EL MOHTAR, C. & OTHERS - 2015 - Experimental Study On Penetration of Bentonite Grout Through Granular

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For personal use only. This Just-IN manuscript is the accepted manuscript prior to copy editing and page composition. It may differ from the final official version of record.
1 Experimental Study on Penetration of Bentonite Grout through Granular Soils

2
3 Chadi S. El Mohtar
4 Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
5 The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
6
Can. Geotech. J. Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by KLOHN CRIPPEN BERGER LTD on 05/28/15
7 Jisuk Yoon a)
8 Fugro Consultants Inc.
9 6100 Hillcroft, Houston, TX 77081
10
11 May El-Khattab
12 Arup
13 77 Water Street, New York, NY 10005
14 Abstract
15 Permeation grouting using bentonite grouts is one of the effective methods to improve the
16 engineering properties of granular soils. However, the low penetrability of bentonite grouts into soils
17 limits their practical application in permeation grouting. This study presents a new approach to control
18 the penetration length of bentonite grouts through granular soils using an ionic additive, sodium
19 pyrophosphate (SPP). It is hypothesized that the chemical modification changes both rheological and
20 physicochemical properties of the bentonite grout, and thus affects its penetration length through soils.
21 The rheological properties (yield stress and apparent viscosity) of bentonite grouts with weight ratios
22 (ratio of water (W) to dry bentonite (B)) of 19, 12.3, 9, and 7.3 were controlled by the addition of 1-4%
23 SPP by weight of dry bentonite. The bentonite grouts were also injected into sand columns prepared at
24 various experimental conditions to evaluate the effect of each experimental parameter on their penetration
25 lengths. The results show that the penetration length of bentonite grouts decreases with a decrease in
26 W/B ratio and an increase in yield stress and apparent viscosity. Moreover, the penetration length
27 increases with the increase of the normalized effective grain size and injection pressure, but the increase
28 of fines content reduces the penetration length of the grouts. While the existing analytical equation
29 produces good agreement with the measured penetration lengths for the grouts having high yield stress
30 (>26 Pa), it significantly overestimates the penetration lengths of the SPP modified bentonite grouts due
31 to filtration (especially, the grouts having low yield stress and low W/B ratios). Therefore, a new
32 empirical correlation is proposed to predict the penetration length of the bentonite grouts based on
33 filtration and rheological blocking.
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35 Keywords: Permeation grouting; Penetration length; Bentonite grout; Yield stress; Apparent viscosity;
36 Sodium pyrophosphate
37 a) Corresponding author: e-mail: jyoon@fugro.com
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For personal use only. This Just-IN manuscript is the accepted manuscript prior to copy editing and page composition. It may differ from the final official version of record. Page 2 of 36
38 Nomenclature
39 Cc: coefficient of curvature
40 Cu: coefficient of uniformity
41 COV: coefficient of variation
42 D: the diameter of filter materials (mm)
43 D10: the diameter through which 10% of total soil mass is passing (mm)
47 d95: the diameter through which 95% of total grout mass is passing (mm)
48 Dr: relative density (%)
49 Dr,skeletal: skeletal relative density (%)
50 emin: minimum void ratio of sand
51 emax: maximum void ratio of sand
52 FC: non-plastic fines content % by dry weight of soil
53 Gs: specific gravity
54 P: injection pressure (kPa)
55 SP: poorly graded sand
56 SM: silty sand
57 SPP: sodium pyrophosphate
58 USCS: unified soil classification system
59 W/B ratio: weight ratio of water (W) and bentonite (B)
60 τ: shear stress (Pa)
61 τo: yield stress (Pa)
62 γ: shear strain (%)
63 µgrout,eq: equilibrium apparent viscosity of bentonite grout (mPa·s)
64 µr,eq: relative equilibrium apparent viscosity (µgrout,eq/µwater)
65 φ1 , φ 2 , φ3 , φ 4 , and φ5 : empirical constants for the proposed penetration equation
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66 Introduction
67 Bentonite is a common material used in hydraulic barriers and containment systems, such as
68 landfill liners, cutoff walls, and nuclear waste repositories (Chapuis, 1990 and 2004; Kazemian and Huat,
69 2009; Haug and Wong, 1992). While all these applications have relied on pre-mixing of the bentonite
70 with soils before constructing the barriers, Hwang et al. (2011) showed that permeation grouting using
71 bentonite grout (a form of concentrated suspension) could be implemented to reduce the hydraulic
72 conductivity of clean sand through bench top grouting and hydraulic conductivity tests. Moreover, recent
73 studies suggested a possible application of bentonite grout to improve soil performance under static and
74 cyclic loading (El Mohtar et al., 2013; Rugg et al., 2011; Yoon and El Mohtar, 2013c). For these
75 applications, an accurate prediction of the penetration length of bentonite grout is necessary to design the
76 extent of the treated area and spacing between injection points.
77 Under a constant pressure condition, the flow of a particulate grout through granular soils slows
78 with time before ultimately seizing, resulting in a limited penetration length. Darcy’s law is not valid for
79 the grout flow and thus, the estimation of the grout penetration is typically performed based on force
80 equilibrium: the grout flow stops when the resistance to flow is statically equilibrated with the driving
81 force (Gustafson and Stille, 1996; Jancsecz and Steiner, 1994; Jefferis, 1992; Raffle and Greenwood,
82 1961). Recently, Axelsson and Gustafson (2007) proposed a theoretical equation to predict the
83 penetration length of cement-based grouts.
∆P 4
84 [1] I max = ⋅ ,
τo S ⋅ (1 − n) ⋅ π
85 [2] (
S = 6 ⋅ EXP − ln D10 − 0.84 ln U − 0.21ln 2 U , )
86
87 where Imax is the maximum penetration length of grout (m), τo is the yield stress of grout (Pa), ∆P is the
88 pressure difference driving the grout (Pa), n is the porosity of the soil, D10 is the effective grain size of the
89 grouted soil (m), S is the specific surface area (m2/m3) of the grouted soil, and U is the coefficient of
90 uniformity (D60/D10) of the grouted soil. In this approach, the flow resistance is represented by yield
91 stress that is a threshold shear stress to initiate flow (De Paoli et al., 1992a) and thus a decrease in the
92 yield stress implies an increase in the penetration length of a grout.
93 Bentonite grouts have a yield stress similar to cement-based grouts due to the presence of the 3-D
94 network structures in the grouts (Yoon and El Mohtar, 2014b). While the yield stress of a bentonite grout
95 can be reduced using ionic additives such as sodium hydroxide, sodium silicate, and sodium
96 polyphosphate (Abend and Lagaly, 2000) to increase its penetration into soils, these chemical
97 modifications also change the physicochemical properties of the bentonite grout (e.g., microstructures,
98 ionic strength, etc.) such that the analysis of the grout flow becomes complex. It is hypothesized that the
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99 penetration length of bentonite grout through granular soil is affected by not only the rheological
100 properties of the grout, but also by its filtration. The chemical modification of concentrated bentonite
101 grout may allow it to penetrate into a soil deposit where it could not penetrate without the chemical
102 modification, by breaking its 3-D network structures into smaller divisions (unconnected individual
103 particle). However, the large amount of bentonite particles in the concentrated grouts (compared to lower
104 concentration unmodified grouts with similar rheological properties) still limits the penetration of
105 bentonite grout through granular soils due to filtration.
106 The filtration of particles occurs as a result of the particulate nature of the grout and the porous
107 nature of the soil. The filtered particles continuously reduce the flow paths of the grouts, resulting in the
108 stoppage of the flow (Herzig et al., 1970). When this phenomenon is more dominant than rheological
109 blocking, highly dispersed (e.g., grouts having high water to particle weight ratios) grouts have longer
110 penetration lengths than concentrated grouts due to reduced filtration (Axelsson et al., 2009). Moreover,
111 the change in the chemical properties of the bentonite grout affects the filtration process. Specifically, the
112 increase in ionic strength of bentonite grout due to the chemical modification can provide a favorable
113 condition to particle deposition, resulting in a retarded grout flow (Abend and Lagaly, 2000; Rege and
114 Fogler, 1988). Numerical models considering the filtration phenomenon (Saada et al., 2005; Kim et al.,
115 2009) can be used to analyze the flow of bentonite grout, but the existing models do not capture the
116 stoppage of the grout flow due to yield stress and do not account for the effect of fines content in the soil
117 matrix on the penetration of the grout. Therefore, there is a need for developing a new method to estimate
118 the penetration length of bentonite grouts through granular soils that accounts for both yield stress-
119 dominant and filtration-dominant conditions.
120 In this study, the penetration length of bentonite grouts through sandy soils is investigated by
121 using a 1-D sand column test. The rheological properties of the bentonite grouts such as yield stress and
122 apparent viscosity (the total resistance of grouts during the flow) are controlled by sodium pyrophosphate
123 (SPP). The SPP is utilized because it significantly reduces the initial rheological properties of bentonite
124 grouts, but allows for their recovery over time as compared to more permanent changes in rheological
125 properties with other additives (Tchillingarian, 1952; Yoon and El Mohtar, 2014b). The reversible
126 dispersion implies an increase in post-grouting flow resistance of the bentonite grout, minimizing the
127 probability of long-term loss of the grout due to washing out. Bentonite grouts having various
128 combinations of W/B ratio (weight ratio of water and dry bentonite) and SPP concentration were injected
129 into the sand columns prepared at various experimental conditions such as normalized effective grain size,
130 relative density, fines content, and injection pressure. Moreover, the effect of the size of a grouting cell
131 on the penetration length is investigated for evaluating a possible large-scale application of bentonite
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132 grout. The experimental parameters are correlated to the measured penetration length and an empirical
133 correlation is proposed to predict the penetration length of bentonite grouts through sandy soils.
134
135 Materials and methods
136 Materials
137 Four sands (Sand A, Sand B, Sand C, and Sand D) with different effective grain size (D10) were
138 used in this study. A non-plastic silt (PI=16.5%, LL=49%, and an average particle size of 13.5 µm
139 (Hazirbaba, 2005)) was mixed with Sand A to prepare specimens with 5%, 10%, and 15% non-plastic
140 fines content (referred to hereafter as Sand A(5), Sand A(10), and Sand A(15), respectively). Table 1
141 summarizes the index properties of the tested sands based on ASTM standards (ASTM D 422, D 854, D
142 4253, and D 4254). Two different batches of Wyoming sodium bentonite (CP-200, CETCO) were used
143 to prepare the grouts (Bentonite A and Bentonite B). Bentonite A was used to investigate the effect of
144 experimental parameters on the penetration length through sands and develop the new grout penetration
145 length prediction equation. Bentonite B was then used to validate the proposed equation using a similar
146 material but with different rheological and filtration characteristics. The raw bentonite was screened
147 through a No.200 sieve to minimize the large-sized impurities (Abend and Lagaly, 2000; Clarke, 2008).
148 Table 2 summarizes the properties of the used bentonite. The grain size distribution curves for the tested
149 sands and sieved bentonite are shown in Fig. 1. The cation exchange capacity and specific surface area
150 were determined by the methylene blue (MB) adsorption technique. The specific surface area was
151 calculated based on the method suggested by Santamarina et al. (2002). A chemical analysis was
152 performed using the Philips/FEI XL30 Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) equipped
153 with energy diffraction analysis of X-ray (EDX) to characterize Na/Ca ratio. This ratio is particularly
154 important for this study since it is a critical parameter affecting the rheological properties of bentonite
155 grouts (Brandenburg and Lagaly, 1988). Bentonite A includes 2.3% of Na and 1.2% of Ca by total
156 weight, resulting in a molar ratio of 1.9. Bentonite B includes 2.7% of Na and 0.5% of Ca by total weight,
157 resulting in a molar ratio of 5.2. A more detailed description of the chemical composition of the bentonite
158 used in this study can be found in Yoon (2011).
159 Commercially available sodium pyrophosphate decahydrate (Na4P2O7·10H2O) was utilized in this
160 study. The specific gravity and molecular weight of SPP are 1.8 and 446.06, respectively. Since the
161 amount of SPP needed for each batch was very small, a 5% SPP solution was prepared in advance to
162 reduce the errors in the SPP mass measurements. The average pH of the 5% SPP solution was 9.5. De-
163 ionized water with constant ionic concentration of 2×10-5 mM was used for preparing all the bentonite
164 grouts and SPP solution.
165
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166 Test equipment and procedures

