When it comes to civil construction, it cannot be denied that concrete is one of the most used materials in a work. Because its use is indispensable during various stages of a construction or even for making products, such as cement floors and 3D coatings, several mechanisms have been created that facilitate its handling and expand its application, the grout being one of them. If you work in civil construction, you must be tired of knowing that grout is a great ally to streamline certain processes during the execution of a work.
Even though I know its importance, I believe that you don't know everything about it and that's probably why you're here today. Certainly, much of the information I bring in this article is already obvious to you, but I guarantee that you are not yet aware of many of it. Then read carefully to confirm that I am telling the truth.
Here, you will learn what grout is and what it is for, what are its types, what advantages it provides, how to prepare grout, where you can use grout in your works, the necessary care and, in the end, you have access to a special bonus: you will discover the best superplasticizer for concrete. Read carefully to understand everything about the grout. Come with me!
What is grout and what is it for?
Let's start at the beginning: understand what grout is and what it is for in a work.
Grout is nothing more than a mixture composed of materials widely used in construction, such as water, sand, cement and small stones, in addition to additives that control its fluidity. In fact, this is its great differential: its fluidity, which allows it to be used in some specific cases that require this characteristic not normally found in normal concrete.
The fluid mixture dispenses with vibration densification and serves to fill specific locations on a construction site. Thus, we can say that the grout serves to enclose, reinforce, and recover structures, in addition to being used to knock down tie rods, fix equipment, or fill structural masonry columns. These applications require the concrete to be more fluid, which is precisely the differential characteristic of the grout.
We can summarize, therefore, that the grout is a mixture that serves to reinforce parts of the structure and fill voids.
What are the types of grout?
Grouts can be divided into two types, differing in composition and purpose, and may be mineral or organic based. The two types are:
- Mineral-based grout: it is the most common grout, used in various types of constructions in general and has a low cost. It is composed of a cement base.
- Organic-based grout: it has an organic-based composition, consisting of epoxy resins derived from petroleum. It has a higher cost and is more suitable for special conditions, such as industrial works, executions under high temperatures and for submerged use. It has interesting advantages for these specific cases.
Our focus today is on mineral-based cementitious grout. But it's important for you to know that there is also an organic-based one.
The grout can be bought ready-made in bags, simply by mixing it with water, or it can be produced at the construction site, mixing all the Components.
This second form of grout is interesting when we talk about factories of Cement Floors or 3D coatings, for example, that require concrete with a specific characteristic. Thus, by manufacturing the grout itself, it gives more freedom to work with the specifications as desired.
What are the advantages of grout?
The grout provides some Pluses very attractive for any construction site. Let's mention some of them so that you also know:
Consistency: fluidity, its great differential, offers the possibility of filling the most diverse spaces in a work, avoiding animals, for example.
Agility: because it does not need to use concrete vibrators to thicken the surface, the work saves time with the use of grout, which represents a great advantage for any work.
Requires little water use: because of the superplasticizing additives, the grout requires little water and still guarantees a good final result.
Protection and strength of the structure: the grout reinforces the protection of the components of the supporting structure against deterioration and corrosion, making it more resistant.
Finishing: the grout also goes well in almost any application condition, not deteriorating or losing its finish.
As you may have noticed, the main advantages of using grout are several and, perhaps that is why it is an indispensable material during the execution of a work, isn't it?
How to prepare the grout?
As I said above, the grout can be prepared at the construction site itself (or in any other place where it is going to be used) or it can be purchased ready-made, in industrialized bags.
If you choose to buy the industrialized one, you just have to follow the recommendation to add the exact amount of water to obtain a dough with adequate consistency. It is indicated for greater control and security, since the standard is maintained.
If you want to formulate the grout on the construction site itself or during a specific process, the outline of the grout must be defined according to the consistency necessary for your application purpose. When it comes to manufacturers of cement floors or 3D coatings, this option is more suitable.
Where can you use grout in your works?
The grout has some different applications within a work. Thus, it is used to: fill structural masonry columns, increase wall strength, correct structural flaws (such as cracks and fissures), reinforce and recover structures, cladding, fixing equipment and machines to a base, and plumbing fasteners and tie rods.
The fluidity characteristics that the grout presents make it possible to expand its use in all these situations. Thus, grout is an excellent option for various situations, but it is essential to choose the right composition in addition to applying it correctly. That's what we're going to talk about in the next topic.
Cautions when using grout in your work:
Although grout presents numerous advantages for a work, it is essential that some care be taken to ensure a satisfactory result. It's no use knowing all its benefits if the application is not executed correctly. Therefore, let's understand the two main precautions that you need to pay attention to:
Composition: you need to be careful when choosing the grout so that the composition is suitable for the application you need. If you are going to mix the components and formulate the grout, this attention must be redoubled.
Application: the application makes all the difference in the final result. Thus, it is important for professionals to know the correct consistency and how the material should be applied.
By guaranteeing these two points, the chances of going wrong are greatly reduced.
BlokGraute Pro: the perfect superplasticizer for your concrete!
Now it's time to learn about the best superplasticizer for grout: BlokGraute Pro, a high-performance superplasticizing additive that has chemical characteristics that mainly serve the markets of the precast and prestressed concrete industries, which require greater durability and performance of the final product.
Therefore, if you are going to make your own grout, you need to use BlokGraute Pro to understand how it makes all the difference both during execution and in the final result. Talk to the team at Blok to better understand what I'm saying.
Conclusion
Did you like to learn about the grout? Interesting, isn't it? So, when using it in your work, don't forget to talk to the Blok team to get to know (if you don't know this fantastic solution yet) BlokGraute Pro, the best superplasticizer for grout on the market.
I hope this article helped you to understand more about this topic. Stay tuned for the next articles to further improve the quality of your works. Until next time!
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