COMPLETE REVISION

October 2001

Process Industry Practices

Structural

PIP STS03601
Epoxy Grout Specification
 PURPOSE AND USE OF PROCESS INDUSTRY PRACTICES

In an effort to minimize the cost of process industry facilities, this Practice has
been prepared from the technical requirements in the existing standards of major
industrial users, contractors, or standards organizations. By harmonizing these
technical requirements into a single set of Practices, administrative, application, and
engineering costs to both the purchaser and the manufacturer should be reduced. While
this Practice is expected to incorporate the majority of requirements of most users,
individual applications may involve requirements that will be appended to and take
precedence over this Practice. Determinations concerning fitness for purpose and
particular matters or application of the Practice to particular project or engineering
situations should not be made solely on information contained in these materials. The
use of trade names from time to time should not be viewed as an expression of
preference but rather recognized as normal usage in the trade. Other brands having the
same specifications are equally correct and may be substituted for those named. All
Practices or guidelines are intended to be consistent with applicable laws and
regulations including OSHA requirements. To the extent these Practices or guidelines
should conflict with OSHA or other applicable laws or regulations, such laws or
regulations must be followed. Consult an appropriate professional before applying or
acting on any material contained in or suggested by the Practice.

This Practice is subject to revision at any time by the responsible Function Team
and will be reviewed every 5 years. This Practice will be revised, reaffirmed, or
withdrawn. Information on whether this Practice has been revised may be found at
www.pip.org.

© Process Industry Practices (PIP), Construction Industry Institute, The

University of Texas at Austin, 3925 West Braker Lane (R4500), Austin,
Texas 78759. PIP member companies and subscribers may copy this Practice
for their internal use. Changes, overlays, addenda, or modifications of any
kind are not permitted within any PIP Practice without the express written
authorization of PIP.

PRINTING HISTORY
November 1996 Issued
October 2001 Complete Revision

Not printed with State funds

 COMPLETE REVISION
October 2001

Process Industry Practices

Structural

PIP STS03601
Epoxy Grout Specification
Table of Contents

1. Introduction .................................. 2
1.1 Purpose ............................................. 2
1.2 Scope................................................. 2

2. References ................................... 2
2.1 Process Industry Practices ................ 2
2.2 Industrial Codes and Standards ........ 2
2.3 Government Regulations ................... 3

3. Definitions .................................... 3

4. General ......................................... 3
4.1 Field Quality Control of
Epoxy Grout ....................................... 3
4.2 Testing ............................................... 4
4.3 Submittals .......................................... 4
4.4 Safety................................................. 4

5. Products ....................................... 4
5.1 Materials ............................................ 4

6. Execution...................................... 5
6.1 Application ......................................... 5
6.2 Preparation ........................................ 5
6.3 Installation of Epoxy Grout................. 6
6.4 Disposal ............................................. 7

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PIP STS03601 COMPLETE REVISION
Epoxy Grout Specification October 2001

1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose
This Practice provides the contractor with a specification for supply and installation
of epoxy grout for machine baseplates and soleplates.

1.2 Scope
The contractor shall furnish all equipment, materials, labor, and supervision and
shall perform all operations necessary for the foundation surface preparation,
formwork, proper mixing, placing, finishing, and curing of epoxy grout, where
indicated by the contract documents.
Any conflicts or inconsistencies between this Practice, the design drawings, the
epoxy grout manufacturer’s specifications and recommendations, the machine or
equipment manufacturer’s recommendations, or other contract documents shall be
brought to the attention of the buyer for resolution before the performance of work.
The following items are referenced within this Practice but are to be completed by
others:
• Installing and leveling equipment or machine soleplates and baseplates
• Aligning equipment and machinery

2. References
When adopted in this Practice or in the contract documents, the latest edition of the
following codes, standards, specifications, and references in effect on the date of contract
award shall be used, except as otherwise specified. Short titles will be used herein when
appropriate.

2.1 Process Industry Practices (PIP)

− PIP STS03001 - Plain and Reinforced Concrete
− PIP REIE686 - Recommended Practices for Machinery Installation and
Installation Design

2.2 Industrial Codes and Standards

• American Petroleum Institute

− API 610, Appendix L - Baseplate and Soleplate Grouting
• American Standard Testing Methods (ASTM)
− ASTM C531 - Standard Test Method for Linear Shrinkage and Coefficient of
Thermal Expansion of Chemical-Resistant Mortars, Grouts, Monolithic
Surfacings, and Polymer Concretes
− ASTM C579 - Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Chemical-
Resistant Mortars, Grouts, Monolithic Surfacings and Polymer Concretes

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COMPLETE REVISION PIP STS03601
October 2001 Epoxy Grout Specification