167 Rheological test
168 A Physica MCR 301 rheometer equipped with a vane was utilized in this study to perform all the
169 rheological tests on the bentonite grouts. The vane used is a six-bladed vane with 1 mm thick and 16 mm
170 long blades. The radius of the vane is 11 mm resulting in a 3.46 mm gap between the vane and sides of
171 the cup. The sample volume of tested grouts was maintained at 37 ml so that the vane was immersed
172 approximately twice the vane length into the sample. The temperature was maintained at 22 ºC (±0.03
173 ºC) using the built-in Peltier temperature control system in the rheometer. The bentonite powder was
174 placed in the mixing cup with a designated amount of water and 5% SPP solution and mixed in three
175 identical steps consisting of 5 minutes of high shear mixing of the grouts (total 15 minutes of mixing),
176 with each step followed by manual scraping of the sides and base of the mixing cup to remove any
177 attached bentonite flocs and reintroducing them to the grout. For the grouts with Bentonite A, 12 mixing
178 combinations were developed based on the weight ratio of water (W) to bentonite (B) in the grout and the
179 percentage of SPP. For the grouts consisting of Bentonite B, 9 mixing combinations were tested. The
180 detailed mix combinations are summarized in Table 3 and 4. The grout having the W/B ratio of 19 was
181 not modified with SPP for both Bentonite A and B due to its already high mobility.
182 The stress ramp method was used to measure the rheological properties of bentonite grouts. The
183 stress ramp method is a stress-controlled test in which the shear stress level is increased incrementally at a
184 constant rate. In this study, each stress level (1 or 3 Pa/step) was maintained for 12 sec and the torsional
185 strain was recorded at the end of each interval. The tests were programmed such that samples were rested
186 for 2 minutes after inserting the vane to provide a consistent initial condition. The rheological tests
187 applied various final shear stresses up to 500 Pa (for the grout with the W/B ratio of 7.3) depending on the
188 strength of grouts. The tests were terminated at the shear rate of 500 s-1 by which most of the grouts have
189 already reached an equilibrium state (Yoon and El Mohtar, 2014a).
190 The yield stress was graphically determined as the intersection point of the two linear lines drawn
191 from the log shear stress (τ) – log shear strain (γ) plots. For the analysis of the injection process, an
192 equilibrium apparent viscosity, which is a constant apparent viscosity at high shear rate (250 s-1 to 450 s-1),
193 was used as the apparent viscosity during flow for grouts (Yoon and El Mohtar, 2013b). These values
194 were selected since the apparent viscosity at high shear rates is more representative of the state of grouts
195 during permeation than that at low shear rates (Markou and Atmatzidis, 2002). For grouts where testing
196 inertia effects led to an increase in apparent viscosity at high shear rates, the minimum apparent viscosity
197 at the local plateau was selected as the apparent viscosity during flow since this inertia effect is not
198 expected during grouting. A more detailed description of the rheological test is presented in Yoon and El
199 Mohtar (2013a and 2013b).
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200 Grouting test

