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High-performance cement grout for post-tensioning applications

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 ACI MATERIALS JOURNAL
Title no. 96-M59
High-Performance Cement Grout for Post-Tensioning
Applications
by K. H. Khayat, A. Yahina, and P. Duffy
Grout mixes used to fill post-tensioning ducts to protect wire
strands against corrosion are made with portland cement, water,
and some chemical admixtures to enhance rheological and hard-
ened properties. Such grouts should be fluid enough to facilitate
pumping and spread into place, hence insuring proper coating of
the prestressing steel with minimum zones of the ducts that are
imperfectly grouted. Unstable grouts can exhibit sedimentation of
cement particles and bleeding of some of the free water that can
propagate upwards and fill upper zones of post-tensioning ducts.
Bleeding can also occur whenever there are variations in elevation
between different grouted areas, such as in vertical ducts where
bleeding water can also result from fluid loss between the wire
strands that can rise upwards by capillary action. Free water accu-
mulated in larger voids that is not reabsorbed can freeze and lead
to some delirious expansion. Cement grout can be exposed to
freeze-thaw cycles during its service life, as in the case of grouted
ducts in the surf and tidal zones of marine structures. Conse-
quently, it is important in some cases to insure adequate air-void
system in the hardened grout to resist freeze-thaw actions.
A laboratory investigation was undertaken to develop highly
fluid yet stable cement grouts with adequate and stable air-void
systems and good mechanical properties. This paper reports the
test results leading to the recommendation of high-performance
structural grout containing 8% silica fume replacement and
balanced combinations of high-range water reducer and rheology-
enhancing admixture. Such grout can be properly air entrained to
develop adequate and stable air-void system for frost durability.
Keywords: bleeding; cohesion; freeze-thaw durability; post-tensioning,
rheological properties; stability.
INTRODUCTION
Corrosion protection of post-tensioned tendons in concrete
structures is largely provided by filling the encasement ducts
with a structural cement grout. The grout should be fluid
enough to facilitate pumping and spread into place and
insure full coating of the tendons and the wire strands. The
grout should also be cohesive to minimize bleeding and sedi-
mentation of solid particles. Such grout often incorporates
chemical admixtures to increase fluidity and stability,
generate some expansion in the fresh grout, and enhance
impermeability and corrosion protection of the hardened
grout.1 The resulting expansion serves to partially compensate
for the potential formation of voids at upper zones of the
ducts resulting from bleeding and sedimentation, as well as
for any shrinkage of the hardened grout.
Bleeding characteristics of cement-based grout are well-
known. Bleeding can take place by static mode (standing
bleeding) in a vertical grouted duct where some of the free
water can rise to the top. The presence of prestressing steel
can increase the severity of bleeding since in low areas of
grouted ducts, high hydraulic pressure of the plastic grout
can force some of the water out of the grout through the
closely spaced prestressing steel. For strands, the space
ACI Materials Journal/July-August 1999
TECHNICAL PAPER
between outer wire strands can enable the infiltration of water
but not cement particles. Bleeding resulting from such separa-
tion of water under pressure is referred to as forced, or induced,
bleeding. Such bleed water can rise by capillary action within
the strands and deposit in upper regions of post-tensioning
ducts. The resulting voids can adversely affect corrosion protec-
tion of post-tensioned tendons, such as the case in bridge decks
with the upper zones of grouted ducts located near the bridge
deck where the wire strands require special protection from
corrosion in areas where deicing salts are used.
Adequate protection of horizontal and vertical tendons can
be provided by filling the ducts with stable grout. Bleeding
can be minimized by reducing the water-to-cementitious
material ratio (w/cm). However, such reduction limits the
flow characteristics of the grout and its capacity to insure
proper filling of the duct. A high-range water reducer
(HRWR) and other chemical admixtures can be used to
enhance fluidity, stability, and electrical resistivity of the grout
as well as the strength and bond to the tendons. Other
measures that can be used for corrosion protection consist of
coating the tendon with synthetic products, such as polyester,
or simply by covering the duct with an anticorrosive product.
A high-performance grout intended for use in post-
tensioning applications must meet several performance
criteria, including fluidity, stability, impermeability, corro-
sion protection, strength, and in some cases, frost durability.
The Canadian Standard (CSA) recommends that post-
tensioning grout should have a minimum 28-day compres-
sive strength of 35 MPa and an air content of 4 to 8% for
certain applications. Such grout should have a limited
viscosity, evaluated by a maximum flow time of 11 sec in a
standard flow cone with 13-mm opening, a maximum expan-
sion of 5%, and a maximum static bleeding of 1% evaluated
according to the CSA A 23.2-1B Standard. Since bleeding in
vertical ducts is more exaggerated than that observed in hori-
zontal ducts, the required characteristics of grout intended
for vertical duct protection are more strict than in the case of
grout used in horizontal ones.2 For example, grouts used to
fill vertical ducts should exhibit better stability than those
used for horizontal ducts to insure water retention, proper
suspension of solids, and corrosion protection. The risk of
bleeding can decrease when using thixotropic grouts that
exhibit high ability to retain free water. Such grouts can still
be readily pumped as they often exhibit a pseudoplastic
behavior (shear thinning) where the viscosity decreases with
the increase in shear rate caused by pumping.
ACI Materials Journal, V. 96, No. 4, July-August 1999.
Received January 20, 1998, and reviewed under Institute publication policies. Copy-
right © 1999, American Concrete Institute. All rights reserved, including the making of copies
unless permission is obtained from the copyright proprietors. Pertinent discussion including
author’s closure, if any, will be published in the May-June 2000 ACI Materials Journal if
the discussion is received by February 1, 2000.
471

