Holds the wall
The slurry column presses out on the bore wall, so the ground stays where it is while you drill and cast.
Bentonite powder for piling
What is your mix water?
Not sure, or above 16,000 ppm? Send us your water analysisWhat bentonite slurry does in a bored pile
Builds a thin filter cake
A thin cake forms on the wall and keeps the water in the bore. API filtrate: 23 ml in 30 minutes.
Suspends cuttings
When pumping stops the slurry sets to a gel and holds the cuttings; stir it and it flows again. Gel strength: 8 Pa.
Protects the pumps
Little sand in the slurry means less wear on the liners of your mud pump.
Takes a polymer when the ground changes
Pileman® has no polymer in it but is made to work with one: if the soil changes, add our polymer or additives to the slurry instead of changing the bentonite.
Digging diaphragm wall panels? See bentonite for diaphragm walls.
Not sure of your water, or above 16,000 ppm?
Send us the water analysis. The technical desk reads it and replies within 1 working day.
Made by us. Checked by others.
Since 1994
A manufacturer, not a trader. Bentonite at Bhuj, polymers at Domjur.
ISO 9001:2015
All our plants are quality management system certified.
Star Export House
Recognised by the Government of India. We ship through Mundra and Kandla.
Own mine, Kutch
The clay in every bag comes from our own reserves in Kutch.
Choose your grade
Fresh water takes Pileman®, and so does hard water after soda ash pre-treatment. Brackish water up to 16,000 ppm takes Pileman® BH.
Pileman®
For fresh water
- 50 kg/m³dose
- 45″Marsh viscosity
- 23 mlAPI filtrate
- 110 bbl/shtyield
- 20 minto ready
Pileman® BH
For brackish water up to 16,000 ppm
- 50″Marsh, at 50 kg/m³ in 5,000 ppm water
- 23 mlAPI filtrate
- 9 lb/100 ft²10 s gel strength
- 1.03slurry specific gravity
- 10–11pH
Back to one at a time
| Pileman® | Pileman® BH | |
|---|---|---|
| Use | For fresh water | For brackish water up to 16,000 ppm |
| Dose | 50 kg/m³ | 50 kg/m³ |
| Marsh viscosity | 45″ | 50″Marsh, at 50 kg/m³ in 5,000 ppm water |
| API filtrate | 23 ml | 23 ml |
| Yield | 110 bbl/sht | |
| Time to ready | 20 min | |
| 10 s gel strength | 9 lb/100 ft² | |
| Specific gravity | 1.03slurry specific gravity | |
| pH | 10–11 |
How much bentonite per m³ of slurry
- Check the water. Treat it with soda ash if it needs it, then the bentonite goes straight in. Brackish water up to 16,000 ppm takes Pileman® BH.
- Mix 50 kg per 1,000 litres. The same dose for both grades. Pileman® is naturally low in fluid loss, so very little slurry soaks into the ground: less is lost, and less has to be replaced.
- Wait 20 minutes, then check it. Pileman® gives a Marsh viscosity of 45″; run it through your own funnel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which bentonite do piling contractors use for bored piles?
Pileman®, a sodium-activated bentonite made by extrusion, for bored piles, D-walls and similar vertical drilling in fresh water. For brackish water up to 16,000 ppm, Pileman® BH.
How much Pileman® goes into one m³ of slurry?
50 kg in 1,000 litres of fresh water. The slurry is ready to use within 20 minutes of mixing.
Sodium or calcium bentonite: which do I need?
Sodium bentonite. Calcium bentonite swells far less, so its slurry stays thin: it can't carry or hold up the cuttings, and it leaves a thick filter cake. Pileman® is a sodium activated bentonite: it swells into a gel that holds the wall and lays a thin filter cake, so little water is lost into the ground.
What if my site water is brackish?
Pileman® BH is specially designed for drilling where the water is saline. With soda ash pre-mixed into the water, mix it straight into brackish water up to 5,000 ppm. Drills in up to 16,000 ppm conditions when hydrated in fresh water. Above that, send us a water analysis. Hard water: pre-mix soda ash (light) into the water, then use Pileman®.
Why price bentonite per m³ of slurry and not per tonne?
Because your pile pays for slurry, not for bags. A good bentonite needs a lower dose, and it seeps less into the ground, so the bore makes fewer cuttings and needs less slurry to finish. A cleaner bore also takes less concrete to fill. That total, not the bag price, is your real cost.
Who supplies Pileman®?
Amrfeo Private Limited, a manufacturer since 1994, makes and exports Pileman®, supplying buyers across the Gulf, Europe and Asia. The bentonite is mined and processed at our plant at Bhuj, Kutch, Gujarat, under ISO 9001:2015.
Does Pileman® meet API 13A and OCMA DFCP-4 for piling slurry?
Yes. Pileman® has been tested to API 13A and OCMA DFCP-4 specifications. Its data sheet lists the slurry properties at 50 kg per m³.
What do I add when the slurry is losing fluid into sand or gravel?
Add our polymers rather than changing the bentonite: Pileman® is made to work with them, and it is naturally low in fluid loss, so very little slurry penetrates the ground. AM-PAC™ controls fluid loss and Easy-Bore™ gel thickens the slurry, in fresh water. If you are losing whole slurry into open gravel, send us the ground report and the technical desk will suggest a fix.
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