201 A schematic of the grouting setup is shown in Fig. 2. The grouting cell is transparent with a 3.8
202 cm internal diameter and a 21 or 45 cm height. A series of injection tests was also performed using
203 grouting cells having different diameters (7.0, 10.2, and 14.0 cm) to evaluate the effect of the diameter of
204 the grouting cell on the measured penetration length, and thus a large-scale application in the field. More
205 details on the different setups used can be found in El-Khattab (2013). Clean sands were carefully air-
206 pluviated with a funnel into the grouting cell. The free drop height was adjusted to achieve the desired
207 relative densities; for dense specimens, the air pluviation resulted in slightly lower densities than the
208 target ones, and the mold was tapped on the sides to increase the density to the target values. Sands
209 including fines were prepared by mixing the clean Sand A with the designated percentage of fines (5%,
210 10%, and 15% by weight of dry sand) while spraying water on the mixture. The mix was then compacted
211 by hand in the mold (moist tamping method) to produce a similar skeletal relative density (30% or 80%)
212 to that of clean sand. Hwang (2010) reported that this process could produce relatively uniform
213 specimens compared to air-pluviation of dry mixtures. A filter material, consisting of a 12.5 mm layer of
214 coarse sand (1.2 mm < D < 1.7 mm) and a 12.5 mm layer of pea gravel (D > 4.75 mm) was placed on the
215 top and bottom of the sand column to help produce a uniform supply of water and bentonite grouts
216 throughout the cross-section of the column. The coarse sand was placed to prevent the sand grains from
217 falling into the large voids in the bottom pea gravel layer. The head loss and filtration were assumed
218 negligible in the filter layer due to the larger particle sizes and limited thickness.
219 The sand specimens were initially saturated with slow flushing of de-aired water (at least 3 pore
220 volumes) from bottom to top, then more pore volume of water (at least 3 pore volumes) was flushed at a
221 pressure of 35 kPa to remove air bubbles in the specimen (ASTM D 4320/D 4320M-09). For specimens
222 including fines, the specimens were slowly flushed from bottom to top under low gradients (i < 0.3) to
223 reduce any fines migration through the specimen.
224 Bentonite grouts (prepared following the same procedures described earlier in the rheological
225 tests) were placed into a pressure cell within 2 minutes after mixing for consistency with rheological tests.
226 The bentonite grouts were then injected into sand columns (from bottom to top) at a constant pressure of
227 either 35 kPa or 140 kPa. Both pressure values are in the typical range of injection pressures that are not
228 expected to cause any significant changes in the sand fabrics (ASTM D 4320/D 4320M-09; Ozgurel and
229 Vipulanandan, 2005; Rugg et al., 2011). The penetration length of the grouts was determined visually by
230 taking an average of three measurements on different sides of the sand column after the completion of
231 grouting. The weight of effluent was monitored to determine the stoppage of grout flow. The completion
232 of grouting was defined as the time when there was no effluent for 10 minutes to ensure the complete
233 stoppage of grout flow. A total of 51 grouting tests was performed in this study. 21 grouting tests were
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234 performed with Bentonite A to examine the effect of various soils, grout mixes, and experimental
235 parameters on the penetration length of the bentonite grout through sandy soils. The remaining 30
236 grouting tests were performed with Bentonite B to test the proposed empirical equation and investigate
237 the effect of different grouting cell diameters on the penetration length.
238
239 Results and discussion

240 Rheological properties of bentonite grout
241 The yield stress and equilibrium apparent viscosity of bentonite grouts based on the W/B ratio at
242 different SPP concentrations are shown in Fig. 3a and 3b. The data presented are the average values of
243 yield stress and equilibrium apparent viscosity from at least three independent grouts. The yield stress of
244 bentonite grouts decreases as the W/B ratio and SPP concentration increase. Yield stress for W/B ratios
245 of 12.3, 9, and 7.3 decreases from 26 Pa, 136 Pa, and 457 Pa, to approximately zero with SPP
246 concentrations of 2%, 3%, and 4%, respectively. A minimum yield stress value of 1 Pa (the smallest
247 increment/step in the stress ramp tests) was assigned for the grouts that did not exhibit a yield stress.
248 Similar to yield stress, the equilibrium apparent viscosity increases with a decrease of W/B ratio
249 and SPP concentration. The equilibrium apparent viscosities are reduced by approximately 50% for the
250 W/B ratio of 12.3, 9, and 7.3 with 1%, 3%, and 4% SPP concentrations, respectively. This reduction in
251 initial properties is due to the SPP disruption of the formation of the 3-D networks in the grouts by the
252 attachment of the phosphate anions to the edge of bentonite particles, leading to an increase in the
253 repulsive forces between the particles. The extent of the 3-D network formation varies for different
254 combinations of W/B ratio and SPP concentration, producing a wide range of yield stress values.
255 However, the effect of the SPP on yield stress and apparent viscosity is limited beyond a threshold SPP
256 concentration (Yoon and El Mohtar, 2014b). Based on these observations, this study mainly utilized the
257 SPP concentrations of 1%, 3%, and 4% for the W/B ratio of 12.3, 9, and 7.3, respectively (the grouts
258 having a W/B ratio of 12.3 with 1% and 2% SPP showed a negligible difference in apparent viscosity so
259 that 1% SPP was selected for the injection tests). For simplicity, these SPP concentrations will not be
260 listed hereafter, but rather the grouts will be referred to as modified versus unmodified grouts (unless
261 otherwise specified). Bentonite B grouts have lower yield stresses and apparent viscosities than those of
262 Bentonite A at the same bentonite fractions, possibly due to the lack of Ca2+ ions that exert attractive
263 forces between bentonite particles (Brandenburg and Lagaly, 1988). Because of this dependence of flow
264 properties of bentonite grout on the chemical composition of the used bentonite (and water), the
265 rheological properties of bentonite grouts should be specified rather than the conventional water-particle
266 weight ratio (e.g., Water-Cement ratio (W/C)) when designing a bentonite grouting program.
267
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268 Effect of grout properties on penetration length