ACI member K. H. Khayat is a professor of civil engineering at Université de Sher-
brooke, Quebec, Canada. His research interests include self-consolidating concrete,
rheology, and concrete repair.
ACI member A. Yahina is a postdoctoral fellow at the Central Research Laboratory
of Chichibu Onoda Cement Corporation in Japan. He received his PhD from the Uni-
versité de Sherbrooke. His research interests include self-compacting concrete, rheol-
ogy, and grouting technology.
ACI member P. Duffy is the eastern regional manager with Sika Canada. His research
interests include specialty construction chemicals.
Fig. 1—Schematic of induced bleeding setup.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communication of
Ontario (MTO) recommends using post-tensioning grouts
made with CSA Type 30 portland cement, similar to ASTM
Type III cement, nonchloride water-reducer, and fine
aluminum powder.3 The recommendations of MTO call for
providing a grout with a maximum w/cm of 0.50 for post-
tensioning cables with lengths less than 45 m and 0.55 for
cables longer than 45 m3. Such grout, however, exhibits a
high chloride permeability and rapid thickening that can
cause certain problems during pumping.3 The reduction of
w/cm can reduce bleeding and sedimentation. The incorpora-
tion of silica fume as a partial replacement of cement at
dosages ranging between 5 and 20%, by mass of cement, can
reduce bleeding, decrease chloride permeability, increase
compressive strength, and improve corrosion resistance.2-6
However, for a given viscosity, mixes containing silica fume
can require greater water content and HRWR dosage compared
with mixes made without any silica fume. A latter study under-
taken to improve the initial MTO grout indicated that a better
grout formulation for post-tensioning protection can be
obtained when the w/cm is limited to 0.33, and a Type 10 port-
land cement is used with 10 to 15% silica fume replacement.3
Such grout is made with 1% active HRWR and 0.067%
aluminum powder, by mass of cementitious materials.3
Other measures that can enhance stability involve the incor-
poration of viscosity-enhancing admixtures (VEA).7,8 The use
of a VEA increases the yield value and plastic viscosity of the
grout, thus necessitating an increase in w/cm or HRWR dosage
to insure a low yield value necessary for proper penetrability
and spreading. Increasing the w/cm results in a decrease in
472
mechanical properties, impermeability, and electrical resistivity
necessary for corrosion protection.
The main objective of the reported investigation was to
develop high-performance cement grouts for the filling
horizontal and vertical post-tensioning ducts. The study
evaluated the effects of VEA and HRWR dosages, w/cm, and
batching sequence of air-entraining admixture (AEA) on
rheological and mechanical properties of grout mixes. The
stability of the air-void system and the effect of the delayed
aluminum powder addition on the air-void system were
determined. The influence of curing temperature of –10 C
versus 23 C on compressive strength development was also
investigated to evaluate the potential strength gain of grout
cast in ducts embedded in cold concrete.
RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE
Corrosion protection of post-tensioned tendons is
provided by filling encasement ducts with cement-based
grout that should be fluid enough to pump into place and fill
the ducts, yet cohesive enough to minimize bleeding and
sedimentation, hence preventing ungrouted zones. High-
performance grouts evaluated in this paper that incorporate
optimum dosages of chemical admixtures and silica fume
can provide such properties and can be used to insure good
durability of post-tensioned systems.
EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM
Materials
A blended silica fume cement containing 8% silica fume
replacement, complying with Canadian Standards CSA 3-
A5-M83, was used. A naphthalene-based HRWR was
employed to enhance fluidity, and welan gum was used for
the VEA to reduce bleeding and insure proper suspension of
solid particles. Both the HRWR and the welan gum were
used in powder forms. An aluminum-based powder was used
to provide expansion in the fresh grout. A sodium salt of
resin-fatty acid mix was used for the AEA.
The grouts were prepared in 1200- to 3600-ml batches and
mixed using high-shear mixers with rotational velocity of
approximately 4000 rpm. The mixing sequence consisted of
blending the powder VEA and HRWR products with the
mixing water for 20 sec. The cement was introduced gradu-
ally over 40 sec as the grout was being mixed. The VEA was
added either with the initial water or after cement introduc-
tion. The grout then received another 60 sec of mixing,
before introducing the aluminum powder and remixing for
an additional 20 sec.
Test procedures
Following grout mixing, the temperature and unit weight
were determined. The fluidity was evaluated by measuring the
flow time, mini-slump spread, apparent viscosity at various
shear rates, and by estimating the yield value. Fluidity measure-
ments were carried out at 5 and 60 min following the initial
contact of cement with water. Between 5 and 60 min, the
grout was occasionally agitated to maintain suspension.
A modified Marsh cone with a capacity of 1200 mL and an
internal orifice diameter of 4.56 mm was used. The efflux
time of 700 mL of grout was noted. Such value corresponds
to 20 s for water at 20 C. The measurement of the mini-slump
spread diameter was also used to evaluate fluidity. However,
unlike flow time measurement, this test involves the assess-
ment of the ease of spreading at low-shear rates expected to
take place during the filling of post-tensioned ducts.8
ACI Materials Journal/July-August 1999
Table 1—Mix proportioning of investigated grouts Table 2—Effect of VEA and HRWR on fluidity and
HRWR, VEA, stability
percent by percent by Casting Curing VEA, percent Active HRWR, Mini Flow time
mass of mass of temperature, temperature, by mass of percent by slump, at 700 ml, Induced bleeding,
Phase w/cm cement cement C C cement mass of cement mm sec percent
0.32 2.4 0.02 22 ± 1 22 ± 1 0.8 130 46 7.4
Non-air-
Phase I

