Sei sulla pagina 1di 10

Compaction Grouting

Contents
1 General Description
2 Applications of Compactation Grouting
3 Working procedure
4 Quality Control
Preliminary research, Geotechnical considerations and
5 collection of on-site data
6 Improvement conditions. Previous experience

General Description

The method of Static Grouting is based on the injecting of a low mobility mortar into the soil so that
the injected mixture does not flow through the soil and remains concentrated around the injection
point. This mortar is injected at a pressure of up to 40 bar and with a settlement on the Abrams
cone of less than 8 cm, allowing for correct densification. The injected material fills the gaps and
compacts or stabilises the soil surrounding the area treated.
The mortar cement then sets to give it resistance and hardness.
The soil must be displaced during injection without breaking its structure.

Low mobility
mortar
Pump and
mixer
Parameter
register

Boring
equipment

1. Installation of the grouting piping


The boring is drilled using rotary or
rotary-percussion equipment
depending on the characteristics of
the soil.

2. Compactation Grouting
The mortar is prepared in the mixer
and injected by pressure into the soil
using a specific pump for this type of
work.
Meanwhile, the grouting piping is
gradually inserted or withdrawn,
creating a column made up of
almost round bulbs that join
together.

3. Compactation by phases
To e n s u r e u n i f o r m s o i l
compactation, grouting is worked
onto a primary and then a
secondary mesh. In the case of
localised treatment, the grouting is
worked at the points and with the
gradients defined by the calculation.

Applications of Compactation Grouting. Types

Soil improvement
Improvement of soil with low supporting capacity,
increasing its relative density. Compacting of noncohesive soils, especially those with low or medium
density with alternating hard or cemented layers. It can
be used as an alternative or in addition to pile foundations
or soil improvements using gravel columns.

Foundation stabilising and underpinning


Increasing or restoring the supporting capacity of the soil
underneath existing foundations, e.g. in the event of an
increase in excess load or to repair damage produced by
settlements. This technical is an alternative to the Jet
Grouting procedure and/or can be used as a preliminary
treatment to apply Jet Grouting and Fracturation
Grouting. Recovery of or increase in the supporting
capacity along the shaft or the point of existing deep
foundations.

Cavity filling
In very porous, eroded soils or those with cavities, e.g. in
landfill areas that have not been sufficiently compacted,
areas affected by karstification, soil damaged by the
breakage of water pipes, etc.

Applications of Compactation Grouting. Scope of application

The Static Compactation method is especially suitable for the treatment of non-cohesive soils,
particularly those with low to medium densities.
This technical is also used in cohesive soils in order to insert elements of greater resistances and
supporting capacity, thus improving the behaviour of the soil regarding excess loads.
The use of this technique on saturated clays causes a momentary increase in interstitial pressure
and, therefore, can be combined with other techniques.

Range of applications for grouting techniques

Techniques

Clay

Silt

Sand

Gravel

Pebbles

Soilcrete/Jet Grouting
Soilfrac/Fracturation grouting
Compactation grouting

Sieve passing [weight %]

Silicate solutions
Micro-cement
Cement suspension

Size of particles [mm]

Advantages:
- Possibility of use in specific treatments.
- High output leading to fast installation.
- Wide range of possible applications.
- Possibility of use in a wide variety of soils.
- Application capacity in sites with difficult access and with heavy gauge restrictions.
- Due to previously imposed grouting criteria, no excess mortar consumption is produced.
- The mortar columns do not have to be connected to the footing or the structure.
- Non-destructive treatment compatible with existing foundations.
- Cheap alternative compared with the scaling and replacement of soil or piling.
- Capacity to reach depths out of the range of application of other methods.
- Applications to localised areas with confined strata.

Working procedure
Decide on the details of the site with the client's and/or the owner's experts.
Choice and installation of the movement control points for the structure to be reinforced. The
first reading will be made prior to the boring and grouting work.
Boring is drilled to the required depth, as previously defined during the design stage.
Once the required depth is reached, the mortar is injected, controlling the pressure and the
volume injected into the soil. Once the volume defined in the project for each stage or that
compatible with all grouting criteria has been injected, the rod is withdrawn between 30 and
50 cm to start the next grouting stage.
On certain occasions, boring may be required in reverse direction, i.e. from top to bottom.
The mortar used is made up of sand, cement and plastifying additives.
This entire process consists of the following stages:

Installation of the grouting piping


- Boring.
- Positioning is important.
- Recording of information on the soil obtained from
boring.

