Mixers & Delivery Systems

Side Story:
Delivering the Best

Grout delivery systems are also essential to making the most of your crews' time at the wall. We spoke with two manufacturers about their products and how contractors can make efficient use of grout pumps on the job site.

Damian Lang, president and owner of EZ Grout and Lang Masonry in Waterford, Ohio, said the key to making grouting efficient is to make a machine that's just plain easy for the crews to use.

"The Grout Hog is a simple machine that requires very little maintenance or preparation before you grout. You just slide the forks of your forklift into the Grout Hog and you are ready to go within minutes," Lang said. "During the grouting process, the forklift carries the weight of the material, while your laborer just guides the hose and directs the grout into the cells of the block.

"With the swivel on the Grout Hog, 17 feet of wall can be grouted without moving the forklift," he continued. "Once you are finished grouting, one man can clean the Grout Hog in less than 15 minutes."

"We have developed a newer style Grout Hog that will move the grout up hill and discharge it above the hopper," Lang said. "The new product is to fulfill the request of several mason contractors over the years for the machine to do interior walls with low ceilings and to reduce the height the Grout Hog will need to be extended in the air when grouting high walls."

Another type of grout pump available is the Black-Jack manufactured by Engineered Concrete Lifting Equipment Inc. of Rockford, Ill. Measuring just 44"x24"x16" and weighing only 125 pounds, the Black-Jack has a pump rate of 300 cubic feet per hour, with a pump pressure of 50 to 750 PSI. The two-cubic-foot hopper can be filled by wheelbarrow or ready-mix truck, with an optional hopper extension to bring the capacity to five cubic feet.

"You can use it for grout delivery to a height of 60 to 100 feet, depending on the slump of the material and the viscosity of it," said Perry Hochkammer, president of Engineered Concrete Lifting Equipment. "It's really an all-in-one pump that everybody can use, not specifically designed for one application."

The Black-Jack also comes in a double pump version that has twice the pump rate and offers two separate lines for two different crew members to discharge grout.

Just as mixers have ways to increase efficiency, there are also tips and tricks to speeding up the grouting process.

Lang suggested: "Keep the grout supply as close to the area you are grouting as possible. Especially if you are grouting from a ready mix truck, make sure these guys drive in as close as possible to the area you are grouting. It will save you tremendous time and travel on your forklift.

"Also, if you are in doubt, keep an extra forklift on the job site so you are not holding up the process during grouting," he added. "Rent on this forklift will be much cheaper than the cost of employees standing around waiting while you grout. The forklift will also be much less maintenance than a grout pump and can be used for other things once the grouting process is completed."