269 Yield stress and Equilibrium apparent viscosity
270 The effect of various rheological and experimental parameters (bentonite fraction, yield stress,
271 equilibrium apparent viscosity, effective grain size, relative density, fines content, and injection pressure)
272 on the penetration length was investigated by injecting different combinations of bentonite grouts into
273 sand columns. Fig. 4a shows the measured penetration length as a function of the yield stress of the
274 bentonite grout. The unmodified grouts show a significant reduction in the penetration length as the yield
275 stress increases. For the unmodified grouts, the penetration length decreases from 24 cm to less than 1 cm
276 with the increase of yield stress from 3 Pa to 457 Pa. For the modified grouts with W/B of 12.3, 9 and 7.3,
277 the penetration length increases by 1.6, 2.6, and 5 times, respectively, compared to those of the
278 unmodified grouts. A reduction in yield stress produces a consistently higher penetration length at the
279 same bentonite fraction. Although the yield stress of the unmodified grouts produces a strong power law
280 relationship (R2=0.94) with penetration length, the penetration length of the modified grouts varies with
281 bentonite fraction (W/B) at a given yield stress.
282 The flow resistance of a particulate grout at a given shear rate consists of two components, a yield
283 and a viscous component (De Paoli et al., 1992a). While the yield component is dominant when a fluid is
284 not in a flow state, both, yield and viscous components become dominant when a fluid starts flowing.
285 Therefore, both the yield and the viscous components should be considered to fully capture the flow of
286 the grout because the yield component provides additional drag forces even when a grout is flowing (the
287 apparent shear rate is greater than zero). For the unmodified grouts, the yield component due to the
288 flocculated network structure is dominant under flow conditions. Therefore, the reduction in the yield
289 stress leads to a consistent increase in the penetration length. For the modified grouts, the influence of the
290 yield component is reduced due to the disruption of the 3-D network formation by SPP, and therefore,
291 increasing the penetration length of the bentonite grout. Therefore, it is concluded that there is no unique
292 relationship between yield stress and penetration length, even for one given material under a unique set of
293 conditions (applied pressure and sand conditions).
294 The apparent viscosity includes both yield and viscous components of flow since it is a total
295 resistance to flow determined based on the apparent shear stress at a specific shear rate. The relationship
296 between equilibrium apparent viscosity and penetration length is shown in Fig. 4b for the same tests
297 presented in Fig. 4a. For both the unmodified and modified grouts, the penetration length consistently
298 decreases regardless of the bentonite fraction or SPP concentration. The equilibrium apparent viscosity
299 produces a strong power correlation to the penetration length (R2=0.94). The consistent reduction in
300 penetration length of bentonite grout with increasing apparent viscosity is attributed to both of its
301 components (yield and viscous components). Once the yield component becomes very small, the amount
9
302 of particles governs the viscous component (Coussot, 2005); filtration is proportional to the amount of
303 particles (or W/B fraction) and therefore, the apparent viscosity can characterize filtration as well as
304 rheological blocking.
305
306 W/B ratio
307 Fig. 5a presents the variation of penetration length of bentonite grouts at 4 different W/B ratios.
308 Both modified and unmodified grouts were injected into Sand A at a relative density of 30% and under an
309 injection pressure of 35 kPa. The penetration length of both the modified and unmodified grouts
310 increases with the increase of the W/B ratio in the grouts. The unmodified grout having a W/B ratio of 19
311 could penetrate approximately 30 times more than the unmodified grout having the W/B ratio of 7.3. The
312 addition of the SPP consistently increases the penetration length of all bentonite grouts. The modified
313 grouts having the W/B ratio of 7.3 and 9 produced similar penetration lengths to those of the unmodified
314 grouts with the W/B ratio of 9 and 12.3, respectively. It should be noted that the type of bentonite grouts
315 should be selected by considering not only the penetrability of the grouts, but also the engineering
316 properties required in treated soils (e.g., hydraulic conductivity) and therefore, achieving the same
317 penetration depth with a lower W/B grout can be a significant improvement. Fig. 5b shows the
318 distribution of bentonite content (weight ratio of bentonite to sand) through the sand column based on
319 W/B ratio. The height along the specimen and bentonite content were normalized by the final penetration
320 length and bentonite content at the top portion of the grouted sand, respectively, to compare the results
321 from the different grouts using the same scale. As the W/B ratio decreases, the normalized bentonite
322 content increases, showing an increase in filtration with a decrease in the W/B ratio. Moreover, the
323 normalized bentonite contents at the bottom of the specimen are 24 to 60% higher than those at the top of
324 the specimen, increasing with the increase of the bentonite fraction in grouts.
325 The modified grouts with higher bentonite fractions become more susceptible to filtration during
326 permeation. For grouts showing filtration, the penetration length is shorter than those without any
327 filtration. The modified grouts with higher bentonite fractions (low W/B ratio) have a shorter penetration
328 length than those of unmodified grouts with lower bentonite fractions (high W/B ratio) but comparable
329 yield stress (Fig. 4a) because of the reduction in the pore spaces of the porous media due to filtration. The
330 effect of filtration can be seen by comparing the penetration length of the modified grouts having the W/B
331 ratio of 9 and 7.3 (Fig. 4b); both grouts have the same yield stress of 1 Pa, but the modified grout having
332 the W/B ratio of 7.3 had a lower penetration length due to filtration. These results confirm the hypothesis
333 of this study that the flow of bentonite grouts through soils is a function of both the rheological and
334 filtration properties of bentonite grout. Therefore, any penetration length prediction model cannot be
335 solely based on the rheological properties of the grout and should include the filtration effects.
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336
337 Effects of soil properties on penetration length
338 The grout penetration length is affected by the size of the finer portion of the sand and the coarser
339 portion of the grout particles. The normalized effective grain size (D10/d95) captures the filtration effect
340 due to particle size of sand and grout. The normalized effective grain size is also the second groutability
341 number of Burwell’s groutability criteria (1958). Fig. 6 shows the penetration length of the modified
342 Bentonite A grout having a W/B ratio of 7.3 through sands with different effective grain size. The
343 penetration length increases significantly with an increase in the normalized effective grain size. While
344 the grouts could hardly penetrate through Sand D (D10=0.12 mm), they could penetrate further in Sand A,
