MC-Bauchemie MC-Grout Flowable
A self-levelling, non-shrink cementitious grout that flows into deep pockets and congested cavities under its own weight, then hardens with full contact bearing and no drying shrinkage.
What is it?
A ready-to-mix, single-component cementitious grout from MC-Bauchemie that pours to a self-levelling flowable consistency and cures without shrinkage.
Where is it used?
Precast column pockets, bridge bearing and beam-end seatings, machinery anchor-bolt groups, and honeycomb void repairs in substructure concrete.
Why use it?
It fills deep and awkward voids by gravity alone, then locks in full load-bearing contact because it does not shrink away from the surfaces it was poured against.
How is it applied?
Site-mix with clean water at roughly 0.16 to 0.20 litres per kg of powder, then pour continuously from one side so the grout flows across and displaces trapped air.
About MC-Bauchemie MC-Grout Flowable
MC-Grout Flowable is MC-Bauchemie’s answer to the grouting problem that trips up most site teams: getting a cement-based fill to reach the bottom of a deep pocket, wrap around a cluster of anchor bolts, and still make solid contact with every face once it has set. It arrives as a factory-blended dry powder that needs nothing on site except clean water and a mechanical mixer. Once gauged, it develops a self-levelling flowable consistency with a measured spread in the region of 240 to 300 mm on a flow table, so it travels sideways and downward on its own rather than needing to be rodded or vibrated into place.
The value of the product is not just that it flows, but what it does at the moment it stops flowing. Ordinary cement grouts lose volume as they dry, pulling back from the steel and the concrete they were meant to bond and leaving a hairline gap that undermines the whole bearing detail. MC-Grout Flowable is formulated to hold its volume, showing zero or a slight positive change in the plastic phase, so the hardened plug stays in intimate contact all the way to the edges. For an engineer signing off a column base or a bridge bearing, that difference is the difference between a nominal fill and a genuine load path.
The technical insight
The mechanism sits in the gap between rheology and volume stability. On the fresh side, a graded fine aggregate capped at around 3 to 5 mm, combined with flow-modifying admixtures, lets the mix carry a low water content (roughly 0.16 to 0.20 litres per kg) yet still self-level. Low water is what protects strength: less mixing water means fewer capillary voids and a denser matrix, which is why the 28-day compressive strength lands at a minimum of 30 to 35 MPa despite the fluid consistency. On the hardening side, a controlled shrinkage-compensating action generates a small internal expansive push while the grout is still plastic, offsetting the natural drying contraction of the cement paste. The net result is a plug that neither slumps during placing nor pulls away afterward, which is precisely the behaviour ASTM C939, C1090 and EN 445 were written to measure.
Where it is used
- Grouting precast column bases into cast-in-situ foundation pockets
- Bedding bridge bearings and grouting prestressed beam-end seatings on bridge structures
- Setting anchor-bolt groups and holding-down bolts in machinery and equipment foundations
- Filling large honeycomb voids and blowholes in bridge substructure and heavy concrete elements
- Filling deep sleeves, ducts and cable-anchorage recesses that a stiff mortar cannot reach
- Under-plate grouting for structural steel base plates where full contact bearing is required
Key advantages
- Self-levels into deep and congested cavities under its own weight, with no rodding or vibration needed
- Non-shrink behaviour keeps the hardened grout in full contact with steel and concrete for a genuine load path
- Low water demand delivers a dense, durable matrix and 30 to 35 MPa minimum strength at 28 days
- Fine 3 to 5 mm aggregate lets it flow around bolt clusters and into narrow annular gaps
- Factory-blended single component removes site batching error and gives repeatable results
- Pumpable or pourable, so it suits both large continuous pours and awkward manual placements
Limitations & considerations
- The self-levelling consistency needs a formed, leak-tight shutter or pocket; on open or sloping surfaces it will run
- Effective only within a working temperature window of about +5 degrees C to +35 degrees C, so hot- and cold-weather pours need planning
- A practical minimum pour of roughly 2 litres and a capped aggregate size make it unsuited to very large mass fills where a coarser grout concrete is more economical
- Strength gain and set both slow markedly in cold conditions, delaying load application
- As a cementitious grout it offers limited resistance to aggressive chemical exposure without a separate protective coating
Selection & best practice
Success is mostly about placement discipline. Confirm the cavity is clean, saturated surface-dry and firmly shuttered before you gauge any powder. Add powder to water (not the reverse) and mix mechanically to a lump-free, uniform slurry, holding the water within the stated 0.16 to 0.20 litres per kg range because over-watering to chase extra flow is what wrecks the strength and re-introduces shrinkage. Pour continuously from one side only, letting the grout push air ahead of it and rise up the far face, and keep a head of grout to maintain the flow. Aim to place within the mix’s working life, then protect exposed surfaces with wet hessian or a curing membrane so early moisture is not lost. Do not apply load until the specified early strength has been reached, and delay it further if temperatures are near the lower limit.
Specifications
| Product type | Self-levelling, non-shrink cementitious grout (single component) |
| Consistency | Flowable / self-levelling |
| Flow spread | 240 to 300 mm (ASTM C939 / EN 445) |
| Compressive strength (28 days) | Minimum 30 to 35 MPa |
| Volume change | Zero or slight positive change in plastic phase (ASTM C1090 / EN 445) |
| Water / powder ratio | Approx. 0.16 to 0.20 litres per kg of powder |
| Maximum aggregate size | 3 to 5 mm |
| Application temperature | +5 degrees C to +35 degrees C |
Industry use cases
Precast concrete
Grouting factory-made columns into in-situ foundation pockets, where the flowable mix reaches the base of a deep pocket and locks the element in place without voids.
Bridges and infrastructure
Bedding bearings and grouting prestressed beam-end seatings, where non-shrink contact under the bearing is critical to how load transfers into the substructure.
Industrial and power plant
Setting anchor-bolt groups and equipment base plates on machinery foundations, where the grout must flow around congested bolt clusters and resist dynamic loading.
Repair and rehabilitation
Filling large honeycomb voids and blowholes in heavy concrete elements, restoring monolithic section without the shrinkage cracking of a site-batched mortar.
Frequently asked questions
How is MC-Grout Flowable different from a normal cement grout?
How much water should I add?
What compressive strength does it reach?
Can it be pumped, or only poured?
Is it suitable for anchor-bolt groups and bridge bearings?
What is the working temperature range?
How we position MC-Bauchemie MC-Grout Flowable
MC-Grout Flowable is the general-purpose flowable member of MC-Bauchemie’s grouting range. Where a job needs a coarser, more economical fill for very large-volume or thicker-section pours, MC-Bauchemie’s Emcekrete grout concretes are the natural step up within the same family, and their epoxy grout line (such as MC-DUR Grout) is the route when chemical resistance or high dynamic loading rules out a cementitious product. Space Arc supplies parallel non-shrink cementitious grouts across brands we distribute, so a specifier tied to a particular approval list has a like-for-like option rather than being locked in. Pair the grout with an appropriate curing membrane and, where the pocket is exposed to aggression, a separate protective coating.
Fosroc Conbextra GP2 — A specifier working to a Fosroc-approved schedule, or one needing a higher rated strength around 60 to 65 N/mm-squared, may prefer Conbextra GP2 as the free-flow non-shrink equivalent.
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