Geotechnical Products Guide
Mudtech Geotechnical Products Guide
TUNNELLING • PIPE-JACKING • MICROTUNNELLING • SHAFTS • DRILLING • CORING • PILING • DIAPHRAGM WALLS • SLURRY RECYCLING • GROUND TREATMENT • CONCRETE WASHOUT
Slurry products used to formulate engineered conveying, lubrication, encapsulating, and support fluids for tunnelling, drilling, excavation, shafts, ground stabilisation, and fines suspension
| Product | Product type and role | Typical applications | Typical starting dose (guide) | Why choose this product (competitors in brackets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MX (LIQUID / POWDER) | High-performance biodegradable polymer slurry providing strong stabilisation and suspension through membrane formation | Tunnelling, bored piling, diaphragm walls, shafts, excavation support, coring, pipe jacking annulus lubrication. | 3–6 litres per m³ of make-up water, adjusted to achieve required suspension and wall stability | Strong suspension and cutting transport in sands and gravels. Enhances bentonite slurries, combines with TK60 in mixed ground, and accepts carbonate weighting. (KB-Xan) |
| NATURE GEL | Pure natural sodium bentonite for mineral slurry support | Annular lubrication, technical slurries | 25–50 kg per m³ of make-up water, depending on required viscosity and suspension | High-quality, unadulterated sodium bentonite providing reliable viscosity, suspension and wall support in conventional slurry systems |
| TK60 Polymer | Traditional PHPA-based polymer for slurry make-up, clay inhibition and fluid conditioning. Liquid and powder versions. | All slurry work, especially in reactive clays; annular lubricant and stabiliser | TK60 Liquid: 5–10 L/m³. TK PowderMax: 1–4 kg/m³, adjusted for clay reactivity and conditioning needs | Proven clay inhibition, lubrication and slurry conditioning for reactive ground. (SuperMud, SuperMud Dry, KB-Poly etc.) |
Weighting and loss-control additives used to adjust fluid density, control fluid loss, and stabilise excavation support slurries
| Product | Product type and role | Typical applications | Typical starting dose (guide) | Why choose this product (competitors in brackets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARBONATES | Mineral additives for rheology tuning, fluid-loss control and density adjustment | Slurry conditioning, difficult or variable ground, pressure-critical excavations, annulus lubrication | Added during slurry make-up or conditioning in quantities selected to achieve required rheology, fluid loss or density | Teamed with MX Polymer, allows rapid density increase to balance ground pressure while remaining easily pumpable. |
| SEAJACK | Multifunction caisson annulus lubricant and lost-circulation additive for controlling fluid losses to ground | Coarse sands, gravels, fissured ground, loss zones | Added selectively to slurry systems at rates adjusted to loss severity and ground conditions | Versatile lost-circulation control providing effective sealing and fluid-loss reduction across a range of ground conditions |
| SLOOP | Swelling polymer bridging additive for targeted loss control | Coarse granular ground, voids, loss zones | 5–10 kg per m³ of slurry, added selectively to promote bridging and sealing | Targeted bridging and sealing of permeable zones without cementitious hardening |
Muck stiffening, make-up and waste water conditioning
| Product | Product type and role | Typical applications | Typical starting dose (guide) | Why choose this product (competitors in brackets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CITRIC ACID | pH adjustment | Cement contamination | As required | Premium strength quick dissolving crystals |
| DRYADD | Stiffening agent for self-levelling muck and highly flowable excavated material | Self-levelling muck, over-fluid excavated material, handling and transport control | Applied directly to the material at rates adjusted to achieve the required stiffening and handling characteristics | Rapidly increases cohesion and stiffness of self-levelling muck, improving handling, containment and transport |
| DRYADD BLUE | Returned-concrete and surplus concrete stabilisation system | Concrete washout, returned or surplus concrete | One 25 kg sack per ~2 m³ of wet concrete or washout; adjusted to material condition | Controls free water and stabilises fresh concrete washout without reliance on aggressive alkaline binders |
| pH/BLUE | Concrete washout pH treatment. Used alone or with specialist equipment from bluerinse.co.uk | Moves cement contaminated washings into safe pH range | ±1% - depends on degree of contamination | The market leader in safe concrete washout treatment. |
| SODA ASH | pH modifier and water conditioner | Conditioning make-up water to control pH and hardness and improve bentonite and polymer performance | 0.2–1.0 kg per m³ of make-up water, added gradually and adjusted based on measured pH and slurry response | Raises and buffers slurry pH to optimise bentonite yield and polymer performance; softens hard or acidic water |
Extreme torque reduction
| Product | Product type and role | Typical applications | Typical starting dose (guide) | Why choose this product (competitors in brackets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROLLERBEADS | Copolymer lubrication system | Pipe-jacking, microtunnelling, general drilling and coring. | Added to lubrication fluid at levels sufficient to establish a rolling bead layer within the annulus | Coring: Greatly extends diamond bit life, reduces torque and friction load |
Testing and interpretation
| Product | Product type and role | Typical applications | Typical starting dose (guide) | Why choose this product (competitors in brackets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLURRY FIELD TEST EQUIPMENT | Portable equipment for on-site slurry testing and control. Measures density, viscosity, sand content and pH; Fann viscometer sale or hire available. | Slurry make-up, excavation support, slurry treatment and quality control | Not applicable – field measurement and monitoring tools | Provides essential on-site control of slurry density, viscosity, sand content and pH using standard industry test methods; available for sale or hire, including FANN viscometers |
Flocculation/deflocculation of solids contaminated slurry
| Product | Product type and role | Typical applications | Typical starting dose (guide) | Why choose this product (competitors in brackets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-CAT (LIQUID) | Heavy-duty selective flocculant for polymer-rich or mixed slurry systems | Polymer slurries, mixed bentonite/polymer systems, high-solids treatment | Prepared as a 1% solution and added as required; typical treatment dose 1–3 litres per 15 m³ of slurry | Powerful, fast-acting flocculant where standard flocculation is insufficient |
| TK50 (LIQUID) | Selective anionic flocculant for settlement and clarification of slurry systems | Slurry recycling, centrifuge flocculant | Supplied neat or as a 1% solution; treatment dose 1–3 litres per 15 m³ of slurry, adjusted by response | Rapid, controllable flocculation of fines to support slurry reuse and system control |
| WELLSURGE D | Deflocculant and slurry thinner for bentonite and cement-bentonite systems | Drilling, coring, piling, diaphragm walls and slurry trenching | Typically 0.5–2.0 L/m³ slurry | Reduces viscosity and gel strength, disperses suspended fines, restores contaminated slurries and improves pumpability, workability and fluid control. |
Foam products for drilling and tunnelling
| TKF EXPORT | Base foam: for use neat or in combination with many of the additives listed above - contact us to discuss |
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Site Maintenance
| DUST ACE | Our range of dust suppressants for trafficked and non-trafficked sites and roadways - contact us to discuss |
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Rev 2 · 29 June 26