Start of grouting
- Normally from bottom to top, although the opposite is
also possible.
- Mortar control and quality is important.
- The pressure and/or volume is normally limited.

Continuing grouting
- Control the pressure, volume and mortar cone.
- The planning of the sequence of treatment points is
extremely important.

Grouting criteria:
The displacement of the soil surrounding the point at which grouting is applied causes earth
movements. The criteria to complete the grouting stage and go onto the next stage are listed
below:
1.
2.
3.
4.

When the injected volume of mortar defined for each stage is reached.
When the maximum pressure indicated in the project specifications is reached.
When mortar circulates through the boring drill.
When the structure or the work platform moves outside the acceptable range established by the
calculations.
5

Quality Control

The quality and suitability of the fresh mortar must be controlled by measuring the settlement on
the Abrams cone. Simple compressive strength will also be checked.
The level of Compactation reached may be controlled using the following parameters,
depending on the objective sought and on the conditions of the soil:
- Assessment of the data collected by the parameter recording system installed in the boring
and grouting equipment.
- Control of movements on the work platform or the structure to ensure the correct working
parameters.
Depending on the type of soil and the improvements sought, the control tests will be defined
and may include:
- Penetrometric tests (CPT, SPT) before and after the grouting process on non-cohesive,
crosshole or other soils.

RIVER AND EMBANKMENT SECTION - GROUTING PROPOSAL

10
,00

,00
10

8,00

Depth (m)

30

30

Injected section

1,00

15,76

2,00

1,00

2,00

1,501,501,50
BORE HOLE 114 mm

Before treatment
After treatment

Penetrometric tests (CPT, SPT)


before and after compactation
grouting in non-cohesive soils.

The depth, the pressure and the volume of the mortar are continuously
recorded. The consistency of the mortar and the movements of the existing
work platform and structures are continuously controlled.

Movement control using remote laser level located at a set point.

Preliminary research, Geotechnical considerations and collection


of on-site data
Preliminary research
Good knowledge of the conditions of the subsoil is necessary for effective compactation grouting
treatment. A full geotechnical report and knowledge of nearby structural conditions will make the
design of a correct grouting campaign easier.
Geotechnical considerations
There is a series of requirements that must be met for correct compactation grouting:
- There must be sufficient vertical stress on the layer to be treated to allow for the grouting to
displace the soil horizontally. Excessive surface elevation will prevent correct densification.
- In saturated soils, the grouting speed must be slow enough to allow for the interstitial pressure to
be dissipated. The grouting sequence is very important.
- Soils containing saturated or expansive clay must be avoided.
- Greater displacement will be produced in more compressible layers. Compactation grouting
focuses improvements on more needy areas.
Data collection
Skilled KELLERTERRA staff responsible for the work will systematically record the following data:
- Elevation and settlements in the soil and on foundations around the boring.
- Volume injected during each stage.
- Grouting pressure reached during each stage.
- Completion criteria reached during each stage.
- Daily work record.

Improvement conditions. Previous experience

A 7 t/m pressure of enclosure is normally required to maximise densification. Limited


densification will be produced with lower pressures. Pressure may be caused by the weight of
the soil, excess load or foundation loads.
When the aim of the treatment is to densify the soil, pressure and replacement rate criteria will be
applied to each grouting stage. This rate or ratio is determined according to the initial soil density
and to the displacement required to achieve an effective improvement.

Replacement rate=

Injection volume
? 5=15% (Normal values)
Volume of soil treated

Experience has shown that the space between treatment points must not exceed 2 or 3m.
The criterion for maximum grouting pressure prevents the soil from breaking and lifting and limits
the volume of mortar grouting.
The vertical grouting stages are normally separated by intervals of between 30 and 100 cm.

Miguel Yuste, 45 Bis


E28037 Madrid
Tel.: 914 237 561
Fax: 914 237 501
Web: www.kellerterra.com
Mail general: kellerterra@kellerterra.com

A-02-S04

Member of:

Potrebbero piacerti anche