345 B, and C with D10=0.2, 0.31, and 0.28 mm, respectively. As the effective grain size (D10) of sand
346 increases, the average size of the individual pore spaces where the grouts can flow increases, leading to an
347 increase in the penetration length. Santagata and Santagata (2003) reported similar results with cement-
348 based grouts. As the size of the larger particles (d95) of the grout increases, the possibility of the particles
349 being captured in pore space increases; therefore, reducing the grout penetration. Note that for this plot,
350 only one type of bentonite (Bentonite A) was used, and therefore, d95 is constant for all the tests.
351 Fig. 7 shows the penetration length of bentonite grouts into loose and dense sands relative to
352 each other. The penetration lengths in both sands are relatively identical for all grouts, indicating that the
353 effect of relative density on the penetration length is minimal. The analytical equation (Eq. 1) also
354 produced a small difference of about 7% in the penetration length between the two densities, when
355 everything else was kept constant. Since the injection pressure of 35 kPa was not enough to differentiate
356 the effect of porosity in the concentrated suspensions, the modified grout having the W/B ratio of 9 was
357 injected under a higher pressure of 140 kPa through both densities. The penetration length increased by
358 approximately 60% compared to that under 35 kPa, but the increase was similar for both densities.
359 Therefore, it was concluded that the overall effect of relative density on the penetration length is minimal
360 compared to other parameters such as the rheological parameters and effective grain size.
361 For field applications, it is important to evaluate the effect of fines content on the penetration
362 length of bentonite grouts since sands in the field typically include some portion of fines. Fig. 8 depicts
363 the effect of fines content on the penetration length of modified Bentonite A grout having a W/B ratio of
364 12.3 under 140 kPa through Sand A, A(5), A(10), and A(15). Sand A(5) does not show any significant
365 reduction in the penetration length compared to Sand A, indicating that soils that have less than 5% fines
366 will have the same penetrability as clean sands. Beyond 5%, the penetration length of the bentonite grout
367 decreases exponentially with the increase of fines content. These results are consistent with grouting
368 guidelines in the literature (Burwell, 1958) which states that soils having the N value (D15,soil/d85,grout)<11
369 are not groutable with particulate grouting (cement and bentonite grouts).
11
370
371 Effect of experimental conditions on penetration length
372 Two injection pressures (35 kPa and 140 kPa) were utilized to investigate the effect of applied
373 pressure on the penetration length of bentonite grouts. Injection pressure was limited to 140 kPa to
374 maintain the state of permeation grouting and prevent disrupting/fracturing the soil structure. The
375 penetration length versus equilibrium apparent viscosity under 140 kPa and 35 kPa are presented in Fig. 9.
376 As the pressure increases, the penetration length increases approximately 1.4 to 1.8 times and the grouts
377 having higher bentonite fractions experience the lower increase. The increase in penetration length is not
378 uniformly proportional to the increase in applied pressure possibly due to filtration, which is a function of
379 particle fractions and can be accelerated by increasing the applied pressure (Akbulut and Saglamer, 2002).
380 The effect of the diameter of the grouting cell on the penetration length is shown in Fig. 10. The
381 normalized penetration length (penetration length in a given grouting cell divided by the penetration
382 length in the 3.8 cm diameter cell under the same conditions) for unmodified grouts having a W/B ratio of
383 12.3 and 9 is plotted versus the diameter of the grouting cell. The normalized penetration length
384 decreases as the diameter of grouting cell increases, but becomes almost constant beyond a diameter of
385 7.0 cm, producing a consistent ratio of 0.44.
386
387 Prediction of penetration length of bentonite grouts
388 The penetration length of bentonite grouts through sandy soils were estimated by the analytical
389 equation presented in the introduction (Axelsson and Gustafson, 2007) and compared with the measured
390 penetration length to investigate the applicability of the equation to the prediction of the penetration
391 length of bentonite grouts. Fig. 11 shows the comparison of the calculated penetration length and the
392 measured values in this study as a function of the yield stress. It should be noted that Axelsson and
393 Gustafson (2007) model is for Bingham fluids; the flow curves (shear stress-shear rate) of such fluids
394 consist of an initial shear stress (yield stress) at a shear rate of zero followed by a linear increase of shear
395 stress with increasing shear rates. Bentonite grouts modified with high percentages of SPP do not show
396 any yield stress and follow a power law model; such grouts were assigned a minimal yield stress of 1 Pa.
397 For high yield stresses (>26 Pa), the calculated penetration lengths are similar to measured ones.
398 However, the measured penetration lengths at the lower yield stresses (<26 Pa) are significantly less than
399 the calculated values; the difference between calculated and measured value increases as the yield stress
400 decreases. The grout flow for the modified grouts (especially, low yield stresses and W/B ratios) stopped
401 before it reached the theoretical equilibrium conditions, implying that considerable filtration occurs in the
402 porous media and near the injection point. Therefore, the analytical model based on force equilibrium
403 cannot be used to predict the penetration length for projects where filtration is a concern.
12
Page 13 of 36
404 In order to capture the penetration length in the low yield stress range, an empirical correlation is
405 proposed based on the effects of the soil and grout properties on penetration length. This correlation
406 includes a normalized effective grain size coefficient (N*=D10,sand/d95,bentonite), equilibrium apparent
407 viscosity (µgrout,eq), fines content (FC), porosity (n), and injection pressure (P) with five empirical
408 constants (Table 5). All parameters are normalized in order to achieve dimensionless numbers. The
409 effect of different relative densities was minimal, but the effect of the porosity was still considered in a
410 similar form to how it is included in the theoretical equation. The general form of the equation with five
411 (5) empirical constants was established based on the individual relationship between each parameter and
412 the penetration length (e.g., the penetration length decreases as a power function with the equilibrium
413 apparent viscosity). The proposed correlation was then calibrated with the experimental data (penetration
414 lengths for Bentonite A) using the root mean square error method. The equation was tested with different
415 experimental conditions using Bentonite B and compared to the measured penetration lengths to confirm
416 the general applicability of the proposed equation. The proposed correlation is reasonable between the
417 following intervals: 60≤µgrout,eq≤500 mPa·s, 4.8<N*<12.6, 0.32≤n≤0.47, 0≤FC≤15%, and P≤140 kPa,
418
 (P / 1 atm )φ 2    φ5 100
FC 

