Gap Compensation Methods Compared: Which One Is Right for Your Project?

Cementitious grout, epoxy grout, steel shims, plastic packers, dry-pack mortar, machined fitted bolts, and liquid shim all compensate for the same problem — an as-built gap that doesn’t match the design — but each carries a different trade-off in shrinkage, cure time, and fatigue performance. This article is a quick-reference comparison across all seven.