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Grouting with polyurethane [PU] resins represents an effective method of improvement of mechanical and sealing properties of soil and rock environment and constructions. The principle of grouting technologies is injection of liquid grouting material into the rock environment or construction under pressure. During the grouting process, fissures and pores are filled with the grouting material, which subsequently hardens and connects the disintegrated parts of the rock mass or grains of loose material. Polyurethane grouting technologies started to be used in the 80s of the 20th century in the mining industry. In the last recent years, PU grouting technologies spread significantly from the mining applications to civil engineering and geotechnics. The application possibilities have a rising tendency and new possibilities occur. Currently, grouting technologies are used mainly in the following fields:

#### **Underground constructions, tunneling**

	- strengthening and stabilization of deposit layers before exploitation
	- crossing of fault zones
	- securing of the overburden
	- stabilization of the surrounding of the mine workings
	- lowering of permeability of the rock mass

© 2012 Bodi et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2012 Bodi et al., licensee InTech. This is a paper distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


#### **Geotechnical works**


#### **Civil engineering**


Polyurethane Grouting Technologies 309

grouting technologies. The findings are based also on development of PU grouting systems

PU grouting materials can be divided according to their chemistry to three main groups:

component B – isocyanates in mixture (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate [MDI], homologes,

react with moisture present in the environment or construction and form an organic resin

The main difference between the above materials is, that **material on the basis of polyol – isocyanate react with moisture present in the environment**, while material on the basis of

In case of OMR material, the mixing of the components plays an important role in the grouting process. The component A is inorganic - formed by water glass and additives. It is very different form the component B, which is of organic character on the basis of MDI. During mixing the water glass disintegrates to small drops in the organic phase of MDI and an inhomogeneous system is formed. Two different components A and B are in contact with each other only at the surface of individual drops. Chemical reaction proceeds better, the smaller the drops of component A are (the contact of the components is more intense). The reaction can be influenced also by additives, which lower the surface tension of water glass (e.g. silicones). The best results are achieved when mixing by ultrasound. Formed product of

In case of PU material, the intensity of mixing does not have fundamental impact to the reaction proceeding. A homogenous solution is formed by the mixing, which cures quite well. The hardening process, following the mixing and injection of the PU mixture into the rock mass, takes from several minutes up to few hours, according to the type of used grouting resin. Currently, a wide variety of PU grouting materials of various producers exist on the market. Physical and mechanical properties of individual systems differ and it is often quite difficult to choose the appropriate system for particular application. In table 1 we present for example technical data of universal PU grouting system Geopur® (Bodi, 2003), produced

component A – polysiliceous acid (natrium water glass, catalyst and additives),

hardening process is a resin with solid closed pores of polysilicious acid gel.

Geopur, Geocream and Supermin from the production of company GME, s.r.o.

component A – polyol in mixture (polyetherpolyol, catalysts, additives),

**2. PU grouting resin types** 

isomeres).

and used since 1994.

1. two-component (PU) organic resins:

2. one-component organic resins:

After curing they form solid PU resins or foam.

(material is on the basis of prepolymer MDI)

3. two-component organic-mineral resin (OMR):

component B - isocyanates (MDI, homologes and isomeres).

polysiliceous acid – isocyanate are inert to moisture or water.


#### **Foundation of buildings**


#### **Water management works**


#### **Bridges and roads**


This chapter contains brief description of PU grouting technologies and characteristics of basic grouting material types. It further presents practical findings of the authors obtained throughout their long term experimental research, design work and application of PU grouting technologies. The findings are based also on development of PU grouting systems Geopur, Geocream and Supermin from the production of company GME, s.r.o.