h(cm) = φ1  (
φ3 N *
φ4
)
 e  

( )
419 [3]
 (1 − n ) µ r , eq   
420
421 h: penetration length (cm)
422 φ1 : scaling constant (cm)
423 φ 2 : empirical constant for normalized pressure (dimensionless)
424 φ3 : empirical constant for normalized viscosity (dimensionless)
425 φ 4 : empirical constant for normalized effective grain size (dimensionless)
426 φ5 : empirical constant for fines content, equal to “0” for FC≤5% (dimensionless)
427 P: injection pressure (kPa)
428 n: porosity of sand
429 µr,eq: relative equilibrium apparent viscosity (µgrout,eq (mPa·s) / µwater (mPa·s))
430 FC: non-plastic fines content in granular soils (%)
431 N*: normalized effective grain size (D10,sand (mm) / d95,bentonite (mm))
432
433 The grouting cell having a diameter of 3.8 cm produces an almost one-dimensional flow due to its
434 small diameter. However, the grout flow in larger cells would have less directivity compared to the small
435 grouting cell. Therefore, the penetration length measurements obtained from cells with a diameter less
436 than 7.0 cm should be corrected to eliminate this bias (Fig. 10). The original scaling constant ( φ1 ) was
437 corrected considering the bias from different size of the grouting cell. The proposed equation was then
13
438 tested with Bentonite B having a similar particle size (d95≈25 µm), but a higher Na/Ca ratio of 5.1
439 compared to 1.9 for Bentonite A which was used for developing the correlation above. Fig. 12 shows the
440 comparison of the measured and calculated penetration length for the unmodified and modified bentonite
441 grouts through Sand A at injection pressures of 35 kPa and 140 kPa. The measured penetration lengths
442 are in agreement with the calculated values. Therefore, it can be concluded that the proposed equation is
443 applicable to predict the penetration length of bentonite grouts 1) at both the yield stress-dominant and
444 filtration-dominant conditions and 2) even with other types of bentonite that can result in different
445 rheological properties at the same bentonite fractions.
446
447 Summary and conclusions
448 Decreasing the bentonite fraction (increase in W/B ratio) of grouts and/or increasing SPP
449 concentration increase the penetration length, when all other testing parameters remain constant. While
450 equilibrium apparent viscosity showed a consistent relationship with the penetration length, a unique
451 relationship could not be established between yield stress and the penetration length due to the
452 dependency of penetration length on the particle fractions in the grouts.
453 The penetration length is also influenced by other soil and experimental parameters such as the
454 normalized effective grain size, fines content, and injection pressure while the effect of relative density is
455 minimal. As the fines content increases beyond 5%, the penetration length decreases exponentially. On
456 the other hand, the penetration length increases with an increase in the normalized effective grain size and
457 injection pressure. The penetration length calculated based on static equilibrium agrees with the
458 experimental data for grouts with high yield stress (greater than 26 Pa) but cannot fully capture the
459 measured grout penetration length for grouts with lower yield stresses (particularly modified grouts with
460 low W/B ratio and low viscosity). The discrepancy between the theoretically calculated penetration
461 length and the measured one for bentonite grouts modified with high SPP concentrations is due to high
462 filtration which results in the stoppage of flow prior to the length needed to reach theoretical static
463 equilibrium.
464 Based on the observed relationships between the penetration length and the various experimental
465 parameters (the injection pressure and properties of soil and bentonite grouts), an empirical equation is
466 proposed to predict the penetration length of bentonite grouts. The correlation was calibrated for
467 eliminating the bias due to the size of the grouting cell and tested using Bentonite B; the measured
468 penetration lengths of the new grouts were comparable to the predicted values using the correlations
469 presented in this paper.
470 The experimental results suggest a possible application of the SPP modified bentonite grouts in
471 permeation grouting to help deliver higher bentonite content into the target soil through improving the
14
Page 15 of 36
472 penetrability of the grouts. The proposed equation is beneficial to predict the penetration length of
473 bentonite grouts into sandy soils even when filtration is dominant.
474
475 Acknowledgement
476 This work was partially supported by the National Science Foundation, Geomechanics and
477 Geomaterials program and Geotechnical engineering program, under Grant No. 1254763. This support is
478 gratefully acknowledged.
479
480 References
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484 Akbulut, S., and Saglamer, A. 2002. Estimating the groutability of granular soils: a new approach.
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487 ASTM. 2006. Standard test method for maximum index density and unit weight of soils using a vibratory
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489 Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International, West Conshohocken, PA.
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491 ASTM. 2006. Standard test method for minimum index density and unit weight of soils and calculation of
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493 American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International, West Conshohocken, PA.
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495 ASTM. 2007. Standard test method for particle size analysis of soils. ASTM standard D 422-63(2007). In
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497 International, West Conshohocken, PA.
498
499 ASTM. 2009. Standard test method for laboratory preparation of chemically grouted soil specimens for
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502 Conshohocken, PA.
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504 ASTM. 2010. Standard test method for specific gravity of soil solids by water pycnometer. ASTM
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506 Materials (ASTM) International, West Conshohocken, PA.
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508 Axelsson, M., and Gustafson, G. 2007. Grouting with High Water/Solid-ratios – Literature and
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510 GeoEngineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden.
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512 Axelsson, M., Gustafson, G., and Fransson, A. 2009. Stop mechanism for cementitious grouts at different
513 water-to-cement ratios. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 24: 390-397. DOI:
514 10.1016/j.tust.2008.11.001.
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516 Brandenburg, U., and Lagaly, G. 1988. Rheological properties of sodium montmorillonite dispersions.
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519 Burwell, E.B. 1958. Cement, clay grouting of foundations: Practice of the corps of engineering. Journal of
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524
525 Chapuis, R.P. 2004. Predicting the saturated hydraulic conductivity of sand and gravel using effective
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528 Clarke, J.P. 2008. Investigation of time-dependent rheological behavior of sodium pyrophosphate-
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531 Coussot, P. 2005. Rheometry of Pastes, Suspensions and Granular Materials: Applications in Industry and
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534 De Paoli, B., Bosco, B., Granta, R., and Bruce, D.A. 1992a. Fundamental observations on cement based
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538 El-Khattab, M.M. 2013. Post-permeation Stability of Modified Bentonite Suspensions under Increasing
539 Hydraulic Gradients. Thesis, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.
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541 El Mohtar, C.S., Bobet, A., Santagata, M.C., Drnevich,V.P., and Johnston, C. 2013. Liquefaction
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545 Gustafson, G., and Stille, H. 1996. Prediction of groutability from grout properties and hydrogeological
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552 Haug, M.D., and Wong, L.C. 1992. Impact of molding water-content on hydraulic conductivity of
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555 Hazirbaba, K. 2005. Pore pressure generation characteristics of sands and silty sands: A strain approach.
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572 Karol, R.H. 2003. Chemical grouting and soil stabilization. 3rd ed. Marcel Dekker, New York.
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574 Kazemian, S., and Huat, B.B.K. 2009. Assessment and comparison of grouting and injection methods in
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577 Kim, J.S, Lee, I.M., Jang, J.H., and Choi, H.S. 2009. Groutability of cement-based grout with
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581 Markou, I.N., and Atmatzidis, D.K. 2002. Properties and performance of a pulverized fly ash grout.
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585 Raffle, J. F., and Greenwood, D.A. 1961. The relation between the rheological characteristics of grouts
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589 Rege, S.D., and Fogler, H.S. 1988. A network model for deep bed filtration of solid particles and
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592 Rugg, D.A., Yoon, J., Hwang, H., and El Mohtar, C.S. 2011. Undrained shearing properties of sand
593 permeated with a bentonite suspension for static liquefaction mitigation. Proceedings of the Geo-frontiers,
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596 Santagata, M.C., and Santagata, E. 2003. Experimental investigation of factors affecting the injectability
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600 Santamarina, J.C., Klein, K.A., Wang, Y.H., and Prencke, E. 2002. Specific surface: determination and
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603 Saada, Z., Canou, J., Dormieux, L., Dupl,a J.C., and Maghous, S. 2005. Modeling of cement suspension
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609 Yoon, J. 2011. Application of pore fluid engineering for improving the hydraulic performance of granular
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612 Yoon, J., and El Mohtar, C.S. 2013a. Disturbance effect on time dependent yield stress measurement of
613 bentonite suspensions. Geotechical Testing Journal, 36(1): 78-87. DOI: 10.1520/GTJ20120082.
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615 Yoon, J., and El Mohtar, C.S. 2013b. Groutability of granular soils using sodium pyrophosphate modified
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631
18
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632 List of Figures

