MC-Bauchemie MC-Grout PF
A fine-grain, non-shrink cementitious precision grout engineered for narrow clearances under machine bases, anchor bolts and structural bearings.
What is it?
A single-component, pre-blended cementitious precision grout from MC-Bauchemie, with a fine aggregate top size (1.0 to 1.5 mm) and a controlled non-shrink system. You just add water on site.
Where is it used?
Under machine and column base plates, in anchor-bolt pockets, beneath bridge bearings and in precast connections, especially where clearances are tight (roughly 10 to 15 mm).
Why use it?
It fills completely without bleeding or slumping, holds a zero-to-positive volume change as it hardens, and develops high early strength so equipment can be commissioned quickly on full contact.
How is it applied?
Mix 25 kg with the specified water for at least 4 minutes on slow speed, then pour continuously from one side at fluid or plastic consistency and let it flow across without vibration.
About MC-Bauchemie MC-Grout PF
MC-Grout PF is the fine-grain member of MC-Bauchemie’s precision grout family, made for the jobs where a coarse general-purpose grout simply will not travel. Its aggregate tops out at around 1.0 to 1.5 mm, so the mix stays mobile through thin annular gaps and around dense bolt cages that a larger-particle grout would bridge over and leave voided. Supplied as a factory-blended dry powder in 25 kg bags, it needs nothing on site but clean water and a slow-speed mixer, which keeps batch-to-batch consistency in the contractor’s hands rather than at the mercy of site-sourced sand and cement.
What makes it a precision grout rather than an ordinary bedding mortar is the non-shrink behaviour. During the plastic phase and on into hardening, the mix holds zero or positive volume change instead of settling away from the plate it is supposed to support. That is the whole point of grouting a base plate: you want uninterrupted, load-bearing contact between the steel and the foundation so that dynamic loads transfer cleanly. MC-Grout PF is formulated to deliver that contact and then back it with strength, reaching well above 25 to 30 MPa in a single day and 55 to 65 MPa by 28 days, comfortably in the range specifiers expect for machinery and infrastructure duty.
The technical insight
The mechanism is worth understanding because it drives everything on site. Ordinary cement paste shrinks as it hydrates and bleeds water upward, so a plain mortar under a base plate tends to pull away and leave a gap exactly where you need bearing. A non-shrink grout counters this with a compensating action, either a gas-generating reaction (fine metallic particles that oxidise and release hydrogen microbubbles during the plastic stage) or a crystalline expansion system, timed to offset settlement while the grout is still workable. The fine 1.0 to 1.5 mm aggregate then does the second job: it keeps the mix cohesive and free-flowing so it self-levels into narrow gaps under its own head of material, without segregation. Because the grout stays fluid (a 250 to 300 mm flow-cone spread) yet non-bleeding, it reaches every corner of the pocket, and because the volume is held stable through set, that fill converts directly into continuous, vibration-resistant bearing rather than a hollow crust.