0.36 2.0 to 2.4 0.02 to 0.03 22 ± 1 22 ± 1 1.0 135 43 5.5

entrained
grouts 0.40 0.8 to 1.85 0.03 to 0.05 22 ± 1 22 ± 1 0.03 1.2 140 42 3.7
0.45 1.6 0.03 22 ± 1 22 ± 1 1.4 140 42 2.9
Air = 1.5% 0.40 1.6 0.03 7 –10 and 23
Phase II

1.6 140 42 2.2

Air = 6.5% 0.40 1.6 0.03 8 –10 and 23 1.0 125 58 5.0
Air = 8.5% 0.40 1.6 0.03 9 –10 and 23 1.2 130 54 4.0
Air = 8.5% 0.36 1.6 0.03 22 ± 1 22 ± 1 0.05
Phase III

1.4 130 54 3.5

Air = 5.2% 0.40 1.6 0.03 22 ± 1 22 ± 1 1.6 130 — 3.6
Air = 7% 0.40 1.6 0.03 22 ± 1 22 ± 1 Note: w/cm = 0.40.

A coaxial cylinder viscometer was used to determine

apparent viscosities at 12 rotational speeds of 1 to 600 rpm
corresponding to shear rates of 1.7 to 1020 s–1, respectively.
The yield value was estimated by fitting the shear stress and
shear rate data to a Bingham fluid.7,8
The resistance of the fresh grout to induced bleeding was
evaluated using a pressure filter shown in Fig. 1. The test
involves the placement of a 200-mL grout sample in a
pressure vessel with a Type AE glass filter at the bottom that
is capable of retaining 95.7% of all particles greater than 1
mm. Pressure is applied at the top of the vessel using
nitrogen gas. The induced bleeding was monitored under a
sustained pressure of 0.55 MPa over a 10-min period. The
collected bleed water is expressed as a fraction of the total
water present in the 200-ml grout sample.
Fig. 2—Variations in mini-slump and flow time values with
Standing bleed water and sedimentation under static HRWR and VEA dosages.
conditions were monitored in compliance with CSA A 23.2-
1B by casting a grout sample into a 250-ml capacity gradu-
ated cylinder (height of 27 cm). The expansion of the grout
to provide an approximate expansion of 3%. Such an expan-
was also measured in compliance with CSA A 23.2-1B using
sion was judged to be sufficient given the use of VEA to
a 250-mL graduated cylinder to monitor volume changes
minimize settlement and bleeding.
over 2 hr. The setting time was measured using the Vicat
The effect of air entrainment on rheological properties and
needle test (ASTM C 953-87). Cylinders measuring 50 x
strength development was also evaluated. The compressive
100 mm were cast to determine compressive strength. The
strength gain was determined on samples cast at 23 C and
cylinders were demolded after 1 day and stored in lime-satu-
stored at –10 C and 23 C. The sampling to determine the air-
rated water at approximately 23 C until the time of testing.
void characteristics of the air-entrained grouts was taken
The effect of curing temperature (–10 C versus 23 C) on
before and after the onset of expansion caused by the
strength development was evaluated using 50-mm cubes.
aluminum powder.
Test program TEST RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Table 1 summarizes the mix proportions of the investi- Selection of effective VEA and HRWR
gated grouts. The impact of varying the w/cm on HRWR combinations (non-air-entrained grout)
demand to maintain a given fluidity was investigated. The objective of the first phase of this study was to determine
Optimum VEA and HRWR dosages needed to achieve good the effective dosages of HRWR and VEA to enhance
balance between fluidity and stability of grouts with 0.32 to stability and fluidity of grouts made with 0.40 w/cm and no
0.45 w/cm were then determined. For each w/cm, the HRWR expansive or air-entraining admixture. The concentrations of
and VEA contents were adjusted to achieve a given fluidity. HRWR were varied between 0.8 and 1.6% for mixes with
Fluidity and rheological properties, induced bleeding, static 0.03% VEA, and from 1.0 to 1.8% for those incorporating
bleeding, sedimentation, setting time, and compressive 0.05% VEA. All grouts were prepared and tested at approx-
strength were evaluated for each mix. The optimum dosages imately 5 min of age. The test results of the effect of VEA
of VEA and HRWR were determined on grouts prepared and HRWR dosages on fluidity and stability are summarized
with 0.40 w/cm and two VEA concentrations of 0.03 and in Table 2.
0.05%, by mass of cement, corresponding to low and As shown in Fig. 2, the incorporation of HRWR reduced
medium dosages. The HRWR dosage was varied between the flow time and increased the mini-slump spread. The
0.8 and 1.6%, by mass of cement. All of the investigated saturation point of the HRWR for grouts containing 0.03%
grouts incorporated 0.6% of the aluminum expansive agent of welan gum was between 1.0 and 1.2%. The saturation

