Concrete Contractors in Mumford, TX

Mumford sits on the eastern bank of the Brazos River in Robertson County, and as concrete contractors we treat Mumford projects as river-bottom work from the start. The community was established in 1855, when Jesse Mumford ran a ferry over the Brazos nearby. In 1895 the first iron bridge near Mumford went across the river, and in 1899 a devastating flood destroyed most of the community. Wikipedia notes it never attained its pre-flood prosperity.

Lessons from the 1899 flood

That history is a reminder that the land near the river is low and has flooded before. Mumford sits at 259 feet, below most of the Brazos Valley. The Handbook of Texas describes the Brazos Bottom between the Brazos and Little Brazos rivers as fertile delta land covering about 150,000 acres. Fertile soil grows crops well, but it is not a natural base for concrete.

For slabs on bottomland we focus on:

• Removing soft, organic topsoil until we reach firm ground.
• Building up a compacted base of select fill or crushed stone, in thin lifts.
• Setting slab elevation high enough that standing water after rain does not sit on the surface.
• Reinforcing with rebar so the slab stays in one piece if the ground shifts.
• Keeping runoff moving away from buildings and slab edges.

If your property is in a mapped flood zone, check what the county requires before building anything new. We plan the slab around what we find.

A community with a new neighbor

In 2017 Union Pacific bought 1,875 acres near Mumford to build Brazos Yard, a rail classification yard projected to sort up to 1,300 cars a day and employ 200 workers when complete in 2020. A project that size brings new traffic and new interest in nearby land. For homeowners nearby, that can mean more truck traffic on local roads and more reason to build driveways, parking pads and shop slabs for heavier loads.

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Raising a slab above the yard

On flat, low ground, the easiest way to keep water off a slab is to build it up. We bring in compacted fill to lift the slab a few inches above the surrounding yard, then grade the soil away from its edges. For a shop or barn, that also keeps the floor dry inside when heavy rain falls. The fill has to be placed in thin layers and compacted each time; dumping a thick layer and pouring over it leads to settlement within a year or two.

Driveways that carry heavy loads

Rural drives near Mumford often see farm trucks, trailers and service vehicles. A 4-inch slab is fine for cars, but heavier loads call for more thickness and steel. We also thicken the apron at the road, where turning wheels twist the slab edge. On low ground we raise the driveway slightly above the surrounding grade so it drains to the sides.

Slabs, patios and walks

Shop and barn slabs. Thickened edges, anchor bolts set to the building plans, and a finish suited to the use.

Patios. Broom finish or stamped concrete with integral color, pitched away from the house.

Walkways. Paths from the drive to the door or between buildings so mud stays outside.

Repair. Crack sealing, joint resealing and replacement of settled sections.

Weather and timing

Robertson County averages about 38 inches of rain a year, according to the Handbook, with July highs around 96 degrees. River-bottom ground stays wet longer after rain than upland ground does. We do not compact or pour on a saturated base; we wait for it to firm up. In summer we start early, keep the base damp and cure the slab right after finishing so the surface does not crack or dust.

Mumford is unincorporated, so we check with Robertson County about any requirements for your project before scheduling.