Sika SikaGrout VHS
A ViscoCrete-powered, shrinkage-compensated cementitious precision grout that pours at fluid consistency and hardens to 85 N/mm2 for machine bases and precast connections.
What is it?
A single-component, non-shrink cementitious precision grout built on Sika’s ViscoCrete technology, blending cement, micro-silica, graded fillers and aggregates to reach very high early and ultimate strength at a fluid consistency.
Where is it used?
Under machine foundations, base plates and sole plates, in anchor and holding-down pockets, and inside reinforcement ducts at precast column-to-beam connections where load transfer must be dense and void-free.
Why use it?
It combines high one-day strength (40 N/mm2) with 85 N/mm2 at 28 days, positive shrinkage compensation and controlled bleeding, so the grout fully contacts the bearing surface and stays there under dynamic and impact loads.
How is it applied?
Gauge with clean water at 0.12-0.14 water:powder by weight, mix 3-5 minutes to a smooth flowable or pourable state, then pour continuously into pre-soaked, formed openings within the 20-minute pot life.
About Sika SikaGrout VHS
SikaGrout VHS is Sika’s very-high-strength member of the cementitious precision-grout family, formulated for structural grouting where both rapid early strength and exceptional long-term compressive strength matter. It arrives as a grey powder pre-blended from cement, micro-silica, graded fillers, selected aggregates and special additives, so the contractor only has to add measured water on site. The ViscoCrete dispersing chemistry is what lets it flow like a fluid grout at a low water demand, which is the key to both its strength and its resistance to bleed and segregation. It is non-metallic, chloride-free and carries no risk of the staining or corrosion that older iron-based expansion grouts could introduce around embedded steel.\n\nFor engineers and contractors across Delhi NCR and pan-India, the product answers a recurring problem: getting a dense, fully-bedded, non-shrink load path under heavily loaded equipment without long strength-gain delays. Because it develops 40 N/mm2 in a single day and 85 N/mm2 by 28 days, plant can often be returned to service faster than with a general-purpose grout, while positive shrinkage compensation keeps the grout in intimate contact with both the base plate and the foundation. Space Arc Engineering supplies SikaGrout VHS with the technical back-up to match consistency, pour thickness and mixing method to the actual pour on site.
The technical insight
The performance of SikaGrout VHS comes down to water demand. Conventional flowable grouts need a lot of gauging water to move, and that surplus water later leaves capillary pores that cut strength and let aggressive liquids in. Sika’s ViscoCrete polymer disperses the cement and micro-silica particles so effectively that the mix flows freely at just 0.12-0.14 water:powder by weight. Less water means a denser, lower-porosity matrix, which is what pushes 28-day compressive strength to 85 N/mm2 and drives the high one-day figure. The micro-silica fills the finest voids between cement grains and reacts with lime to form additional binding gel, further tightening the microstructure and improving resistance to aggressive-liquid ingress. Layered on top is a controlled expansion system that gives positive shrinkage compensation in the plastic phase, so as the grout sets it pushes outward against the bearing faces rather than pulling away. The combined result is a void-free, high-modulus bed (E-modulus around 37,000 N/mm2) that transmits static, dynamic and impact loads from equipment straight into the foundation.
Where it is used
- Bedding steel base plates and sole plates under compressors, pumps, turbines and rotating machinery
- Filling holding-down and anchor-bolt pockets for stanchions, columns and heavy fixtures
- Grouting reinforcement ducts at precast column-to-beam and column-to-column connections
- Precision grouting under crane rails, presses and other high-load or impact-prone equipment
- Structural grouting where high early strength is needed to shorten equipment commissioning time
- Bedding bearing plates and load-transfer connections on bridge and structural elements
- Void and gap filling under machinery where a dense, non-shrink load path is required
- Extended-thickness pours where washed 6 mm coarse aggregate is added to the neat grout
Key advantages
- Very high strength development, from 40 N/mm2 at 1 day to 85 N/mm2 at 28 days
- Flows freely at a low 0.12-0.14 water:powder ratio thanks to ViscoCrete dispersion, giving a dense, low-porosity matrix
- Positive shrinkage compensation keeps the grout in full contact with base plate and foundation
- Adjustable consistency from trowellable medium-flow mortar to fully pourable grout from one bag
- Chloride-free and non-metallic, so no staining or corrosion risk around embedded steel
- Controlled bleeding and segregation while plastic, ensuring complete under-plate contact
- Good impact and vibration resistance, suited to dynamically loaded machine bases