ACI Materials Journal/July-August 1999 473

Table 3—Effect of w/cm on grout properties bleeding was 5.5 and 5%, respectively. Increasing the
w/cm 0.32 0.36 0.36 0.36 0.40 0.40 0.45 HRWR up to 1.4% resulted in a reduction of bleeding to
HRWR, percent by
values of 2.9 and 3.5%, respectively. This is due to the
mass of cement 2.4 2 2.2 2.4 1.85 1.6 1.6 improved dispersion and packing of cement grains associ-
VEA, percent by ated with greater HRWR content. The resulting increase in
0.02 0.03 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.03 0.03
mass of cement spread diameter and particle packing (versus flocculated
AEA, percent by 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6
cement grains that have a lower packing density) can
mass of cement substantially reduce the tendency of water to percolate
Mini-slump, mm among cement grains under a given head, which reflects the
At 5 min 130 130 135 120 135 130 145 permeability of the fresh grout.7
At 60 min 80 90 120 100 110 120 135 For a given HRWR dosage, the use of a higher concentra-
Flow time, sec tion of VEA (0.05%) did not lower the bleeding, as the
At 5 min 84 67 62 87 59 61 42 measured values were already quite small. Even with the
At 60 min — 85 103 — 71 69 53 greater HRWR concentration, the fluidity of grout made
Yield value, Pa with 0.05% VEA was smaller than that obtained with grouts
At 5 min — 6.0 2.7 4.8 2.9 1.3 1.0
made with 0.03% VEA. Therefore, for the tested silica fume
cement grouts with 0.40 w/cm, the incorporation of a low
At 60 min — 12.5 4.3 12.4 7.7 2.9 1.7
dosage of VEA (0.03%) can be sufficient to provide
Expansion, percent — 3 3 3 3 3.5 1.3* adequate stability to water loss.
Induced bleeding, 8.1 8 5.9 5.8 7.4 6.4 4.6
percent
Initial setting, hr 8.20 — 9.50 10.25 15 11.25 13.42
Trade-off between w/cm and HRWR and VEA
dosages
Final setting, hr 9.30 — 11 15.20 — 14 17.30
The w/cm can be lowered to enhance stability and imperme-
7-day fc′ , MPa 41.5 30.6 30.6 30.6 28.6 28.6 — ability. An increase in w/cm may result from a voluntary addi-
*
Low dosage of aluminum powder. tion of water to compensate for the lack of fluidity during warm
Note: grout temperature = 22 ± 1 C. weather or due to an involuntary operator error. An increase in
the dosage causes an increase in viscosity, and therefore, addi-
tional HRWR is needed to achieve a given fluidity. It is neces-
sary to determine an optimal balance between w/cm and HRWR
dosage, as well as VEA content to develop high-performance
grout for post-tensioning applications.
The impact of varying the w/cm on the required HRWR
dosage needed to maintain a given fluidity and on the fluidity
loss were investigated. As summarized in Table 3, the grouts
were proportioned with a w/cm of 0.32, 0.36, 0.40, and 0.45.
All grouts had constant AEA and aluminum powder
dosages. For each mix, the HRWR and VEA contents were
adjusted to maintain constant initial fluidity (130 ± 5 mm
mini-slump spread), except for the grout made with 0.45 w/
cm that had a higher spread of 145 mm. With the grout made
with 0.36 w/cm and 0.03% VEA, it was necessary to incor-
porate a high HRWR dosage of 2.2% to achieve the required
mini-slump spread. All grouts incorporated 0.6% of the
expansive agent to provide approximately 3% expansion.
Fig. 3—Variations in mini-slump with w/cm and VEA and The mixes were prepared in batches of 3600 ml and
HRWR dosages. mixed using a Helice-type mixer with a high-shear blade
rotating at 4000 rpm. Rheological properties were evalu-
ated at 5 and 60 min after initial contact of cement with
point of the HRWR reflects the dosage of the HRWR beyond water at approximate temperature of 22 ± 1 C. The fresh
which further addition of the dispersing admixtures does not grout samples were stored without agitation in sealed
yield any considerable increase in fluidity. This value was containers and received limited manual mixing prior to
1.2 to 1.4% for grouts made with 0.05% welan gum. Lower the determination of fluidity at 60 min of age.
values of 1.0 and 1.2% for grouts containing 0.03 and 0.05% The test results concerning the trade-off between the vari-
VEA, respectively, were obtained for flow properties evaluated ations in HRWR-VEA dosages and w/cm are summarized in
at a high-shear rate using the flow cone test. It is important, Table 3. The variations in mini-slump and yield value
however, to consider the larger values of saturation points measurements at 5 and 60 min with w/cm and HRWR and
corresponding to low shear rates that are rather present VEA dosages are plotted in Fig. 3 and 4, respectively.
during the spreading of grout into place. Regardless of the concentration of welan gum, the reduc-
In general, all tested mixes exhibited good resistance to tion in w/cm necessitated an increase in HRWR dosage to
induced bleeding, with bleed water values ranging between maintain a given fluidity. The reduction of w/cm from 0.40
2.2 and 7.4% of the total water content. Regardless of the to 0.36 in mixes with 0.03% VEA necessitated the increase
concentration of the VEA, the increase in HRWR dosage of HRWR content from 1.6 to 2.4% to maintain a mini-
resulted in lower induced bleeding. For grouts containing slump of 130 mm. The grout made with 0.36 w/cm, 2.4%
0.03 and 0.05% of VEA and 1% of HRWR, the induced HRWR, and 0.03% VEA was slightly more viscous than the