− ASTM C882 - Standard Test Method for Bond Strength of Epoxy-Resin

Systems Used with Concrete by Slant Shear
− ASTM C1181 - Standard Test Methods for Compressive Creep of Chemical-
Resistant Polymer Machinery Grouts

2.3 Government Regulations

Federal Standards and Instructions of the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), including any additional requirements by state or local
agencies that have jurisdiction where the epoxy grout is to be installed, shall apply,
including the following:
− Code of Federal Regulations, OSHA Part 1910 and Part 1926

3. Definitions
buyer: The party who awards the contract to the contractor. The buyer may be the owner or
the owner’s authorized agent.

buyer’s inspector: The authorized representative of the buyer with authority to act in the
interest of, and on behalf of, the buyer in all quality assurance matters

contractor: The party responsible for the supply and installation of the epoxy grout. Unless
otherwise noted, the term contractor shall apply also to the contractor’s subcontractor(s)
and/or vendors.

contract documents: Any and all documents, including design drawings, that the buyer has
transmitted or otherwise communicated, either by incorporation or by reference, and made
part of the legal contract agreement or purchase order agreement between the buyer and the
contractor

manufacturer: The party that produces and warrants the performance of the product

4. General

4.1 Field Quality Control of Epoxy Grout

4.1.1 The contractor shall be solely responsible for the quality control of all
contractor-supplied materials, installations, and workmanship, including
those items or installations supplied by any of the contractor’s
subcontractors or vendors.
4.1.2 Notwithstanding the contractor’s responsibility for quality, the epoxy grout
manufacturer shall provide a technical representative who will be on-site for
at least the first day of epoxy grout placement to review the set-up and to
ensure that the epoxy grout manufacturer’s installation instructions are
followed. This requirement may be waived by written notice from the buyer
or as otherwise directed in the contract documents.
4.1.3 The contractor and epoxy grout manufacturer’s technical representative shall
complete the appropriate Grouting Checklists found in Chapter 5, Section 4,

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PIP STS03601 COMPLETE REVISION
Epoxy Grout Specification October 2001

of PIP REIE686 and shall submit these to the owner’s representative before
starting to place epoxy grout.
4.1.4 The buyer reserves the right to make inspections at any time during mixing
of the materials and during execution of all epoxy grout work.

4.2 Testing
4.2.1 After initial prequalification, epoxy grout may be sampled and tested if
required by the contract documents.
4.2.1.1 Minimum sample frequency is one per shipment or per
manufacturing lot of grout. Each sample shall consist of sufficient
cubes to complete the required tests.
4.2.1.2 Test each sample for compressive strength and linear shrinkage. See
Section 5.1.1 of this Practice.

4.3 Submittals
4.3.1 When required in the contract documents or if an alternate epoxy grout is
proposed before installation, the contractor shall submit to the buyer the
manufacturer’s literature and certified test data for the epoxy grout and shall
indicate the product’s properties as required by this Practice.
4.3.2 Fifteen days before installation, the contractor shall submit to the buyer, for
review and acceptance, a written quality control program describing in detail
how compliance with this Practice will be ensured. The program shall
include all forming, handling, mixing, placing, joint locations, joint details,
curing, testing, and inspection procedures.

4.4 Safety
The contractor shall comply with the safety requirements specified in the contract
documents.

5. Products

5.1 Materials
5.1.1 Epoxy grout for equipment or machine baseplates shall meet the following
physical properties (see API 610 Appendix L):
5.1.1.1 Minimum compressive strength (ASTM C579, Method B modified):
12,000 psi (80 MPa) at 7 days
5.1.1.2 Maximum linear shrinkage (ASTM C531): 0.080 percent
5.1.1.3 Maximum coefficient of thermal expansion (ASTM C531): 30 x 10-6
inch/inch/°F (54 x 10-6 mm/mm/°C)
5.1.1.4 Maximum creep (ASTM 1181): 0.005 inch/inch (5 x 10-6 mm/mm),
tested at 70°F (20°C) and 140°F (60°C) with 400 psi (2.8 MPa)
applied vertical load

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COMPLETE REVISION PIP STS03601
October 2001 Epoxy Grout Specification

5.1.1.5 Minimum bond strength of epoxy grout to concrete (ASTM C882):

2000 psi (14 MPa)
5.1.2 All materials shall be delivered to the job site in original unopened packages
and shall be stored in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
All materials and tools shall be stored in a clean and organized manner.

