• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2009.03a
• /
• pp.154-163
• /
• 2009

The groutability depends on the properties of the grout, its injection processes, and on the mechanical properties of the soil formation. During the process of pouring cement-based grouting into a porous medium, a variation with time occurs in the viscosity of grout suspension. In addition the particle filtration phenomenon will limit the expansion of the grouted zone because cement particles are progressively stagnant within the soil matrix. In this paper, a closed-form solution was derived by implementing the mass balance equations and the generalized phenomenological filtration law, which can be used to evaluate the deposition of cement-based grout in the soil matrix. The closed-form solution relevant to a particular spherical flow was modified by a step-wise numerical calculation, considering the variable viscosity caused by a chemical reaction, and the decrease in porosity resulting from grout particle deposition in the soil pores. A series of pilot-scale chamber injection tests was performed to verify that the developed step-wise numerical calculation is able to evaluate the injectable volume of grout and the deposition of grout particles. The results of the chamber injection tests concurred well with that of the step-wise numerical calculation. Based on the filtration phenomenon, a new groutability criterion of cement-based grout in a porous medium was proposed, which might facilitate a new insight in the design of the grouting process.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.33 no.9
• /
• pp.23-34
• /
• 2017

In order to develop urban underground spaces, even microcracks should be reinforced. In this paper, the grouting injection performance for microcracks was investigated considering the viscosity and particle size of the grouting materials, injection pressure, and crack width. There are two types of typical grouting materials used for filling micro-cracks. One is a chemical liquid grouting material which is a solution type and the other is a cementitious grouting material which is a suspension type. The injection performance of the grouting materials for microcracks is generally influenced by the viscosity, and the injection performance of the cementitious grouting material is additionally affected by the particle size. From laboratory tests, the viscosity was calculated inversely to provide a suitable viscosity measurement method for each grouting material. The groutability ratio based on the relationship between the crack width and the particle size was evaluated to estimate the grouting feasibility of the cementitous grouting material through microcracks.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.29-38
• /
• 2013

The G-class cement is commonly used in practice for geothermal well cementing in order to protect a steel casing that is designed to transport hot water/steam from deep subsurface to ground surface during operating a geothermal power plant. In order to maintain optimal performance of geothermal wells, physical properties of the cementing material should be satisfactory. In this paper, relevant factors (i.e., groutability, uniaxial compression strength, thermal conductivity and free fluid content) of the G-class cement were experimentally examined with consideration of various water-cement (w/c) ratios. Important findings through the experiments herein are as follows. (1) Groutability of the G-class cement increases by adding a small dose of retarder. (2) There would be a structural defect caused when the w/c ratio is kept higher in order to secure groutability. (3) Thermal conductivity of the G-class cement is small enough to prevent heat loss from hot steam or water to the outer ground formation during generating electricity. (4) The G-class cement does not form free water channel in cementing a geothermal well. (5) The Phenolphthalein indicator is applicable to the distinction of the G-class cement from the drilling mud.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2010.03a
• /
• pp.267-278
• /
• 2010

To improve the grout penetration characteristics, vibration method was adopted in this study. The grout material perturbed by cyclic vibration is injected into the ground. By applying the vibrating flow system, cement particles will become less adhesive and the clogging tendency will be decreased. A series of pilot-scale chamber tests were performed to verify the enhancement of the groutability by applying the vibratory grout injection; assessment on change of the lumped parameter $\theta$ which represents a barometer of clogging phenomenon was made. Moreover, the effect of vibratory grout injection through the joint was also investigated using artificially made rock joints. Experimental results as well as analytical results show that the grout penetration depth can be substantially improved by vibration grouting. Moreover, it was found that enhancement of the permeation grouting due to vibratory injection is more dominant at low grouting pressure of less than 400kPa.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.26 no.7
• /
• pp.37-47
• /
• 2010

To improve the grout penetration characteristics, a vibratory grout injection technique was adopted in this study. It is a technique of grout injection in which an oscillating pressure is added to the steady-state pressure as an injection pressure. By applying the vibration during grout injection, cement particles will become less adhesive and the clogging tendency will be decreased. A series of pilot-scale chamber tests were performed to verify the enhancement of the groutability by applying the vibratory grout injection; assessment on the change of the lumped parameter $\theta$ which represents a barometer of clogging phenomenon was made. Moreover, the effect of vibratory grout injection through the joint was also investigated using artificially made rock joints. Experimental results as well as analytical results show that the grout penetration depth can be substantially improved by vibratory grouting. Moreover, it was found that enhancement of the permeation grouting due to vibratory injection is more dominant at grouting pressure less than 400 kPa.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.59-69
• /
• 2019

