What's going on with sidewalks buckling"?

Question

When the sidewalks are new they lie flat and level. When they

are old and have been there a long time, they buckle up. We

know that concrete can't expand . So what's going on? Is the

Earth beneath them shrinking? If It's a frost heave then why do

they not settle back down after a thaw? There don't seen to be

enough room.. What do you think?

Answer 1

Think your to heavy on the blades joking be the frost don't worry

Answer 2

global cooling

Answer 3

Concrete does contract and expand. The buckling is caused from moisture, heat and cold.

Answer 4

Any trees nearby? Most sidewalk lifting throughout the country is caused by tree roots lifting the soil below the sidewalks.

If not, expansive soil could be the culprit.  Expansive soils are like clay or soils that when they absorb water, the soil actually expands like a sponge does when it gets wet.

Answer 5

well it could be possible that frost and snow in winter causes it to shrink, since all things expand in heat. which means that when the hot summer came it expanded and cracked. thats the main reason we have to fill in cracks on roads.

it may also be that there are tree roots undernath pushing up the concrete. this is typical for a suburban neighborhood thta has sidewalks lined with trees.

I hope my answer helps!

your thirteen year old advisor

Answer 6

worms eating the dirt, or moles, fat ppl walk there all the time, tree roots, or a Chinese person dug a deep hole jk

Answer 7

Maybe it is getting wet underneath the sidewalks, like from leaking water or sewer pipes, or underground water bubbling up.

Answer 8

global warming is causing it

Answer 9

the answer is very simple! mother earth is forever changing and shifting. the ground shifts periodically whether we feel it or not.

have-a-loving-day!

Answer 10

frost heaving and moving of the base soil under the pad

tree roots growing under the pad

vehicles driving on the sidewalk whether driveway or city vehicles that go on these areas to do repairs to wires  or other reasons

and just plain old wear and tear

Answer 11

Many causes could be ascribed as some of the answers speak.

However, unless a part is opened and examined the real cause cannot be said.

Some plausible causes can be:

Lateral compression due to traffic loading on the adjacent roads.

Loading due to buildings at the sides.

Expansion due to roots and water absorption by subsurface strata, etc.

thnks

Answer 12

It may be that the earth moved abit overtime and so it buckled. Or there might be tree branches underneath or some other sort of plant life under the sidewalk. You know that there is dirt under sidewalks so anything might grow, from weeds to whatever else not..

Hope this helps?