474 ACI Materials Journal/July-August 1999

other mixes. The increase in HRWR to 2.4% did not neces-
sarily increase the fluidity level when the w/cm was set to
0.36. This can be due to the fact that the saturation point of
the HRWR was already reached; therefore, any addition of
HRWR did not result in further enhancement of fluidity.
When the VEA was decreased from 0.03 to 0.02%, mixes
with 0.36 w/cm exhibited comparable fluidity to mixes made
with 0.40 and 0.45 w/cm. For grout made with 0.40 w/cm,
increasing the VEA content from 0.03 to 0.04% necessitated
the increase of HRWR dosage from 1.6 to 1.85% to maintain
similar mini-slump and flow time values. Such HRWR
dosage was less than those used for the grouts prepared with
a w/cm of 0.32 and 0.36.
Higher fluidity loss after 60 min was obtained with grouts
with a w/cm of 0.32 and 0.36. The grout made with 0.32 w/
cm, 2.4% HRWR, and 0.02% VEA exhibited the greatest
fluidity loss with the mini-slump spread decreasing from 130
to 80. Increasing the w/cm from 0.32 to 0.36 and reducing the
HRWR dosage to 2% did not prevent fluidity loss (mini-
slump decreased from 130 to 90 mm). However, the increase
of HRWR to 2.2 and 2.4% for grouts with 0.36 w/cm resulted
in fluidity losses comparable to those obtained with the 0.40
w/cm grout. The mix made with 0.40 w/cm, 1.6% HRWR,
and 0.03% VEA had the lowest fluidity loss that was limited
to 10 mm.
The mini-slump loss between 5 and 60 min was accompa-
nied with an increase in yield value. Generally, mixes with a
lower w/cm exhibited substantial increase in yield value after
60 min. The grouts with 0.36 w/cm, 0.03% VEA, and 2 and
2.4% HRWR had initial yield values of 6 and 4.8 Pa, respec-
tively, and 12.5 and 12.4 Pa after 60 min. Decreasing the
VEA and HRWR dosages from 0.03 to 0.02% and 2.4 to
2.2%, respectively, resulted in a decrease in initial yield
values from 4.8 to 2.7 Pa and 12.4 to 4.3 Pa after 60 min.
With the increase in w/cm from 0.40 to 0.45, the yield values
decreased from 1.3 to 1 Pa at 5 min, and from 2.9 to 1.7 Pa
after 60 min.
In general, all of the investigated grouts exhibited similar
increases in yield value between 5 and 60 min of age. The
main difference between grouts made with relatively high
and low w/cm was in the yield value at 5 min that was lower
in mixes with 0.40 and 0.45 w/cm compared with the lower
w/cm mixes. For a VEA dosage of 0.03%, increasing the w/cm
from 0.36 to 0.40 and decreasing the HRWR from 2 to 1.6%
resulted in a decrease in yield value from 6 to 1.3 Pa at 5 min
and 12.5 to 2.9 Pa at 60 min. The increase in w/cm from 0.40
to 0.45 yielded a significant improvement in fluidity and
reduction in yield value without mitigating stability as
neither standing bleeding nor settlement were observed in
mixes with 0.40 and 0.45 w/cm. The yield value decreased
from 1.3 to 1 Pa after 5 min, and from 2.9 to 1.7 Pa after 60
min for the 0.45 w/cm grout.
The greatest resistance to induced bleeding was obtained
in the 0.45 w/cm grout. This could be due to the relatively
low fluidity of the 0.36 and 0.40 w/cm mix where the disper-
sion of cement grains due to HRWR addition, and thus the
resistance to water filtration under pressure was hindered.7
With the increase of the w/cm from 0.40 to 0.45, a lower