Grout injection is mainly used for permeability reduction and/or improvement of the ground by injecting grout material into pores, cracks, and joints in the ground. The oscillatory grout injection method was developed to enhance the grout penetration. In order to verify the level of enhancement of the grout, field grout injection tests, both static and oscillatory tests, were performed at three job sites. The enhancement in the permeability reduction and ground improvement effect was verified by performing a core boring, borehole image processing analysis, phenolphthalein test, scanning electron microscopy analysis, variable heat test, Lugeon test, standard penetration test, and an elastic wave test. The oscillatory grout injection increased the joint filling rate by 80% more and decreased the permeability coefficient by 33-68%, more compared to the static grout injection method. The constrained modulus of the jointed rock mass was increased by 50% more with oscillatory grout injection compared to the static grout injection, indicating that the oscillatory injection was more effective in enhancing the stiffness of the rock mass.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.773-786
• /
• 2018

In this paper, viscosity features of sealant (bentonite-cement slurry), which is used for umbrella arch method in tunnel, were studied. The sealant must secure optimal strength and capacity for the waterproof and stabilization of borehole as well as to satisfy groutability. In this study, the variation of viscosity was measured with different mixing processes. With an increase of initial mixing period with water and bentonite mixture, the required time for the rapid increase of viscosity of the sealant is shorten. With increase of mixing period, the possibility of swelling of bentonite will increases and this can lead increase of the viscosity of the mixture. In addition, the behaviors of sealant vary with a drastic increase of the viscosity: thixotropy and rheopexy. Furthermore, the bentonite/water mixing period influences on the bleeding features of the sealant. Further study is required to introduce the guideline, which can be applicable in the field in the aspect of required capacity of the sealants and mixing processes of the ingredients.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.357-369
• /
• 2020

Different from the conventional planar fracture and simplified Newton model, for power-law slurries with a lower water-cement ratio commonly used in grouting engineering, flow model in geological rough fractures is built based on ten standard profiles from Barton (1977) in this study. The numerical algorithm is validated by experimental results. The flow mechanism, grout superiority, and water plugging of pseudo plastic slurry are revealed. The representations of hydraulic grouting properties for JRCs are obtained. The results show that effective plugging is based on the mechanical mechanisms of the fluctuant structural surface and higher viscosity at the middle of the fissure. The formulas of grouting parameters are always variable with the roughness and shear movement, which play a key role in grouting. The roughness can only be neglected after reaching a threshold. Grouting pressure increases with increasing roughness and has variable responses for different apertures within standard profiles. The whole process can be divided into three stationary zones and three transition zones, and there is a mutation region (10 < JRCs < 14) in smaller geological fractures. The fitting equations of different JRCs are obtained of power-law models satisfying the condition of -2 < coefficient < 0. The effects of small apertures and moderate to larger roughness (JRCs > 10.8) on the permeability of surfaces cannot be underestimated. The determination of grouting parameters depends on the slurry groutability in terms of its weakest link with discontinuous streamlines. For grouting water plugging, the water-cement ratio, grouting pressure and grouting additives should be determined by combining the flow conditions and the apparent widths of the main fracture and rough surface. This study provides a calculation method of grouting parameters for variable cement-based slurries. And the findings can help for better understanding of fluid flow and diffusion in geological fractures.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.307-322
• /
• 2023

Rock-mass grouting plays a crucial role in the construction of dams and deep caverns, effectively preventing seepage in the foundations, enhancing stability, and mitigating hazards. Most rock grouting is affected by hydrogeological and rock engineering indices such as rock quality designation (RQD), rock mass quality (Q-value), geological strength index (GSI), joint spacing (Js), joint aperture (Ap), lugeon value (Lu), secondary permeability index (SPI), and coefficient of permeability (K). Therefore, accurate geological analysis of basic rock properties and guidelines for grouting construction are essential for ensuring safe and effective grouting design and construction. Such analysis has been applied in dam construction sites, with a particular focus on the geological characteristics of bedrock and the development of prediction methods for grout take. In South Korea, many studies have focused on grout injection materials and construction management techniques. However, there is a notable lack of research on the analysis of hydrogeological and rock engineering information for rock masses, which are essential for the development of appropriate rock grouting plans. This paper reviews the current state of research into the correlation between the grout take with important hydrogeological and rock engineering indices. Based on these findings, future directions for the development of rock grouting research in South Korea are discussed.