633
634 Fig. 1. Grain size distribution curves for the tested sands and sieved bentonite.
635
636 Fig. 2. Schematic of constant pressure grouting test setup (the dashed and solid lines represent flow of air-
637 pressure and liquid, respectively).
638
639 Fig. 3. (a) Yield stress and (b) equilibrium apparent viscosity of Bentonite A and B grouts based on W/B
640 ratio.
641
642 Fig. 4. Penetration length based on (a) yield stress (the dashed line is for the unmodified grouts) and (b)
643 equilibrium apparent viscosity of Bentonite A grout through Sand A at Dr=30% under 35 kPa.
644
645 Fig. 5. (a) Penetration length based on the W/B ratio of Bentonite A grout (the dashed line is for the
646 unmodified grouts) and (b) normalized bentonite content along the height of the specimen for the
647 modified grouts of W/B=12.3, 9, and 7.3 through Sand A at Dr=30% under 35 kPa.
648
649 Fig. 6. Penetration length of the modified Bentonite A grout (W/B=7.3) versus normalized effective grain
650 size (N*) for Sand A, B, C, and D at Dr=30% under 140 kPa.
651
652 Fig. 7. Penetration length of the modified Bentonite A grouts of W/B=12.3, 9, and 7.3 through Sand A at
653 Dr=30% versus Dr=80%.
654
655 Fig. 8. Penetration length of modified Bentonite A grout (W/B=12.3) through Sand A, A(5), A(10), and
656 A(15) at Dr,skeletal=30% under 140 kPa.
657
658 Fig. 9. Penetration length of unmodified Bentonite A grout (W/B=12.3) and modified grouts (W/B=12.3,
659 9, and 7.3) under the injection pressure of 35 kPa or 140 kPa.
660
661 Fig. 10. Normalized penetration length of unmodified Bentonite B grouts of W/B=12.3 and 9 through
662 Sand A columns at various grouting cell diameters under 35 kPa.
663
664 Fig. 11. Measured and calculated penetration length versus yield stress; calculated values are based on the
665 equation proposed by Axelsson and Gustafson (2007).
666
667 Fig. 12. Comparison of measured and predicted penetration length (the solid and dashed lines) through
668 Sand A using Bentonite B.
669
19
673
672
671
670
Percent passing by weight (%)
0
20
40
60
80
100
10
1
0.1
Grain diameter (mm)
Sand B
Sand D
Sand C
Sand A
0.01
20
Sand A(5)
Sand A(15)
Sand A(10)
Bentonite B
Bentonite A
0.001
Fig. 1. Grain size distribution curves for the tested sands and sieved bentonite.
Page 20 of 36
Page 21 of 36
Liquid
Air
Bentonite
Grout
Sand Filter
Materials
Effluent
674 Pressure panel Pressure cell Grouting Cell Balance

675 Fig. 2. Schematic of constant pressure grouting test setup (the dashed and solid lines represent flow of air-
676 pressure and liquid, respectively).
677
678
21
10000
Solid symbols present Bentonite A 0% SPP
1% SPP
Hollow symbols present Bentonite B
1000 2% SPP
3% SPP
Yield stress (Pa)
4% SPP
100
10
0.1
0 5 10 15 20
W/B Ratio
679
680 (a)
1000
Equilibrium apparent viscosity (mPa·s)
0% SPP
1% SPP
2% SPP
3% SPP
4% SPP
100
Solid symbols present Bentonite A

Hollow symbols present Bentonite B
10
0 5 10 15 20
W/B Ratio
681
682 (b)
683 Fig. 3. (a) Yield stress and (b) equilibrium apparent viscosity of Bentonite A and B grouts based on W/B
684 ratio and SPP concentration (the solid and dashed lines are for the unmodified Bentonite A and B grouts,
685 respectively).
686
687
22
Page 23 of 36
25
Solid symbols present W/B=19
W/B=12.3
20 modified grouts
W/B=9
Penetration length (cm)
W/B=7.3
1% SPP
15
3% SPP
10
2% SPP
1% SPP
5 4% SPP
3% SPP
0
1 10 100 1000
Yield stress (Pa)
688
689 (a)
25
Solid symbols present W/B=19
W/B=12.3
modified grouts
20 W/B=9
W/B=7.3
15 1% SPP
10 3% SPP
y = 14060(µ grout,eq)-1.53
2% SPP R2 = 0.94
5 2% SPP 4% SPP
3% SPP
0
0 100 200 300 400 500
Equilibrium apparent viscosity, µ grout,eq (mPa·s)
690
691 (b)
692 Fig. 4. Penetration length based on (a) yield stress (the dashed line is for the unmodified grouts) and (b)
693 equilibrium apparent viscosity of Bentonite A grout through Sand A at Dr=30% under 35 kPa.
694
695
23
25
Modified grout
Unmodified grout
20
15 1% SPP
3% SPP
10
2% SPP
5 4% SPP 1% SPP
3% SPP
0
5 10 15 20
W/B Ratio
696
697 (a)
1.2
W/B=12.3
Normalized height along specimen
1 W/B=9
W/B=7.3
0.8
Direction of grout
propagation
0.6
0.4
0.2
Bottom of specimen
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Normalized bentonite content
698
699 (b)
700 Fig. 5. (a) Penetration length based on the W/B ratio of Bentonite A grout (the dashed line is for the
701 unmodified grouts) and (b) normalized bentonite content along the height of the specimen for the
702 modified grouts of W/B=12.3, 9, and 7.3 through Sand A at Dr=30% under 35 kPa.
703
24
Page 25 of 36
60
50
40
30
5.30
y = 5.79E-05(N*)
20 2
R = 0.98
10
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Normalized effective grain size, N* (D10,soil/d95,bentonite)
704
705 Fig. 6. Penetration length of the modified Bentonite A grout (W/B=7.3) versus normalized effective grain
706 size (N*) for Sand A, B, C, and D at Dr=30% under 140 kPa.
707
708
25
713
712
711
710
709
Penetration length at Dr=30% (cm)
0
5
10
15
20
0
P=35 kPa
Dr=30% versus Dr=80%.

