulter of Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

Source: Iowa Department of Transportation By 1929 highways were constantly improving.  The rough riding, highly durable "flivver" gave way to heavier, smoother riding, more modern motorcars.  The first MUD-JACK, in all its pristine glory, successfully pumped "mud" below the concrete roadway to hydraulically raise the slab back to grade.  A new era in road repairs began.				Source: Iowa Department of Transportation By the early 30's highway departments across the land discovered that the MUD-JACK provided an excellent method of filing voids beneath bridge approaches.  Another common cause of bumpy roads was alleviated.

When better highways appeared, wheels got smaller, suspension became softer and drivers be came more fussy.  By 1929, they didn't want a bumpy ride anymore.  That's when the MUD-JACK was invented to help keep the ever increasing concrete roadways on the level.  The taxpaying motorists were happy but they wanted still more and better roads.      Through the years as highways improved, so did automobiles.  Emphasis was put on speed and comfort.  Cars were built lower, the "more and better" highways were built.  The MUD-JACK was still there through the boom years of the 30's, 40's and 50's still helping to take the bumps out of milady's ride to the market.      Interstate highways, turnpikes and freeways of the 60's and 70's put even more people on the road.  Motorists not only wanted a smooth ride they wanted the road to be OPEN.  The MUD-JACK was still there, pumping more sophisticated mixes to keep the high-traffic pavements smooth and available to the traveling American.      Then, an amazing thing happened!  The same motorists who cried out loudly for smoother roads on Sunday, balked at newer roads on Monday.  Motorists became Ecologists.  Sunday's driver became Monday's nature lover.  Result cutbacks in spending, legislative dispute over the highway trust fund, and a resultant heavier burden on existing roads.      It's the same old song just a few new lyrics.      With all of the sophistication of highway construction and apparent reversal of public sentiment over the years, nothing has really changed.  The PCM MUD-JACK still provides an economical means of improving concrete roadways.  The PCM MUD-JACK is still the quickest and easiest means of highway repair.  The PCM MUD-JACK still keeps reads navigable, smooth and OPEN.      The same Monday nature lover who wants to save those trees that are blocking the path of a new highway still objects to a lengthy scenic detour through backwoods roads.  The same taxpayer who complains about high taxes also complains about inadequate highways.  No one seems to be willing to discard their air conditioner,  wide oval radials and stereo tape deck in favor of high spoke wheels,  lower speeds or hand cranks that would be an inordinate step backward.
High speed expressways sometimes need frequent repairs.  Undesirable and impractical to close the expressway, crews quickly work on one lane of pavement at a time between rush hours.  Concrete slabs subjected to treatment with a MUD-JACK are usable almost immediately.  The motorist is often unaware of the pavement restoration taking place.				While still used to repair sunken or distressed pavement, applications in the 1970's have expanded to periodic preventive maintenance treatment.  Especially in known poor subsoil areas, the MUD-JACK application may materially prevent premature concrete deterioration.  Useful life of concrete pavements may be substantially increased.

Some of the first mudjacking machines were manufactured by the Koehring Company based in Port Washington, WI. The mudjacking machine was developed over 65 years ago.      Concrete slab structures are rigid and durable if properly constructed, and depend largely on their support or base for maximum life and service. For various reasons, voids sometimes occur beneath or around the slab structure causing slab failure.      To alleviate these conditions the Mud-Jack machine was developed. It is now a time - proven, cost effective means to restoring concrete slabs to proper grade.			Frank C. Sharkey Mudjacking contractors was one of the first independent contractors established in 1939. The business merged with The Mudjackers in Jan. 1968.
How the process works Corrections      Small holes are drilled into the concrete slabs. The Mudjack material is pumped under pressure thru these holes. The "Mudjackers material" displaces voids, water and water saturated materials, raises the slab and leaves a firm permanent subgrade. Preventative      Future concrete settlement and damage can be corrected when you use The "Mudjackers material" to stabilize the base of the concrete.			Mudjacking in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa in the fall of 1933.
Timeless MUD-JACK
PCM took over marketing responsibility of the Koehring MUD-JACK have been built at this division for more than 30 years, not many people are aware of the interesting history and development of this machine, as well as its unique operation.      While constant changes have been made since its conception in 1931, the MUD-JACK's external appearance and operation have remained virtually the same.  For raising settled concrete slabs, pavement, highways or even railroad beds to their original level in the fastest, most economical way, the MUD-JACK has no peer in fact, competition is almost non-existent.  The theory behind the MUD-JACK's application is as simple and unique as the story of its unlikely invention. The method was developed in the Fall of 1929 by John Poulter of Mount Pleasant, Iowa who at the time, was with the Iowa State Highway Department.      The method was developed in the Fall of 1929 by John W. Poulter of Mount Pleasant, Iowa who at that time, was with the Iowa State Highway Department.  Poulter had a concrete garage floor that needed leveling and this was the necessity that mothered the invention. John W. Poulter              He drilled small holes through the floor, inserted a piece of pipe into one hole at a time, placed a funnel into the top of the pipe, and by using the end of a broomstick forced near liquid mud through the holes under the slab.  This slowly lifted the settled part of the floor to its proper level.  History does not record how long it took him, or how much the floor was raised but the MUD-JACK idea was born.        During the following winter he rigged up a makeshift force pump, and tried the method on some uneven floors with considerable success.  He consequently assembled an improved pump using many parts of a Model A Ford that was tried on settled highway slabs in the Spring of 1930.  This machine was the predecessor of the present model 50 Mud-JACK.      Poulter began corresponding with the National Equipment Corporation (fore-runner to the present Koehring Company) headquartered in Milwaukee.  The NEC was interested in the machine and method he had devised.  In late 1930.  When Poulter had one machine on trial with the State of Missouri, and was assembling two more for the State of Iowa, he agreed to sell the rights to his machine and method to NEC.      When the NEC began manufacturing the first Mud-JACKS, actual machining was done here at our plant, while all sales were handled by what is now Koehring Division in Milwaukee.  And it stayed this way until 1968.           The smaller Model 10 Mud-JACK was introduced in 1934 and has remained almost unchanged, except for several changes to external sheet metal.      The original NEC MUD-JACK was improved and the capacity was increased in 1937.  Its external appearance has changed only slightly since that time.      Although forty years have elapsed since the original MUD-JACK method was conceived, the conditions requiring the use of MUD-JACK are just as prevalent in 1969 as they were in 1929.  The timeless MUD-JACK is still the most economical means yet devised for the leveling of sunken pavement.

