Professional Documents
Culture Documents
21.1
INTRODUCTION
There are occasions when for various reasons the owner prefers to have
specic problems solved by grouting rather than by other methods. For
example, it may be less expensive to replace a shallow leaking tunnel section
by cut and cover methods, but a city may decide to use grouting to avoid the
inconvenience of a blocked trafc artery. If the owner is a public agency, it
then becomes necessary to write specications for bidding that will ensure
the use of materials and techniques satisfactory to the owner. Of course,
performance specications could also be written, but this is not current
practice in the United States (it is much more common in Europe).
Eventually, it may become necessary for the owner to inspect the job in all
its stages and on rare occasions to supervise it.
21.2
Location
INCO Industrial Complex
M.H. 3 to M.H. 12
M.H. 1 to M.H. 3
Diameter
(inches)
Number of
tongue and
Normal joint groove joints
spacing (feet) to be grouted
66
60
4*
4*
491
50
*The listed normal joint spacing is based on information from visual inspection
and is included for the information of the bidder but does not guarantee that
additional joints at closer spacing may not be encountered occasionally.
manufacturer. Where double pump types are used, they shall have
the same capabilities as required for acrylate pumping units, but
shall properly accommodate the more viscous materials used for
polyurethane grouts. In no case shall polyurethane grout pumps be
used for injection of acrylate materials, or acrylate grout pumps be
used for injection of polyurethane grouts, in the same day nor
without thorough cleaning, disassembly and appropriate modication nor written notication to and approval by the Engineer.
Pumps shall be arranged and operated in a manner consistent with
the grouts injected and the grout manufacturers recommendations.
(d) Acrylate Grout Pumps
Acrylate grout pumping units shall consist of two, parallel high
pressure, positive displacement pumps with parallel hoses leading to
a mixing chamber or Y at the packer. Pumps shall be equipped
with check valves to prevent the back-ow of one grout component
into the lines of the other component.
(e) Packers
Packers which are specically designed for the grouting operation
shall be supplied and used capable of safety sealing and packing
grout holes drilled into concrete and injected at pressures of up to
3,000 psi, and as recommended by the manufacturer of the grout.
Packers shall be of the removable type such that the drilled hole can
be cleaned and patched to at least 3 inches deep.
(f) Drills
Hand drills capable of drilling small diameter holes of 12 to 1 inch in
diameter in concrete shall be supplied and operated. The following
two types of drills shall be supplied for each grouting crew: (1)
Rotary percussion capable of drilling up to 18 inches deep in
unreinforced concrete; (2) Rotary ushing type with diamond
coring bits capable of drilling up to 24 inches deep in reinforced
concrete. Drills shall be supplied with bits of a diameter and length
consistent with packer requirements and hole lengths needed for the
drilled holes to intersect the target crack or joint as specied.
Damaged or worn bits shall not be used. Backup drills and bits shall
be supplied in sufcient numbers so that two drills of either type can
be used simultaneously.
Specications sometimes will have a separate paragraph dealing with
supervision, as for example, this paragraph from a dam grouting spec:
(c)
Payment
3.1 Item 1A lump sum, which shall include all costs incurred
moving Contractors equipment and personnel to the job site and
into position. If partial payments are approved in accordance with
Paragraph 6.1 GC the Contractor shall be entitled to 50% for
moving onto the job and remaining 50% after moving off the job.
3.2 Item 2A unit price per day for rental of Contractors
equipment from the day equipment is ready to pump grout, up to
and including the day Constructor directs that equipment be
removed from the job. No payment will be made for Saturday,
Sunday or holidays unless Contractor is directed to work on these
days. No payment will be made for days on which equipment is
broken down or for delays caused by Contractor.
