Construction Grout

Construction Grout

Grout is liquid concrete that is used to fill gaps. It is mainly used in construction of masonry walls, pressure grouting, to fill voids, link pieces of precast concrete and seal joints. Construction grout is usually made from a mixture of water, sand, cement, gravel and color. Color tint and gravel are added in certain situations only. For instance, gravel is used in grout used to fill large spaces.

The choice of construction grout depends on the style, color and material of the surface. General-purpose grout is usually non-shrink and high strength. It has high flow characteristics that allow penetration into the gaps and permits levelling with no shrinkage. Some of the types available include:

• Non-sanded grouts: These are cement based and are used to fill small joints. If used on wider joints, they could crack due to the lack of sand that provides bonding.
• Sanded grout: Sanded grout is suitable for the larger joints. Adding sand to the grout makes it stronger thus providing stronger bonding for the bigger gaps.
• Epoxy grout: This one forms an impermeable barrier that prevents cracking and the growth of bacteria.
• Furan grout: Furan grout is similar to epoxy, but it contains polymers fortified with alcohol thus giving it high chemical resistance.
• Fine grout: Fine grout is used for tight spaces because it flows better. It is used to reinforce bars that are close together.
• Course grout: Course grout uses aggregates that are large and thus can only be used for spaces that are further apart.