Source of Photos Iowa Department of Transportation
Source Of Photos THE MUDJACKERS llc
The MUDJACKERS LLC EST. 1939 The Mudjackers 1975 Fleet The Mudjackers 2005 Fleet
THE MUDJACKERS 1976 PHOTOS
Cost Efficient We repair concrete at a fraction of replacement costs. You save on manpower, machinery and material. The end result is concrete as level as new. Time Efficient Our process takes hours, not days, reduces your amount of downtime, if any. Also The "Mudjackers material" is efficient allowing you to use the affected area immediately.
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Walkway Wall support Walls Waterproofing Watertown Waukesha Wauwatosa West Allis WI Wisconsin Basement Basement bowed walls basement lifting Basement piering Basement repair Basement support Basement waterproofing Beloit Bowed walls Brookfield Cement Cement repair Commercial Concrete jacking Concrete leveling Concrete lifting Concrete raising concrete repair Contractor Contractor Contractors core drilling CRC Drain repair Drain tile Drive Driveway Entranceway Excavate foundation Floor Footing Footing maintenance Footing repair footings Foundation Foundation contractor Foundation maintenance Foundation movement Foundation raising Foundation repair Foundation restoration Foundation settlement Foundation stabilizing Foundation support Free estimates Freeway Garage Grouting Helical piering Helical piers Helical steel piers Highway Highway repair Home Home repair House Improvement Industrial Interstate Jack Jacking Janesville Kenosha Lake Geneva Leveled Madison Menomonee falls Midwest Milwaukee Mud Mudjack mudjacker Mudjacking Mudjacking contractor Municipal New Berlin Patching Path walk Pathwalk Patio Peiring Peirs Pier Piering Piering contractor Piers Piling Pools Porch Professional Professionally Racine Raised Reinforce walls Reinforcement Residential Rock drilling Sealant Service Sidewalk Slab jacking Slab raising slabjack slabjacking Southern Wisconsin Stabilized Stairs Step Stoop The Mudjackers Thruway Tuckpointing void filling walk Walkway Wall support Walls Waterproofing Watertown Waukesha Wauwatosa West Allis WI Wisconsin Basement Basement bowed walls basement lifting Basement piering Basement repair Basement support Basement waterproofing Beloit Bowed walls Brookfield Cement Cement repair Commercial Concrete jacking Concrete leveling Concrete lifting Concrete raising concrete repair Contractor Contractor Contractors core drilling CRC Drain repair Drain tile Drive Driveway Entranceway Excavate foundation Floor Footing Footing maintenance Footing repair footings Foundation Foundation contractor Foundation maintenance Foundation movement Foundation raising Foundation repair Foundation restoration Foundation settlement Foundation stabilizing Foundation support Free estimates Freeway Garage Grouting Helical piering Helical piers Helical steel piers Highway Highway repair Home Home repair House Improvement Industrial Interstate Jack Jacking Janesville Kenosha Lake Geneva Leveled Madison Menomonee falls Midwest Milwaukee Mud Mudjack mudjacker Mudjacking Mudjacking contractor Municipal New Berlin Patching Path walk Pathwalk Patio Peiring Peirs Pier Piering Piering contractor Piers Piling Pools Porch Professional Professionally Racine Raised Reinforce walls Reinforcement Residential Rock drilling Sealant Service Sidewalk Slab jacking Slab raising slabjack slabjacking Southern Wisconsin Stabilized Stairs Step Stoop The Mudjackers Thruway Tuckpointingg void filling walk Walkway Wall support Walls Waterproofing Watertown Waukesha Wauwatosa West 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