3.3 Item 3A unit price per hour of actual grouting operation
which shall include all costs for furnishing labor, tools, and
materials, except chemical grout, for operating equipment and
handling loading and injecting of grout, connection of hoses,
packers, stoppers, etc. Payment shall start at the time the crew is
ready to start operating the equipment and shall end when the
equipment is shut down for meal time, repairs, maintenance, or
cleanup or for Contractor caused delays. Payment will be made for
any Company caused delays if Contractors crew is standing by
ready to operate the equipment. No payment will be made for
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
21.3
SUPERVISION OF GROUTING
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
INSPECTION OF GROUTING
Volume
Direct or indirect
Recycling
Capacityaccuracy
Pressure
Range
Accuracy
Are these control devices for
Overpressure
Changing volumes
Accuracy
Must pump stop?
Is there a continuously functioning gel checkpoint?
Grout preparation
Is the grout being mixed to the specied concentration?
Consistent with eld conditions
Is site water used?
Possible effects of other water
Are unspecied additives being used?
Effects on
Strength
Penetrability
Gel time
Grout placement
Are grout holes or pipes located in accordance with plans?
Are adequate devices being used to keep holes open?
Packers
Stufng boxes
Drill hole plugs
Is the sequence of hole treatment following the original plan?
Importance of deviation
General practice
Are the grout volumes placed those which were planned?
Reasons for deviation
Effects on performance
Are gel times consistent with plans?
Does material gel?
Importance of deviation
Are adequate records being kept?
Pipe or hole identication
Depth treated
Starting pressure
Final pressure
Grout volume placed
Gel time
Time of treatment
Performance checks
Changes in water ow
Visual
Weirs
Change in permeability
Pressure records
Pumping tests
Change in strength
Penetration test
Previous data needed
21.5
Completed chemical grouting projects fall into three categories: (1) those
that were successful, as evidenced by some obvious change such as the
shutoff of seepage; (2) those that were unsuccessful, as evidenced by the lack
of some anticipated change such as the diversion of water; and (3) those that
cannot be judged, because (a) there might not have been a failure anyway,
(b) there were no methods or attempts made to measure the results of
grouting, (c) grouting was used to increase a safety factor or decrease a risk,
(d) opinions differed as to the need for grouting in the rst place, etc.
It is probable that many jobs which are considered failures are placed
in that category because adequate denitions of success or failure were not
predetermined. However, there is much that can be learned from those jobs
which were obvious failures. Analysis of such work indicates that failure can
generally be explained by the obvious statement of not enough grout in the
right place. As trite as the phrase seems, it is still worth looking into the
reasons for not enough grout and not in the right place.
To begin with, jobs may fail or be unevaluable because of lack of
engineering data. Work is often begun without reasonable knowledge of
formation geology, voids, and permeability. Coupled with this shortcoming
is often the failure to set up pressure and volume goals that permit the
evaluation of the unknown factors. (Grouting each hole to a take refusal is
hardly ever an efcient way to use chemical grouts.) Of course, small
projects often cannot justify an engineering preevaluation. In such cases, it is
SUMMARY
FIGURE 21.1
be sufciently detailed to ensure that the work will be done by qualied and
experienced personnel.
Guidelines can readily be established for personnel being trained for
supervision and inspection of a grouting operation. Only experience,
however, can adequately prepare grouters to recognize those occasions
when exceptions and deviations from specied procedures are warranted.
Good specications will include provisions for such job-dictated changes.
Preplanning of a grouting operation greatly increases the chances of a
job well done, both mechanically and economically. Flow charts illustrating
the sequence of the various parameters which merit consideration are part of
every contractors bag of tools. One such chart is shown in Figure 21.1. Of
utmost importance are the rst two steps. The problem and an acceptable
solution must be dened in full detail, to the satisfaction of all parties
involved. This will reduce the occurrence of misunderstandings and
disagreements (and legal proceedings). Clearly written specications are
part of the process of making the project run smoothly.
21.7
REFERENCES
1. Guide specications for chemical grouts, J. Soil Mech. Found. Div., Proc. ASCE,
345352 (March 1968).
2. Preliminary glossary of terms relating to grouting. J. Geotech. Eng. Div. Proc.
ASCE, 803815 (July 1980).
3. C. W. Clough, W. H. Baker, and F. Mensah-Dwumah, Development of Design
Procedures for Stabilized Soil Support Systems for Soft Ground Tunnelling,
Final Report, Oct. 1978, Stanford University, Stanford, California.