Geothermal Grouting for Large-Scale Commercial Projects

Grout plants seen on foundation drilling sites are now made for geothermal projects.

By Mike Price
Large-scale commercial projects have driven heavy-duty grout plants typically seen on foundation drilling sites to enter the geothermal heat exchange marketspace.

The surge in project sizes of 300 boreholes or more with even 1000-plus borehole projects appearing more frequently in recent years is based on a variety of factors. They include the federal Investment Tax Credit under Section 48 through 2034 for commercial geothermal, foundation drilling companies diversifying their drilling portfolio, and potential data center projects on the horizon.

These projects demand more efficient and consistent grouting of boreholes with flow monitoring to provide better feedback on what is being pumped. Data capturing capability is coveted by drilling companies so they can confirm completed quality work to the engineer or owner.

Inherently, grouting is a messy job that can easily gum up everything that is in the pipeline, so having enough pounds per square inch (psi) is essential.

“Operators and owners are recognizing that drilling speed has natural limits, and that overall efficiency is increasingly driven by the ancillary processes that occur after the borehole is drilled,” says Riley Vanschepen, sales and service specialist at INTRIC Grouting Solutions Inc. in Wayland, Michigan.

“Our entry into the market has been driven by the need for more efficient grouting systems—machines that improve mixing and pumping speed while capturing complete borehole data and enabling web-based access and traceability.”

With input from drill rig manufacturers, drillers, and companies, INTRIC has developed its GEO-9 and GEO-12 grout plants paired with silo configurations and exhibited as part of GTD desco drill rig’s booth at Groundwater Week 2025.

INTRIC, which is an eight-year-old company and been in the geothermal marketspace for about two years, also introduced cellular diagnostic capabilities in March at CONEXPOCON/AGG 2026.

INTRIC’s GEO-12 features a single hydraulic-driven, double-acting piston pump that delivers up to 60 gpm and up to 1800 psi.

Pressure to Pump Grout

Significant psi is needed when using loop installers, otherwise known as Coiled Tubing Units (CTUs), to pump grout in the borehole with the aid of continuous steel tube.

Grouting through a steel tube tremie pipe rather than plastic allows for the needed pressure without risk of pipe failure. It also reduces the chance of blockages in the tremie pipe.

“In the event of borehole collapse after drilling, conventional methods require re-drilling prior to loop installation. This approach enables the loop to be advanced through the obstruction, maintaining installation progress without full rework,” Vanschepen says.

“CTU rigs demand higher grout pressures, and our grout pump capabilities are designed to consistently deliver the high-output pressures required for these applications.”

• INTRIC’s GEO-9 features a single hydraulic-driven, double-acting piston pump that delivers up to 30 gallons per minute (gpm) and up to 1800 psi
• INTRIC’s GEO-12 features a single hydraulic-driven, double-acting piston pump that delivers up to 60 gpm and up to 1800 psi
• Pressure adjustment to lower the psi can be made with a pressure relief knob
• Onboard water-bypass to deliver clean water to the grout pump while simultaneously having grout in the mixing tanks.

Each grout plant has two 80-gallon mixing tanks with skid-mounted silo configurations available that allow crews to load onto jobsites and transport it between locations.

With a 50 hp Kubota engine and oversize hydraulic cooler, INTRIC’s GEO-9 and GEO-12 have automatic water dosing with an automatic float that premeasures the water that is dumped into the mixing tank. This confirms every batch is getting the correct water value since water value in geothermal is highly important. A couple additional gallons of water can throw the thermal conductivity rating off or pumpability.

“From what the industry was used to, it’s quite a jump in technology,” Vanschepen shares. “Performance alone is the difference—customers consistently report close to a two-time increase in grouting efficiency after switching to our system, driven by reduced mix times, faster pumping, and the ability to pump farther distances.

INTRIC introduced cellular diagnostic capabilities in March at CONEXPOCON/AGG 2026. Photos courtesy INTRIC Grouting Solutions.

“With the pressure our system delivers, crews no longer need to set up directly over each borehole. You can run 500 feet or more away and still maintain full pumping performance—driving major gains in efficiency and flexibility. That’s been a defining benefit of our equipment.”