P=140 kPa
5
W/B=9
10
W/B=12.3
15
26
Penetration length at Dr=80% (cm)
W/B=9
20
Fig. 7. Penetration length of the modified Bentonite A grouts of W/B=12.3, 9, and 7.3 through Sand A at
Page 26 of 36
718
717
716
715
714
Page 27 of 36
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0
5
A(15) at Dr,skeletal=30% under 140 kPa.

10
Fines content (%)
R2 = 0.99
y = 53.5e -0.15x
15
27
20
Fig. 8. Penetration length of modified Bentonite A grout (W/B=12.3) through Sand A, A(5), A(10), and
30
W/B=12.3
25 W/B=9
W/B=7.3
140 kPa
20
15
35 kPa
10
5 Hollow symbols present

unmodified grouts
0
0 50 100 150 200 250
719
720 Fig. 9. Penetration length of unmodified Bentonite A grout (W/B=12.3) and modified grouts (W/B=12.3,
721 9, and 7.3) under the injection pressure of 35 kPa or 140 kPa.
722
723
28
728
727
726
725
724
Page 29 of 36
Normalized penetration length
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
5 0 10
Diameter of grouting cell (cm)
29
W/B=9
W/B=12.3
Sand A columns at various grouting cell diameters under 35 kPa.

15
Fig. 10. Normalized penetration length of unmodified Bentonite B grouts of W/B=12.3 and 9 through
1000
Measured Calculated
W/B=12.3 W/B=12.3
100 W/B=9 W/B=9
W/B=7.3 W/B=7.3
10
Dominated by filtration Dominated by yield stress

0.1
1 10 100 1000
Yield stress (Pa)
729
730 Fig. 11. Measured and calculated penetration length versus yield stress; calculated values are based on the
731 equation proposed by Axelsson and Gustafson (2007).
732
733
30
Page 31 of 36
30
Measured-35 kPa
25 Measured-140 kPa
20 140 kPa
15 Hollow symbols present

35 kPa ` unmodified grouts
10
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
734
735 Fig. 12. Comparison of measured and predicted penetration length (the solid and dashed lines) through
736 Sand A using Bentonite B.
737
738
31
Table 1. Index properties of the tested sands

D10 D30 D60
Sand Gs emax emin Cu Cc USCS
(mm) (mm) (mm)
Sand A 2.65 0.76 0.50 0.20 0.32 0.40 1.94 1.28 SP
Sand B 2.64 0.85 0.57 0.31 0.46 0.59 1.92 1.13 SP
Sand C 2.68 0.64 0.43 0.28 0.48 0.94 3.36 0.88 SP
Sand D 2.67 0.89 0.51 0.12 0.16 0.23 1.97 0.89 SP

Sand A(5) N/A1 N/A N/A 0.15 0.28 0.37 2.51 1.45 SP-SM
Sand A(10) N/A N/A N/A 0.10 0.27 0.36 3.61 2.00 SP-SM
Sand A(15) N/A N/A N/A 0.02 0.26 0.35 17.5 9.43 SM
1
N/A indicates "Not Available" because they are not tested.
B
A
Type of
Bentonite
Bentonite
Bentonite
41
38
(%)
Limit
Plastic
275
404
(%)
Limit
Liquid
Gs
2.7
2.7
Specific
Gravity,
89
91
Cation
Capacity
Exchange
(meq/100g)
697
712
Area
(m2/g)
Specific
Table 2. Properties of Bentonite used in this study
pH
9.3
9.3
5.2
1.9
Ratio
Na/Ca
al use only. This Just-IN manuscript is the accepted manuscript prior to copy editing and page composition. It may differ from the final official version Page 34 of 36
Table 3. Grouting test program (Bentonite A with 3.8 cm grouting cell)

Injection pressure (kPa)

W/B Ratio 12.3 9 9 9 7.3 7.3 7.3 7.3
19 12.3 9 7.3
(SPP%) (1) (1)**** (2) (3) (1) (2) (3) (4)
35/ 35/ 35/
Sand A_30 35 35* 35* 35 35 35 N/A** N/A 35
140 140 140
Sand A_80 N/A 35 35 N/A N/A N/A 35 N/A N/A N/A N/A 35
Type of sand_relative density
Sand
N/A N/A 140 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
A(5)_30***
Sand
A(10)_30
Sand
A(15)_30
Sand B_30 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 140
Sand C_30 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 140
Sand D_30 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 140
*
Bentonite B was also used with the grouting cells having the diameters of 7.0, 10.2, and 14 cm to calibrate the proposed equation.
**
***
The relative density of the sand including fines is the skeletal relative density.
****
The numbers in the parenthesis are the SPP concentration in percentage (%).
al use only. This Just-IN manuscript is the accepted manuscript prior to copy editing and page composition. It may differ from the final official version
Page 35 of 36
Table 4. Verification test program (Bentonite B)

Injection pressure (kPa)
W/B Ratio (SPP%) 19 15.7 12.3 12.3(1)** 11.5 10.1 9 9 (3) 8.1
Sand
Type of sand_Grouting A_3.8
N/A* N/A 140 35/140 35 35 N/A 35 N/A
cell diameter (cm)
Sand 35/14
140 35 N/A 35 35 35/140 N/A 35
A_7.0 0
Sand
N/A N/A 35 N/A 35 35 35 N/A 35
A(5)_10.2
Sand
N/A N/A 35 N/A N/A N/A 35 N/A N/A
A(10)_14
*
**
The numbers in the parenthesis are the SPP concentration in percentage (%).
Empirical
Parameters
φ1
0.89
φ2
0.35
φ3
1.80
φ4
4.68
φ5
-8.97
Table 5. Empirical parameters proposed in this study
Page 36 of 36

EL MOHTAR, C. & OTHERS - 2015 - Experimental Study On Penetration of Bentonite Grout Through Granular

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EL MOHTAR, C. & OTHERS - 2015 - Experimental Study On Penetration of Bentonite Grout Through Granular

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Page 1 of 36

1 Experimental Study on Penetration of Bentonite Grout through Granular Soils

166 Test equipment and procedures

200 Grouting test

239 Results and discussion

268 Effect of grout properties on penetration length

523 Geotechnical Journal, 27: 47-57. DOI: 10.1139/t90-005.

632 List of Figures

674 Pressure panel Pressure cell Grouting Cell Balance

Solid symbols present Bentonite A

Dr=30% versus Dr=80%.

Penetration length (cm)

A(15) at Dr,skeletal=30% under 140 kPa.

5 Hollow symbols present

Normalized penetration length

Sand A columns at various grouting cell diameters under 35 kPa.

100 W/B=9 W/B=9

Dominated by filtration Dominated by yield stress

15 Hollow symbols present

Table 1. Index properties of the tested sands

Sand D 2.67 0.89 0.51 0.12 0.16 0.23 1.97 0.89 SP

Table 3. Grouting test program (Bentonite A with 3.8 cm grouting cell)

Injection pressure (kPa)

Table 4. Verification test program (Bentonite B)

Injection pressure (kPa)

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