Within marine and offshore environments, Chockfast epoxy grout can be trusted to provide machinery with a continuous, accurately fitted seat that helps keep alignment steady under load, vibration and temperature change. Chockfast marine applications are covered by an entire range of products (Red, Grey, Black, and Orange), encompassing main engines to gearboxes, steering gears, and offshore pumps.
Even so, the right specification depends on the machine, foundation and vessel. This article explains how it behaves at sea and on the rig, and what to check before you specify it. So, why do so many marine engineers pour epoxy in place rather than fit machined steel chocks? Let’s start by answering that question.
Why Marine Engineers Choose Poured Epoxy Chocks
The short answer is that poured epoxy adapts to the job rather than asking the job to adapt to it. Traditional steel chocks need accurately machined mating surfaces, which can mean a lot of alignment and machining work in the confined engine room. Chockfast is a two-part epoxy poured in place, so it flows into small irregularities beneath the machinery flange and cures as one continuous, load-bearing support.
For shipboard machinery mounting, that matters because alignment has to hold for years, not weeks. The manufacturer reports linear shrinkage of only about 0.02%, which helps avoid gaps or movement after curing. As a corrosion resistant epoxy, it is also designed for the damp, oily conditions found below decks. Of course, a chock only helps if it suits the machinery sitting on it, so the next question is where Chockfast is used.
Where Chockfast Is Used on Vessels and Offshore Platforms
Having seen why the poured approach works, it makes sense to look at the machinery it supports. Chockfast marine applications cover a wide range of the heavy equipment aboard a vessel, including:
- Main diesel and gas engines
- Reduction gearboxes and propulsion equipment
- Generators and auxiliary machinery
- Pumps, compressors and bearing blocks
- Stern-tube, strut and rudder bearings
- Steering gear and rudder carriers
- Crane rails, winches and other deck machinery
The common thread is heavy, working machinery that must stay accurately seated under load, day after day. The same reasoning applies to an offshore platform installation, where pumps, generators and compressors face vibration alongside wave and wind loading. Each of these machines has its own foundation, load case and operating temperature, so the equipment always shapes the specification.
How Chockfast Copes with Saltwater, Oils and Chemicals
Machinery in these spaces seldom sits in a dry, clean corner. Engine rooms bring humid air, condensation, oil mist and occasional leaks, so any chocking material has to cope with that. Chockfast is designed for severe marine environments, and installation specialists report that it resists contact with seawater, oils, fuels and chemicals. That makes it a saltwater resistant grout for the everyday conditions below decks, although prolonged immersion or unusual process fluids should be checked against the manufacturer’s data.
It helps to remember that the resin is only one part of the picture. Water trapped beneath a chock, or oil and rust on the steel, can weaken adhesion, and exposed steel at the edges still needs proper coating. Good preparation, sealing and inspection protect the whole installation, which is why we always look at it as a system. Once the chemical side is covered, the mechanical loads come next.
Vibration, Shock and Thermal Cycling in Service
Among Chockfast marine applications, propulsion system chocking is often the most demanding job of all. Engines, gearboxes and shaft lines produce cyclic forces all day long, and misalignment loads couplings, bearings and seals. The manufacturer reports a compressive strength of 19,000 psi (about 131 MPa), and the product passes MIL-S-901C Navy shock testing and meets MIL-STD-167 for vibration. It also passes thermal shock testing from -18°C to 100°C, which suits machinery that starts, stops and changes load.
Those results describe the product under test, though, and each installation still needs to be assessed for its own loads and geometry. Grout also cannot correct a flexible foundation or poorly balanced machinery, so a stiff supporting structure remains essential. Getting the material and the structure right is only part of the job; compliance is important, too.
Classification, UK Compliance and Offshore Requirements
Approval is where many marine specifications succeed or stall. The manufacturer reports that Chockfast is accepted for intended marine use by several major classification societies, but that is not blanket approval for every vessel or machine. Nor is any grout “SOLAS approved” simply because it sits under a machine. For Chockfast marine applications, vessel classification requirements are met through the classification society, the flag state and the surveyor, not through the product alone.
Before specifying, check:
- The current approval certificate
- The exact grade and formulation
- The machinery covered by the approval
- Whether the surveyor must witness the pour
- Offshore safety case and fire requirements
An offshore platform installation adds its own layer, including fire, explosion and hazardous-area rules that an operator may set above the data sheet. With those points settled, the remaining question is who can help you deliver the work.
How IMS Ltd Supports Chockfast Installations from Specification to Pour
That is where we come in at IMS Ltd. We are a family-run business in Poole, Dorset, and the sole UK distributor of Chockfast, so when you call, you speak to someone who knows the product inside out. Whether you need materials delivered or a team on site, our installation and supply services cover the whole UK, backed by a large logistics network.
We can help you plan the pour for a marine engine bedplate, from checking pour depth and application temperature to surface preparation and inspection. Chockfast has been trusted for over 50 years, and we have seen it used from the Thames Flood Barrier to the Sahara Desert. That track record is why we are comfortable recommending this corrosion resistant epoxy for demanding sites, always after looking at your machinery, foundation and conditions.
Talk Through Your Marine Grouting Project with Our Team
Chockfast epoxy grout gives marine and offshore machinery a poured, accurately fitted seat, and it performs best when the specification, preparation and approvals are all handled with care.
If you are planning a vessel or platform project, call us on 01202 632868 and speak to someone who knows the product well. You can also send your details through the contact form on our website. Whatever the machinery, the right grouting decision starts with the right conversation.