INTRIC’s GEO-12 has auxiliary hydraulic ports if a crew needs to run a loop reel or grout hose reel and can add a 3000 psi hydraulic-driven onboard pressure washer if necessary.

Mike Sanzo, geothermal superintendent for Malcolm Drilling, has been running the GEO-12 for more than a year and says it keeps production moving.

“It mixes a consistent batch every time with the specifically designed paddle mixer setup, so you’re not chasing grout issues downhole,” Sanzo says. “The water control and speed adjustments make it easy to hit your mix without overthinking it.

“Pump side is strong and steady—keeps up with the drillers without falling behind. The digital readouts are simple but useful for tracking volumes and staying on top of quality control. Overall, it’s a solid, no-nonsense plant that does its job and keeps the jobsite running smooth.”

INTRIC also offers these units:

• Grout hose reels (self-powered or powered by grouter)
• Loop reels (self-powered or powered by grouter)
• Sand hoppers
• Hydraulic and electric power packs
• Full custom fabrication shop to build any custom unit the customer has in mind for their specific operation.

Data Recording Viewed on a Touchscreen Monitor

The same level of data that foundation drilling companies and grout operators capture on foundation sites is now pursued in the geothermal marketspace. Data such as:

• Records gallons of grout pumped in borehole
• Records maximum/minimum psi used in grouting the borehole
• Records elapsed time it took to grout the borehole
• Pounds of material pumped (when utilizing material hopper)
• GPS location.

Capabilities of data recording viewed on a touchscreen monitor depend on the customer’s request, which predominately focuses on how much product is being used in the grout. For example, if sand is used as a thermal conductivity enhancer, it’s in a hopper and weighed out per batch. Recording the amount of weight of sand that is being dumped off that hopper into the mix tank verifies how much was pumped into the borehole.

“If a borehole should theoretically take 500 gallons of grout, but the hole only took 200 gallons, that’s a clear indication that something isn’t right,” Vanschepen says. “There could be a blockage downhole or a collapse that occurred after the loop was installed, preventing the borehole from being fully grouted.

“By tracking and recording that data, contractors can identify potential issues immediately, take corrective action if needed, and provide customers with verification that each borehole received the proper amount of grout for the installation.”

Data capturing is a selling point for drilling companies to use and keeps track of inefficiencies on a job. The data also provides a baseline to determine a standardized time for grouting which helps with bidding on projects.

To take the strain off grout operators, INTRIC has sold silos (bulk material hoppers) to the geothermal market that can hold and auger out bulk bentonite, graphite, or sand while recording the amount. For years, the foundation drilling industry has put its bulk material in a silo and used that to batch out by weight instead of bags to verify correct mixing quantities.

“Today, sand is being used in geothermal applications with sand hoppers, but very little data is being collected,” Vanschepen says. “Our system changes that by providing real-time tracking and visibility into the entire process.

“When combined with our silo/hopper system, contractors can record exactly how much material goes into each borehole, helping ensure the design is being met and giving customers documented proof of the installation.”

Future Enhancements

Innovation continues as INTRIC is in the works on trying to develop a thermal conductivity reader on a grout plant.

Currently, drilling companies take a sample of their grout and send it off to a lab to verify they’re getting the correct conductivity for the grout.

The goal is to have every batch that is made graphed and recorded, confirming that thermal conductivity was met for each borehole.

“That’s going to be a major advancement for the industry,” Vanschepen says. “Owners are already seeing the value of the data we provide today, and the next generation of data collection will be even more impactful.

“We’re not stopping here. Our goal is to continue pushing the industry forward by developing innovative equipment and providing drillers, contractors, and owners with actionable data that improves decision-making, accountability, and efficiency. By streamlining processes, reducing manual tasks, and delivering greater visibility into operations, we can help companies accomplish more each day with the same amount
of workforce.”

Mike Price is the senior editor of Water Well Journal. In addition to his WWJ responsibilities, Price contributes to the Association’s scientific publications. He can be reached at mprice@ngwa.org, or at (800) 551-7379, ext. 1541.