Machinery Foundation Grouting - assets.master-builders ...

1 Machinery Foundation Grouting Performance Solutions that Challenge Movement By Fred Goodwin & Frank Apicella, BASF Construction Chemicals R. otating equipment and Foundation and the resulting space as high ultimate compressive strengths heavy Machinery cannot between the machine base. This space over a variety of application and service simply be installed on a is filled with a Machinery grout for load temperatures. concrete Foundation since irregularities and energy transfer from the equipment One of the challenges of quality in both the machine base and concrete into the Foundation . Machinery Grouting is proper material surface will create load-bearing issues The grout must be fluid enough to be selection for lasting security, stability and alignment difficulties.

2 Additionally, poured or pumped under the baseplate and alignment of the critical equipment a concrete Foundation is not tough to completely fill this space and must it supports. All grout manufacturers enough to withstand the compressive also maintain its volume throughout the publish physical properties of their prod- and dynamic loading needed to sup- service life of the equipment to ensure ucts, determined either from tests per- port the heavy Machinery . For this rea- intimate contact between these surfaces formed in-house or by an independent son, Machinery bases are aligned and for maximum load-bearing capability. testing laboratory. But these properties leveled by shims or jack bolts above Additionally, the grout must exhibit the are not uniformly reported, as many of the mechanically prepared concrete necessary mechanical properties such these tests are modified and different 28 JPCL November 2014 / a comparison of performance proper- and have a compatible coefficient of ties can be made on an apples-to- thermal expansion to the surrounding apples basis to aid in selection of the materials.

3 Best grout for a particular application. Results are presented for an epoxy Compressive Strength grout and an ultra-high strength Compressive strength is a measure of hydraulic grout (known as hybrid per- the maximum load the grout can with- formance grout in this article). stand and is a significant predictor for Interviews conducted with design pro- many of the other critical performance fessionals and con- tractors provided iden- tification of the follow- ing critical perfor- mance factors for Machinery grouts: Compressive Strength Creep Resistance Modulus of Elasticity Fatigue Resistance Fig. 1: This graph shows the compressive strength of both grout types Impact Resistance at 70 F as per ASTM C579, Standard Test Methods for Compressive Coefficient of Strength of Chemical Resistant Mortars, Grouts, Monolithic Surfacings Thermal Expansion and Polymer Concretes.

4 Flowability and Bearing Area Compressive strength ranked as the most important prop- erty in material selec- iStockphoto/IngaNielsen tion, but flowability and bearing area are just as critical. If the test methods are used depending on grout can't be placed the grout composition ( , epoxy or properly under the cement). There is no clear justification base plate to support Fig. 2: This graph describes compressive strength affected by temperature. for using different test methods to the Machinery , does it The hybrid performance grout was cured for 28 days at 73 F and the measure the same performance proper- really matter what the epoxy grout for 24 hours at 73 F, and then post cured 16 hours at 140 F.

5 Ties between grouts when determining compressive strength Both grouts were then conditioned for 24 hours at test temperature. suitability of use. The test methods of the grout is? specified to determine the critical per- Therefore, the combination of factors parameters. Most Machinery grouts will formance properties of any grout of compressive strength, flowability exhibit compressive strengths of 5,000. should be dictated by the function and and bearing area together, are critical to 18,000 psi ( to 124 MPa) to bear not by the grout chemistry. for overall long-term performance. In the weight of the particular equipment This article compares the key perfor- addition, for the grout to be durable, it they support.

6 Mance properties of two types of grout must be able to withstand the fatigue There are many ways to test for a using identical testing methods so that from repeated loading, resist impact material's compressive strength. / JPCL November 2014 29. Machinery Foundation Grouting Different test methods and protocols Having compressive strength proper- deflection occurring in 1 unit length of yield different results, so it is important ties greater than the concrete founda- material ( , 1 microstrain equals 1 mil- to specify a standard method to make tion, does not guarantee satisfactory lionth of an inch, per inch). Creep can a fair comparison between different performance.

7 The selection process ultimately cause enough deflection in a grouts. These differences are due to must take into account the service grouted baseplate to adversely affect geometries of the test specimens, such operating temperature conditions of Machinery alignment resulting in pre- as aspect ratio (ratio of the test speci- the grout. mature wear or failure of bearings and men's length to the area loaded), and Very few large machines operate at other rotating parts. to the rate of loading. ambient conditions. The heat generat- There are several methods to deter- The ASTM test method for determin- ed by the equipment ultimately affects mine the creep behavior of materials ing compressive strength in this study the Foundation grout.

8 The compressive such as bricks, lumber, and concrete . is ASTM C579, Standard Test strength reported at laboratory condi- Compressive creep for grouts should be Methods for Compressive Strength of tions does not always reflect the com- tested per ASTM C1181, Standard Test Chemical Resistant Mortars, Grouts, pressive strength at operating tempera- Methods for Compressive Creep of Monolithic Surfacings and Polymer tures, as shown in Figure 2 (p. 29). Chemical-Resistant Polymer Machinery Concretes. There are three different The epoxy grouts have reduced Grouts. When specifying creep proper- methods for determining compressive compressive strength as the tempera- ties, it is necessary to include the tem- strength in ASTM C579.

9 Method B for ture increases while the hybrid perfor- perature and loading requirements as 2-inch (50-mm) cubes should be used, mance grout maintains its compres- these properties are not part of the test as this method is for the size of the sive strength even at much higher method and changing them can affect aggregate commonly used in these temperatures. the reported results. This way, materials grouts. The testing equipment should As an industrial machine warms up can be selected based on an equivalent be properly set for the travel rate of to its operating temperature, its align- comparison (Table 1). The hybrid performance grout Table 1: Creep resistance tested using ASTM C1181 exhibits extremely low creep compared to an epoxy grout due to its high Epoxy Grout Hybrid Performance Grout strength and modulus over a wide in/in in/in range of temperature extremes.

10 (3,500 microstrains) (2,300 microstrains) As operating temperatures increase, so does creep. The same forces that result in lower compressive strength ASTM C1181. also accelerate permanent deformation 600 psi, 140 F ( Mpa, 60 C) of the grout under applied loads. High creep resistance at equipment operating temperatures is essential to maintaining inches per minute (5 mm per minute). ment can be altered if the grout loses critical equipment alignment and long- Using travel rates higher than this can strength with higher temperatures. term service life. result in artificially high compressive Therefore the engineer should specify strength values and create a risk of the compressive strength of the foun- Modulus of Elasticity (MOE).