- Increased resistance to aggressive-liquid penetration once hardened, aiding durability
Limitations & considerations
- Formulated for grouting only, not for patch repair or general concrete reinstatement
- Short pot life of about 20 minutes at +30C leaves little margin for delays between mixing and pouring
- Single neat pour is limited to 20 mm minimum and 100 mm maximum thickness; greater gaps need added aggregate
- Requires ambient and substrate temperatures between +5C and +40C, with chilled or warm gauging water at temperature extremes
- Substrate must be pre-soaked to a saturated surface-dry condition for 2-6 hours or the grout loses water and strength
- Adding extra water beyond the stated ratio to regain flow is not permitted and will compromise strength and shrinkage compensation
Selection & best practice
Prepare and pre-soak the substrate first: sound, clean concrete (pull-off strength above 1.0 MPa) and clean, de-scaled steel, kept continuously wet for 2-6 hours and then drained of standing water so the surface is saturated but not flooded. Fix watertight, secure formwork that gives you access from one side and a head of grout to drive flow. Gauge with clean water at 0.12 for a pourable mix or 0.13-0.14 for a flowable mix (3.6 to 4.2 litres per 30 kg bag): put 80-90% of the water in first, add the powder, then the balance, and mix 3-5 minutes with a slow-speed (400-500 rpm) paddle or a concrete mixer to a smooth, even consistency. Pour continuously from one side within the roughly 20-minute pot life, letting displaced air escape to avoid trapped voids, and apply within about 15 minutes to make full use of expansion. Never add extra water to revive a stiffening batch. For gaps beyond 100 mm, blend in clean, single-size 6 mm washed aggregate at 2:1 grout-to-aggregate by weight after site trials. Cure exposed surfaces against premature drying with wet hessian or a curing membrane, and clean tools with water before the grout hardens.
Specifications
| Product type | Non-shrink, ViscoCrete-based cementitious precision grout |
| Chemical base | Cement, micro-silica, selected fillers, aggregates and special additives |
| Compressive strength (ASTM C109, 70 mm cube, +30C) | 40 N/mm2 at 1 day; 60 at 3 days; 70 at 7 days; 85 at 28 days |
| Flexural tensile strength (ASTM C293) | 10 N/mm2 at 7 days; 12 N/mm2 at 28 days |
| Modulus of elasticity | Approx. 37,000 N/mm2 |
| Water:powder ratio | 0.12 pourable (3.6 l/bag); 0.13-0.14 flowable (3.9-4.2 l/bag) |
| Layer thickness (neat) | 20 mm min. / 100 mm max. per pour |
| Pot life / standard | Approx. 20 minutes at +30C; complies with ASTM C1107 |
| Packaging / density | 30 kg bag; fresh bulk density approx. 1.25 kg/l; consumption approx. 2200 kg/m3 |
Industry use cases
Power & Wind Energy
Beds turbine, compressor and generator base plates and secures anchor pockets, where 85 N/mm2 strength and vibration resistance protect the fixing under continuous dynamic load.
Heavy Manufacturing
Grouts presses, stamping lines and rotating machinery sole plates, with high one-day strength shortening the shutdown before equipment is recommissioned.
Precast & Structural Concrete
Fills reinforcement ducts at precast column-to-beam connections, giving a dense, non-shrink load path that develops moment continuity between elements.
Bridges & Infrastructure
Beds bearing plates and load-transfer connections where a high-modulus, durable grout resistant to aggressive-liquid ingress is specified.
Ports & Material Handling
Grouts crane-rail and heavy fixture base plates subject to impact and repeated loading, where controlled bleeding ensures full under-plate contact.
Frequently asked questions
What compressive strength does SikaGrout VHS reach?
How much water do I add per bag?
What is the maximum pour thickness?
How long is the working time?
Can I use it for concrete patch repair?
Does it corrode or stain embedded steel?
How we position Sika SikaGrout VHS
SikaGrout VHS sits at the very-high-strength end of Sika’s cementitious grout line, above general-purpose grades such as SikaGrout-214 and SikaGrout-212 that suit routine base-plate and pocket grouting at lower strength grades; specify VHS when 85 N/mm2 and fast early strength genuinely drive the design. Pair it with Sika Reinforcement Corrosion Protection or a SikaTop Armatec primer on exposed steel, and use Sikadur epoxy grouts where chemical resistance or thin-bond precision anchoring is needed rather than cementitious flow. Across our other brands, Space Arc also stocks equivalent precision grouts including Dr. Fixit Pidicrete and MC-Bauchemie Emcekrete for teams standardised on those systems. Within Fosroc’s Conbextra range, Conbextra GP2 is the closest workhorse counterpart for machine bases and anchor pockets.
Fosroc Conbextra GP2 — A specifier standardised on Fosroc, or needing a proven free-flow grout with a documented 2-4% plastic expansion for turbine, compressor and pump base plates at around 65-68 N/mm2, may prefer Conbextra GP2 where the full 85 N/mm2 of VHS is not demanded.
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