What purpose do grout beds serve? Also how would you figure out how many bags of grout are needed for a building. I am new to the concrete industry. Thanks
A typical tilt-wall is set on leveling shims. This will create concentrated loads on the footings and will cause foundation deflection (I have even seen and heard footings crack). The grout bed serves to create a uniform bearing under the panels.
The grout bed should be installed and allowed to cure before the building structure is attached and loaded.
To calculate the number of bags, you simply need to perform a volume calculation. Take a 7 1/4" wall panel that is 20' long. The grout bed is 1 1/2" thick (assumed to be an average). Typically the grout bed has a 45 degreed bevel. This means that you have a trapezoid with the top 7 1/4" wide and the bottom 10 1/4" wide. This would result in an area of 1/2*(1 1/2)*(7.25+10.25) = 13.125 square inches. The total volume would be 1.823 cubic feet for the 20' panel. Not sure how much you get per bag, but it would likely be listed.