6. Execution

6.1 Application
6.1.1 Epoxy grout thickness shall be as indicated in the contract documents.

6.2 Preparation
6.2.1 Foundations shall be suitably prepared before installation of formwork for
grout.
6.2.1.1 Remove laitance and oil-soaked or damaged concrete with chipping
hammer to sound fractured aggregate, or to a minimum of the top
1 inch (25 mm) of concrete.
6.2.1.2 When surface chipping is complete, remove all dust and loose
particles with clean, dry, oil-free air.
6.2.1.3 After cleaning, protect the foundation surface from contamination by
applying protective sheeting.
6.2.2 Suitable shelter or enclosures shall be provided to protect the foundation and
baseplate from direct sunlight, dew, rain, or other inclement weather. During
cold weather, adequate enclosures and heating shall be provided to maintain
foundation and baseplate temperature within the acceptable range specified
by the grout manufacturer. This temperature shall be maintained until the
grout has cured or until directed by the grout manufacturer.
6.2.3 Formwork for epoxy grout shall be constructed to be liquid-tight with
adequate strength, rigidity, and dimension to permit epoxy grout placement.
6.2.3.1 Attach grout forms to concrete with drilled anchors or other method
when approved by the buyer. Power nailing is not permitted.
6.2.3.2 Apply three coats of paste wax to the inside surface of forms or use
other methods as recommended by the epoxy grout manufacturer to
prevent grout adherence. Oil or liquid wax is not permitted.
6.2.3.3 Install 1-inch (25-mm) 45° chamfer strips at each vertical corner and
at the horizontal surface of the grout forms.
6.2.3.4 Seal all form joints and interface between forms and concrete
foundation using grout manufacturer’s recommended sealant.
6.2.4 Anchor bolts shall be protected by sleeves, and exposed threads shall be
wrapped with duct tape to prevent adherence of epoxy grout. Anchor bolt
sleeves shall be extended to the underside of the mounting plate, or the area

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PIP STS03601 COMPLETE REVISION
Epoxy Grout Specification October 2001

from the top of the anchor bolt sleeves and the bottom of the mounting plate
shall be sealed to exclude epoxy grout.
6.2.5 Expansion joints in epoxy grout shall be spaced at a maximum of 48 inches
(1.4 m) unless otherwise specified in the contract documents.
6.2.5.1 Expansion joints shall be made from closed-cell neoprene or
polyethylene foam board, having a minimum thickness of 1 inch
(25 mm) unless otherwise noted in the contract documents.
6.2.5.2 Expansion joints shall be fixed into position to prevent movement
and shall be sealed at formwork and at the concrete base to prevent
epoxy grout from passing around or underneath the joint during
placement.
6.2.6 Concrete surfaces in contact with the epoxy grout shall be clean and dry at
time of placement. Air used for blowing shall be clean, dry, and oil-free.
6.2.7 Reinforcement shall be installed as indicated in the contract documents and
in accordance with PIP STS03001.

6.3 Installation of Epoxy Grout

6.3.1 Equipment and machine baseplates and soleplates shall be prepared and
installed according to the requirements of PIP REIE686 before grouting.
6.3.2 Epoxy grout shall be stored, mixed, placed, and cured in accordance with
manufacturer’s written requirements, including temperature restrictions.
6.3.3 Dust and dirt accumulation shall be removed with clean, dry, oil-free air
from surfaces that are to receive grout.
6.3.4 An adequate quantity of grout shall be on hand before starting to mix and
place grout. No partial units of epoxy, resins, hardener, or aggregate shall be
used. The ratio of components shall not be varied, and solvent shall not be
added to change the grout consistency.
6.3.5 Grout placements shall be started at one end of the forms, and the cavity
shall be filled completely while advancing toward the other end to prevent
air entrapment.
6.3.6 To avoid separation of aggregate from resin binder, vibration or other forms
of dynamic distribution are not permitted.
6.3.7 The forms shall be checked for grout leaks frequently. Leaks will not self-
seal and may cause voids in the grout if not stopped. All leaks shall be sealed
to prevent voids from forming in the grout.
6.3.8 The grout shall be checked for voids after the grout has cured. Any voids
shall be filled according to the epoxy grout manufacturer’s instructions.
6.3.9 Exposed expansion joints shall be sealed with the epoxy grout
manufacturer’s recommended sealant.

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COMPLETE REVISION PIP STS03601
October 2001 Epoxy Grout Specification

6.3.10 Epoxy grout cannot be cut back after cure. The final level of the epoxy grout
shall be flush with the top of horizontal chamfer edges built into the
formwork.

6.4 Disposal
All materials shall be converted to solid waste for proper disposal. The procedure for
making solid waste in any type of hardener container is as follows:
a. Mix the hardener with the resin. This mixture is considered inert.
b. Pour excess hardener/resin mixture into the hardener container.
c. Close container and shake until excess hardener mixes with excess
hardener/resin mixture.
This final mixture in the hardener container is considered inert for proper solid waste
disposal.

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