expansion was obtained, and the initial setting time was
slightly delayed. The initial and final setting times of grouts
made with 0.45 w/cm were greater than those obtained with
the 0.40 and 0.36 w/cm grouts (12.25 and 14 hr versus 9.5
and 11 hr). Grout mixes prepared with 0.36 w/cm, 2.2 to
2.4% HRWR, and 0.02 to 0.03% VEA also exhibited accept-
ACI Materials Journal/July-August 1999
Fig. 4—Variations in yield value with w/cm and VEA and
HRWR dosages.
able stability where the induced bleeding was limited to 6%.
The 0.40 w/cm with 1.6% HRWR and 0.03% VEA had a
slightly higher induced bleeding of 6.4%. It was observed
that the expansion resulting from the incorporation of an
aluminum powder took place at early ages. Therefore, the
addition of the aluminum powder should be delayed to just
before the casting of the grout to induce the desired expan-
sion in a confined area following grout injection. After 2 hr
of age, all grouts showed the same maximum expansion of
approximately 3%, except the 0.45 w/cm mix. The reduction
in w/cm from 0.40 to 0.36 and 0.32 resulted in an increase in
the 7-day compressive strength from 28.6 MPa to 30.6 and
41.5 MPa, respectively.
Based on the above results, a high-performance grout suit-
able for filling vertical and horizontal post-tensioning ducts
can be proportioned with 8% silica fume and a w/cm ranging
between 0.36 and 0.40. For the 0.36 w/cm grout, 0.02% VEA
(600 ppm of water) and 2.2% HRWR can be incorporated to
secure good rheological properties. With the 0.40 w/cm
grout, 0.03% VEA (750 ppm of water) is needed with a
lower HRWR dosage (1.6%) to achieve suitable fluidity.
Both mixes can then secure good balance between initial
fluidity, fluidity retention, resistance to induced bleeding
and settlement, setting time, and strength. The 0.36 w/cm
grout has a higher yield value that can limit its penetrability
in spite of the high HRWR dosage. Therefore, the grout
made with 0.40 w/cm, 1.6% HRWR and 0.03% VEA
exhibits slightly higher induced bleeding than the 0.36 w/cm
grout but lower yield value and viscosity that can facilitate
pumping and placement.
Effect of air entrainment and curing temperature
on rheological properties and strength
development
The placement of cement grout in post-tensioning ducts
susceptible to water infiltration, such as in the splash zone
near a bridge deck, may require design for frost durability.
The optimized grout made with 0.40 w/cm, 1.6% HRWR,
0.03% VEA, and a low dosage of diluted expansive agent
was used to prepare three grouts to investigate the effect of
air entrainment on rheological properties, stability, and
strength development (Table 4). The G1 grout was not air
entrained, while the G2 and G3 mixes incorporated 0.10% of
475
 Table 4—Rheological and mechanical characteristics of air-entrained grouts
fc′ for specimens cured fc′ for specimens cured
Mini Induced
slump, bleeding, Expansion, at 23 C, MPa at –10 C, MPa
mm percent percent Age, day Age, day
Grouts 5 min 10 min 10 min 3 7 28 3 7 28
G1
casting temperature = 7 C, 130 6.5 3.5 23.0 33.5 44.0 5.5 7.6 9.8
fresh air = 1.5%
G1
casting temperature = 8 C, 155 4.6 3.4 21.0 33.0 42.0 7.4 7.6 8.0
fresh air = 6.5%
G3
casting temperature = 9 C, 135 5.0 2.5 18.5 35.0 45.5 6.4 6.7 7.5
fresh air = 5%

