Rock-mass consolidation
Resin can penetrate accessible fractures and joints, bonding loose or separated rock surfaces and improving continuity within the treated zone.
Ground engineering and structural consolidation
Polyurea-silicate resin injection can be used as part of an engineered rock-stabilisation and rock-support system. The process introduces a fast-reacting, high-strength material into accessible fractures, joints and void pathways, helping to bond discontinuous rock and improve the integrity of the treated zone.
Rock injection is most effective where boreholes and packers can provide controlled access to connected fractures or open discontinuities. The two resin components are delivered separately and combined close to the point of injection. Once mixed, the resin reacts rapidly to form a dense, substantially non-expanding compound that bonds to the surrounding rock and bridges suitable pathways.
Resin can penetrate accessible fractures and joints, bonding loose or separated rock surfaces and improving continuity within the treated zone.
Injection may be undertaken ahead of, during or after excavation to support locally unstable ground and complement the designed support system.
Fast reaction can provide early bonding where treatment time is limited, provided the resin reaches the required pathways before its movement is restricted.
Packers, pumps, mixer configuration and defined pressure and volume limits allow the treatment to be monitored and adjusted to the observed ground response.
GeoPro SP-16 is a low-viscosity, two-component polyurea-silicate resin intended for specialist injection applications where penetration, bonding and controlled consolidation are required. Final suitability must be confirmed through project-specific assessment, testing and design.
May be considered for the treatment of fractured, jointed or locally weakened rock where low-viscosity penetration and structural bonding are required.
May be used to penetrate connected fissures, joints and micro-voids, subject to aperture size, connectivity, pressure limitations and resin compatibility.
May be considered for stabilising locally disturbed ground where controlled injection can improve continuity and reduce movement within the treated zone.
May be incorporated into tunnelling or underground works for localised consolidation, pre-treatment and remediation, subject to the excavation method and ground conditions.
May be considered where injection is required to improve the continuity of a ground-treatment zone. Water flow, pressure, resin reaction and environmental requirements must be assessed.
May be considered as part of a designed treatment strategy where voids, discontinuities or local ground weakness are contributing to settlement or movement.
Application guide · Injection methodology
SP-16 is delivered through a controlled two-component injection system. The components remain separate through the pump and delivery hoses before combining in a suitable static mixer close to the packer and point of injection.
Injection arrangement
Boreholes and packers provide access to the treatment zone. Resin is injected in a planned sequence while pressure, flow, volume and communication with nearby fractures or boreholes are monitored.
Injection control: Borehole spacing, injection sequence, pressure limits and target volumes should be established in the approved project method and adjusted where the observed ground response requires it.
Mixer selection
A static mixer repeatedly divides and recombines the two component streams. Its internal geometry, diameter and number of elements influence blending, flow resistance and the quantity of mixed resin retained in the assembly.
Alternating helical elements divide and rotate the component streams along the mixer. This established design can provide consistent blending when its diameter, element count and flow rate are correctly matched to the resin.
Intersecting flow paths divide and recombine the components within a compact assembly. The required configuration should be verified at the intended component ratio, temperature and delivery rate.
Length is one part of mixer selection and should not be considered independently of performance.
A longer mixing path may improve blending in some arrangements, but can also increase pressure loss and retained mixed volume.
A shorter assembly can reduce retained volume and replacement time, provided testing confirms homogeneous mixing under the intended operating conditions.
Troubleshooting
Resin curing inside the mixer or lance can restrict flow and produce a pressure rise that resembles refusal, even though the treatment zone has not accepted the planned volume.
The pressure response changes earlier or more rapidly than anticipated.
Partly cured resin has reduced the available flow path through the equipment.
Between injections
Following an interruption or completed injection, mixed resin must be managed before it cures inside the mixer or lance. The approved method should define whether affected components are replaced or cleared.
Flushing materials and unmixed components should not be discharged into the ground unless their use forms an approved part of the injection method.
Operational sequence
Confirm the resin, equipment, mixer and pressure ratings.
Check component ratio, temperature, flow and mixer condition.
Track pressure, flow, volume and ground response.
Investigate unexpected pressure changes and manage interruptions safely.
Log locations, volumes, pressures, restrictions and actions taken.
Successful ground consolidation depends on keeping the mixed resin within the targeted joints and fractures until it has reacted sufficiently. This is especially important with silicate-modified polyurea systems, which generally produce little or no expansion and therefore cannot rely on foaming to fill open space. Effective containment is achieved by combining suitable resin characteristics with sealed injection points, controlled delivery and careful preparation of the components. Where the exposed rock is highly jointed, a temporary or permanent surface seal may also be required to prevent resin from escaping through interconnected fractures at the face.
The fast gel time of SP-16 helps control resin migration through open joints and connected fractures. After the components are mixed, the reaction develops rapidly and the resin begins to thicken, progressively reducing its ability to flow away from the intended treatment zone.
This short working time can improve resin retention, particularly where pathways lead towards an exposed face or where injection is undertaken in inclined or overhead boreholes. Injection pressure, delivery rate and sequence must therefore be carefully controlled so the resin reaches the required area before increasing viscosity restricts further movement.
Injection should take place through an appropriately sized mechanical packer or expanding lance positioned within the borehole. Introducing resin through an open, unsealed hole provides little control over the direction of travel and makes return flow more likely.
Expanding the packer against sound rock creates a firm seal behind the borehole collar. Pump pressure can then drive the resin into surrounding discontinuities rather than allowing it to follow the easier route back to the surface.
Highly jointed or fractured rock may contain numerous pathways that extend directly to the exposed face. In these conditions, packers alone may not provide sufficient containment, as injected resin can escape through nearby joints before it has spread through the intended treatment zone.
Applying a suitable surface seal, such as shotcrete, helps close these openings and provides external confinement during injection. The shotcrete may be installed as a temporary sealing layer specifically for the injection works, or it may already form part of the permanent ground-support system.
The surface seal should develop adequate strength before injection begins. Its thickness, extent, condition and capacity to withstand the proposed injection pressure must be verified as part of the site-specific design.
For steep or vertical treatment areas, work will often advance from the lower injection points towards the upper points. The exact sequence should reflect the orientation of the joints, groundwater movement and the site-specific injection plan.
Beginning at a lower level can encourage trapped air and water to move towards designated relief points. Resin appearing at a neighbouring packer may indicate that a connected pathway has been reached, but uncontrolled discharge at the face should be sealed and assessed before injection continues.
Pump pressure, delivery rate and total resin consumption should be observed throughout each injection cycle. A gradual, controlled increase in pressure provides useful information about how the ground is accepting the material.
Applying too much pressure may open existing fractures, disturb weak rock or force resin through the face. Applying too little may leave the treatment incomplete. Where the equipment allows, measured batches can be programmed to reduce unnecessary pumping and help compare actual usage with the anticipated treatment volume.
The two components must be delivered in the ratio stated by the resin manufacturer, commonly equal parts by volume. A suitable plural-component pump should feed both materials into an in-line static mixer capable of producing a consistent blend before the resin enters the packer.
Mixer dimensions should be selected for the particular resin, pump output and hose arrangement. Some installations use static mixers approximately 300–500 mm long, but length alone does not confirm adequate performance. Mixer design, internal element count, diameter and flow resistance must also be considered.
Poor proportioning or incomplete mixing can leave partially reacted material that remains fluid and escapes from the rock.
Speak with M&T Global about ground conditions, injection equipment and application requirements. Our team can help you determine whether GeoPro SP-16 is suitable for the proposed treatment.