Portland cement and sodium silicate are widely used as the main components of the injection, which are used to prevent flow and improve ground condition. The main problem of the injection material is the leaching of the sodium hydroxite and silicate due to the limited reaction with the cement. This paper studies the effect of cement hydration retarder on the compressive strength of the sodium silicate - cement gel. A series of tests, including digital-type testing machine, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope are performed. Results clearly demonstrate that the sodium tripolyphosphate, which is the cement hydration retarder in the test, significantly improves the initial strength of the homogel.