Contractors routinely use Mountain Grout Polyurethane on soil stabilization jobs with great success. Inexperienced installers are often apprehensive about grouting soils if it isn’t in their comfort zone, but it can be a valuable tool to add to a contractor’s belt. This post covers three key factors to consider to gain a better understanding of soils prior to grouting. The three factors are N value, moisture content, and soil description.
N Value
First and foremost is the N value, which is an indication of soil density. A reading of 1 to 25 indicates the soils are not as dense as is desirable to support a load. An N value under 15 indicates very poor soils to support any foundation load whatsoever. An N value over 25 indicates the soils are very dense or contain a high percentage of clay. In either case, a high N value would inhibit full saturation of the targeted mass. A range of 15-25 for the N value is not required, but it is a good indicator that Mountain Grout Soil Stabilizer or HL-100 can make a positive impact on the load bearing capacity of soil.
Moisture Content
Next, installers should consider the moisture content of the soil. Mountain Grout polyurethane products are moisture cured polyurethane grouts. Therefore, the resins need moisture to cure, but only 1% to 2% by volume to initiate the reaction. The grout will still react if the soil matrix is fully inundated with water. However, the excess water should first be displaced in order to solidify the mass.
Soil Description
The third factor is the description of the soil and sieve size. Soils composed mainly of clay, for example, are difficult for liquid to saturate. Larger particles in the soil could require a grout that foams a little to fill void space. Fines may require the thinnest of resins to ensure the grout fully penetrates the zone. Mountain Grout Soil Stabilizer has a viscosity of ~40 cps. Water is 1 cps. 10W40 motor oil is around 500 cps. Therefore, polyurethane is very low viscosity and will essentially travel anywhere water will travel.
If you want to learn more, check out the Soil Stabilization page on our website. Finally, polyurethane is not always the answer. For soils requiring less strength, Acrylate might be the best choice.
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