Feasibility of permeation grouting for constructing subsurface barriers
Efforts are being made to devise technologies that provide interim containment of waste sites while final remediation alternatives are developed. Permeation grouting, a technique used extensively in the civil and mining engineering industry has been investigated as a method for emplacing a subsurface containment barrier beneath existing waste sites. Conceptually an underlying barrier is placed by injecting grout into the formation at less than fracturing pressure from a series of directionally drilled boreholes beneath the waste site. This study evaluated the penetration and performance characteristics in varying soil conditions of four different grout materials (two microfine cements, mineral wax, and sodium silicate) at a field scale. Field testing consisted of grout injection via sleeve (tube-a`-manchette) pipe into both vertical and horizontal borehole configurations at the Mixed Waste Landfill Integrated Demonstration site at Sandia National Laboratories. Prior to, during, and after grout injection non-intrusive geophysical techniques were used to map grout flow. Following the tests, the site was excavated to reveal details of the grout permeation, and grouted soil samples were cored for laboratory characterization. The non-intrusive and intrusive grout mapping showed preferential flow patterns, i.e., the grout tended to follow the path of least resistance. Preliminary testing indicates that permeation grouting is a feasible method for emplacing a low permeability subsurface barrier in the semi-arid unconsolidated alluvial soils common to the Southwest. Despite the success of this project, difficulties in predicting grout flow in heterogeneous soils and non-intrusive methods for imaging grout location and continuity are issues that need more attention.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 10116902
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-94-0786; ON: DE95005407; TRN: 95:001703
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Apr 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Feasibility of permeation grouting for constructing subsurface barriers
Subsurface Barrier Validation of a Colloidal Silica and a Jet Grouted Barrier with the SEAtrace System
Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DIFFUSION BARRIERS
INSTALLATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
CONTAINMENT
GROUTING
REMEDIAL ACTION
DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
052002
540230
540220
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT