In ground engineering, you often hear compaction grouting and the Geobear solution mentioned together, but they are fundamentally different approaches to achieving stronger ground.
Both methods strengthen weak soils and reduce settlement in critical infrastructure assets, but their mechanisms, precision, and impact on operations are worlds apart. For project managers and engineers overseeing railways, roads, or critical facilities, understanding these differences is vital.
The most crucial difference? One relies on brute force; the other relies on intelligent chemical precision.
Here are the 8 biggest differences that matter when selecting a reliable ground improvement solution for your infrastructure project.
How does the Geobear solution differ from cementitious grouting?
1. Core mechanism: expansion versus pressure
Geobear Ground improvement treatment uses a low-pressure chemical expansion. Our geopolymer material reacts beneath the surface, filling voids and compacting the surrounding soil without inducing uncontrolled movement.
Compaction grouting relies on high-pressure injection of a thick cementitious grout. This material forms a bulb, physically pushing and densifying the surrounding soil.
The Geobear solution is a reaction-driven process, offering control and predictable outcomes. Compaction grouting is a force-driven process, which carries a higher risk of unexpected ground movement near critical assets.
2. Material efficiency and usage
The chemical expansion capability of Geobear’s geopolymer allows for more effective void filling compared to non-expanding cementitious grouts.
The verifiable fact: Geobear solutions can reduce material requirements by approximately 40 to 60 times compared to cement-based methods, leading to lower logistics costs and faster project turnaround.
3. Installation ease and disruption
Geobear uses handheld equipment and specially manufactured long drill bits to create small diameter injection holes (typically 14–16 mm). Casing is not required.
Cementitious grouting typically requires larger, cased holes (50–100 mm) to accommodate grout lances and packers, often needing larger, disruptive drilling rigs.
The minimal equipment needed for the Geobear solution is why we can complete projects up to 70% faster than traditional methods.
4. Flow control and precision
When injected into unconfined voids, Geobear's geopolymer rapidly increases in viscosity as it reacts. This allows it to stabilize precisely in place without travelling long distances away from the injection point, ensuring predictable material usage.
Cementitious grout remains fluid for longer and can migrate through cracks, cavities, or weak pathways. This results in uncertain coverage, high material consumption, and an increased risk of contamination to surrounding services.
5. Precision in compensation lifting and re-levelling
Geobear Structural support treatment offers millimetre-level control. Engineers monitor every lift in real-time using laser levelling, allowing expansion to be stopped the moment optimal re-levelling is achieved.
Compaction grouting is a bulk improvement tool. While it improves the soil zone, it is difficult to precisely control where differential movement occurs—making it less suitable for high-tolerance operational assets.
6. Speed of works and asset downtime
Geobear crews typically complete ground improvement and re-levelling within a few hours. We use lightweight rigs that fit easily into trackside areas, basements, or tunnels.
Compaction grouting projects require large rigs, multiple drill stages, and curing periods that can last for days.
The Geobear solution is designed to allow infrastructure assets, such as roads and rail lines, to stay open—or reopen—the same day, minimizing operational disruption.
7. Environmental credentials and sustainability
Geobear uses small injection volumes, generates zero spoil, and requires no bulk cement or water waste. Our solutions have a 90% lower carbon impact than traditional ground improvement methods.
Traditional cement grout has a high embodied carbon footprint and creates spoil and water waste that must be managed on-site. The Geobear solution fully aligns with modern sustainability and carbon-reduction goals for infrastructure.
8. Application focus and depth
Geobear Ground improvement treatment excels in existing structures and live infrastructure assets (up to approximately 6–8 m depth) where speed, precision, and safety are paramount.
Compaction grouting is best suited for deep pre-construction ground improvement (10–30 m depth), where access, time constraints, and required precision are less restrictive.
Final Thought
When extending the asset life of existing roads, runways, bridges, or rail networks, the Geobear solution offers a faster, cleaner, and significantly more controllable path forward.
We provide the engineered precision needed for critical infrastructure, backed by the assurance of being the only resin injection company with BBA approval.
| Aspect | Geobear Ground Improvement Treatment | Cementitious / Compaction Grouting |
| Core Mechanism | Low-pressure chemical expansion compacts soil and fills voids uniformly. | High-pressure injection forms a grout bulb that pushes and densifies soil. |
| Injection Pressure | Low pressure—controlled movement. | High pressure—risk of uncontrolled ground heave or displacement. |
| Material Efficiency | Expands in-situ; requires 40–60 times less material. | No expansion; requires high volumes to form bulbs and fill voids. |
| Drilling Requirements | Small holes $\sim$14–16 mm, drilled with handheld tools—no casing. | Large cased holes $\sim$50–100 mm; requires larger rigs and equipment. |
| Speed of Works | Injection and lifting completed in hours. No curing time. | Requires multiple stages and days of curing; slower project cycles. |
| Disruption | Sites often remain fully operational (roads, factories, trackside). | Operational shutdowns are common due to equipment size and curing delays. |
| Environmental Impact | Very low embodied carbon, 90% lower CO₂ impact, no spoil, minimal waste. | High embodied carbon (cement), generates spoil and water waste. |