Table 5—Analysis of air-void characteristics of

hardened grout samples
Sampling after 5 min Sampling after 60 min
Hard- Hard-
Fresh air ened air Specific Spacing ened air Specific Spacing
volume, volume, volume, factor, volume, volume, factor,
w/cm percent percent 1/mm μm percent 1/mm μm
0.36
High 8.5 15.1 15.5 310 13.3 18.2 290
AEA
0.40
Low 5.2 11.9 20.9 260 8.9 24.4 270
AEA
0.40
High 7.0 18.5 14.6 300 12.9 21.5 250
AEA

powder. All grouts were prepared at a low temperature of 8 C to

Fig. 5—Variations in compressive strength at different ages
(cold curing).
Fig. 6—Variations in compressive strength at different ages
(regular curing).
an AEA, by mass of cement, to secure approximately 6% air
volume in the fresh mix. The main difference between the
G2 and G3 grouts was the addition sequence of the AEA. In
the former grout, the AEA was added with the water
following the introduction of the VEA and HRWR, but
before cement addition. On the other hand, in the G3 grout,
the AEA was introduced at the end following cement addi-
tion. The air content was measured immediately after the
initial mixing following the addition of the aluminum
simulate casting in cold regions. The grouts were cast in 50-mm
cubes that were air cured at either –10 C or 23 C until the time
of testing. The evaluation of compressive strength development
at –10 C was done to determine the potential strength gain of
grout cast during winter conditions in cold ducts and
surrounding concrete. The test results are summarized in
Table 4, and the effects of casting and curing temperatures on
strength gain are presented in Fig. 5 and 6, respectively.
Regardless of the sequence of AEA addition, the air
entrainment improved initial fluidity (greater mini-slump).
The entrained air system was more efficient when the AEA
was initially introduced with the mixing water, HRWR, and
VEA before cement addition (G2 grout). The G2 grout had a
mini-slump value of 155 mm and a fresh air content of 6.5%
compared to 135 mm and 5% air volume obtained with the
G3 grout. The highest resistance to induced bleeding was
obtained with the G2 mix, which had the highest fluidity. No
significant effect of the volume-entrained air was observed
on the maximum expansion.
Regardless of the age of testing, the compressive strength
was significantly affected by the casting and curing temper-
atures. At –10 C, the strength gain was limited after the first
3 days and was affected by the air content of the grout. When
cast at –10 C, the G1 grout had a compressive strength of 5.5
MPa after 3 days. This value was 7.6 and 9.8 MPa after 7 and
28 days, respectively, which represents a strength gain of 40
and 70%. For the G2 and G3 grouts, the compressive
strengths obtained at 3 days were 7.4 and 6.4 MPa, respec-
tively. These values were 7.6 and 6.7 MPa after 7 days, and
8 and 7.5 MPa after 28 days. The low temperature affects the
hydration kinetic and, therefore, the rate of strength gain.
When the grout was cast at -10 C, the compressive strength