Where it is used
- Bedding under rotating and reciprocating machine base plates where uniform contact controls vibration
- Grouting steel column and stanchion base plates onto concrete pedestals
- Anchor-bolt and holding-down bolt pocket filling, including congested bolt cages
- Seating of bridge and structural bearings to transfer loads evenly
- Filling narrow annular gaps of 10 to 15 mm that coarser grouts cannot penetrate
- Precast element connections, joints and levelling pockets
- Compressor, pump and turbine foundations subject to dynamic loading
- Rail base and equipment skid grouting requiring precise levels
Key advantages
- Fine aggregate flows into tight clearances and around dense reinforcement without bridging or voiding
- Non-shrink system holds zero-to-positive volume change, preserving full bearing under the plate
- High early strength (over 25 to 30 MPa at 1 day) allows quicker commissioning of equipment
- 28-day strength of 55 to 65 MPa suits demanding machinery and infrastructure duty
- Free-flow, self-levelling consistency reaches all corners of the pocket by pouring alone
- Factory-blended in 25 kg bags for consistent, repeatable batches with only water added
- Resists the dynamic and vibration loads typical of rotating machinery
- Single-component and pump-friendly, which speeds placement on larger pours
Limitations & considerations
- Placement temperature should stay within roughly 5 to 35 degrees Celsius; hot or cold extremes need protection or adjusted practice
- Working time is only 30 to 45 minutes at 25 degrees Celsius, so batching and pouring must be organised and continuous
- Overwatering to gain flow will cut strength and can cause bleeding; stay within the specified water range
- As a cementitious grout it is not designed for chemically aggressive exposure, where an epoxy grout is the correct choice
- Requires sound, saturated-surface-dry, clean substrate and proper formwork to develop its full performance
- Not intended for very large single-lift pours beyond manufacturer thickness limits without pour planning
Selection & best practice
Get the substrate right first: the concrete must be sound, clean and pre-soaked to a saturated surface-dry condition so it does not draw water out of the grout, and formwork should be leak-tight with a head box or funnel on the pouring side. Add powder to water (not the reverse) and mix at least 4 minutes on slow speed to a lump-free, uniform consistency, staying inside the specified water band; do not chase extra flow with extra water. Pour continuously from one side only and let the grout displace air across to the far edge so no pockets are trapped, and never vibrate a free-flow grout. Work within the 30 to 45 minute window, batch enough labour to keep the pour uninterrupted, and in hot weather use cool water and shade the work; in cold weather protect against low temperatures. Cure the exposed edges promptly with wet hessian or a curing membrane to protect early strength.
Specifications
| Product type | Fine-grain non-shrink cementitious precision grout |
| Maximum aggregate size | 1.0 to 1.5 mm |
| Compressive strength (1 day) | Greater than 25 to 30 MPa |
| Compressive strength (28 days) | Greater than 55 to 65 MPa |
| Volume change | Zero or positive (non-shrink) at hardened state |
| Flow (fluid consistency) | 250 to 300 mm by flow-cone test |
| Flow (plastic consistency) | 180 to 220 mm |
| Application temperature | 5 to 35 degrees Celsius |
| Working time | 30 to 45 minutes at 25 degrees Celsius |
| Pack size | 25 kg bags |
Industry use cases
Power and heavy machinery
Bedding turbine, compressor and pump base plates where fine flow reaches under the full plate and non-shrink contact controls vibration.
Bridges and infrastructure
Seating structural bearings and filling anchor pockets so loads transfer evenly, in line with bearing-grout expectations under MORTH and IRC practice.
Precast and structural steel
Grouting column base plates and precast connection pockets to accurate levels with high early strength for faster erection cycles.
Industrial plants and manufacturing
Anchor-bolt grouting and equipment skid bedding in congested bolt cages where a coarse grout would bridge and void.
Frequently asked questions
What makes MC-Grout PF different from a standard non-shrink grout?
What clearance or gap thickness does it suit?
How strong is it and how quickly?
How much water do I add and can I add more for easier flow?
Should I vibrate it into place?
When should I use an epoxy grout instead?
How we position MC-Bauchemie MC-Grout PF
MC-Grout PF sits at the fine-grain, precision end of MC-Bauchemie’s grouting range: reach for it in tight clearances, and step up to a coarser or higher-flow MC-Grout grade where sections are thicker or larger volumes are involved. Where the exposure turns chemically aggressive or the dynamic loading is severe, move from this cementitious grout to an epoxy grout, and pair the pour with the right ancillaries, a suitable form-release agent on the shutter and a curing membrane on the exposed edges. As an authorised distributor and applicator across Delhi NCR and pan-India, Space Arc also supplies equivalent precision grouts from Fosroc, Sika and other brands, so we can match the grade to your specification and site conditions rather than pushing a single label.
Fosroc Conbextra GP2 — A specifier already standardised on the Fosroc system, or needing a widely referenced free-flow non-shrink grout with a comparable 65 N/mm2 at 28 days, may prefer Conbextra GP2 as the direct equivalent.
Related Grouts & Anchors products
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Authorised distribution, technical advice & professional application across Delhi NCR and Pan-India.