Concrete Contractors in Junction City, KS

Junction City homeowners call concrete contractors for the same reasons people everywhere do: a cracked driveway, a patio that never got built, a set of front steps that has started to lean. What sets Junction City apart is where it sits. The Smoky Hill and Republican rivers meet here to form the Kansas River, and Fort Riley is right next door. River ground and the neighboring Army post both shape the kind of work homeowners need and how we plan it.

A housing stock with a lot of turnover

The 2020 census counted 22,932 people and 10,920 housing units in Junction City, up from 10,480 units in 2010. Overall vacancy was 16.6 percent, and rental vacancy was 19.0 percent, a sign that rentals make up a real share of the housing here. About 34.8 percent of households had children under 18.

For landlords and property managers, that turnover usually means repair work between tenants: replacing a broken walk section that could cause a fall, leveling a sunken stoop or patching a garage floor. For owners who plan to stay, it often means a bigger driveway for extra vehicles or a patio and fenced yard space for the kids.

Weather that works the surface hard

The climate figures for the Junction City area list 121.8 days a year below freezing, 45.9 days at 90 degrees or warmer and 6.4 days at 100 or above. The record low is minus 21. Average yearly precipitation is 32.90 inches over about 85 days.

Concrete that freezes and thaws that many times needs to be built for it. Our approach in Junction City:

• Air-entrained mixes for every exterior slab, so freezing water has space to expand
• Proper slope on driveways and walks, so meltwater runs off instead of soaking in
• Joint spacing matched to slab thickness and width, so shrinkage cracks land in the cuts
• Curing that keeps the slab damp in summer heat, which builds a stronger surface

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Low ground near the rivers

Because the city formed at a river confluence, some lots sit on lower, softer ground. A slab poured on wet clay or loose fill can settle unevenly over a few years. On sites like that we dig out soft material, place and compact a granular base in lifts and, where loads are heavy, add rebar instead of relying on wire mesh. For garage slabs and shed pads we often thicken the edges so they carry the walls properly.

Households with kids and extra cars

In 2010, 39.6 percent of Junction City households had children under 18; by 2020 the share was 34.8 percent, still about one in three. Homes with kids collect bikes, hoops and more than one vehicle, and the concrete gets used hard. A driveway sized for one sedan may need a side pad, and a backyard may need a flat slab for riding toys and a grill. When we widen a driveway we dowel the new section into the old so the two stay flush, and we pour it at driveway thickness because it will carry cars.

The city's listed elevation is 1,106 feet, a bit above Manhattan's 1,056, but the blocks nearest the confluence still sit on the lower ground, and those are the lots where we expect the most base work.

Planning your project

Before work in the street right-of-way, such as a driveway approach, we check what the City of Junction City requires. Call (785) 509-7585 to set a time.