476 ACI Materials Journal/July-August 1999

 was slightly higher for the air-entrained grout with the higher
air volume (G2 grout) at 3 and 7 days. Grouts having 1.5 and
6.5% air developed similar strengths after 7 days. However,
after 28 days, a higher compressive strength was obtained
with the grouts with the lower air content.
The strengths after 3, 7, and 28 days of specimens cured at
23 C were greater than those obtained when the curing
temperature was –10 C. At the higher curing temperature,
the G1 grout had compressive strengths of 23 MPa after 3
days, and 34 and 44 MPa after 7 and 28 days, respectively.
These values were 5.5, 7.6, and 9.8 MPa when the grout was
cured at –10 C. At a curing temperature of 23 C, the three
investigated mixes developed had comparable strengths after
7 and 28 days.
Air-void system stability
The stability of the air-void system of optimized mixes
was evaluated for grouts prepared with 0.36 and 0.40 w/cm
and two AEA concentrations of 0.075 and 0.15%, by mass of
cementitious material. The 0.36 w/cm mix incorporated
2.2% HRWR, 0.02% of VEA, and 0.6% of the diluted
aluminum-based powder. These dosages were 0.03, 1.6, and
0.6%, respectively, for the grout made with 0.40 w/cm.
Between 5 and 60 min of age, the grout was occasionally
agitated to simulate agitation in a holding tank. The air-void
analysis was carried out on samples taken after 5 and 60 min
following the end of initial mixing. Test results are summa-
rized in Table 5.
As expected, the increase in the dosage of AEA increased
the air volume in the fresh and hardened systems. Grout
mixes made with 0.40 w/cm had fresh air volumes of 5 and
7% when low and high dosages of AEA were used. The use
of high AEA dosage, however, resulted in excessive
amounts of air in the hardened system (18%) that could
reduce the stability of air voids. This system had a higher
spacing factor than the grout with a lower AEA dosage and
void content. As expected, the addition of an expansive
agent resulted in an increase of the total void volume (air
voids and hydrogen gas from the aluminum powder) and
enhanced the air-void characteristics (lower spacing factor
and greater specific volume). The total volume of voids was
slightly reduced, and finer and closer bubbles were obtained
after 60 min compared with the initially obtained samples. In
general, the three grout types had low spacing factors and
stable void systems, and can be expected to provide good
frost durability.
It is important to note that different thickening agents will
behave differently with changes in HRWR and cement. It is
therefore advisable to carry on initial laboratory tests and
field pilot tests of the grout to determine the compatibility
ACI Materials Journal/July-August 1999
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and suitability of the various ingredients using the mixer
type selected for the actual field application.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the results presented in this paper, the following
conclusions can be warranted.
1. A high-performance grout containing 8% silica fume
replacement, by mass of cementitious materials, made with
0.40 w/cm, 1.6% HRWR, and 0.03% welan gum, by mass of
cementitious materials, can provide good balance between
initial fluidity, fluidity retention, resistance to sedimentation,
and static and pressure bleeding and strength.
2. Highly flowable grouts with 0.40 ± 0.02 w/cm and
0.03% welan gum can exhibit good fluidity retention for 60
min and high resistance to induced bleeding. Increasing the w/
cm of such grouts to 0.45 does not adversely affect stability.
3. Given the highly stable nature of such grout, the expan-
sive agent content can be lowered to provide an expansion of
2 to 3% to compensate for volume changes resulting from
shrinkage and to provide confining action to the tendons.
4. The incorporation of an AEA improves fluidity and can
secure greater air volume when added initially with the
mixing water before cement introduction.
CONVERSION FACTORS
1 mm = 0.0039 in.
1 mL = 0.061 in.3
tC = (tF – 32)/1.8
1 MPa = 145 psi
REFERENCES
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3. Hope, B. B., and Ip, A. K. C., “Grout for Post-Tensioning Ducts,” ACI
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