Engineering Properties and Optimal Conditions of Cementless Grouting Materials

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Civil Engineering
• Sustainable Construction

Background:

• Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is widely used in grouting but has environmental impacts.
• Development of eco-friendly inorganic binders is crucial for sustainable construction.
• Ground granulated blast-furnace slag offers potential as a sustainable binder component.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the engineering properties of cementless grouting materials (CGMs).
• To identify optimal binder types and compositions for superior performance compared to OPC.
• To evaluate CGM suitability for Korean grouting construction methods based on specific performance requirements.

Main Methods:

• Three CGM types with varying chemical compositions were synthesized and evaluated.
• Material properties were tested according to J company's grouting specifications in Korea.
• Key performance indicators included gel time (20-50 s) and 7-day homogel strength (>2 MPa).

Main Results:

• CGM2 exhibited optimal performance, outperforming OPC.
• Increased water/binder (W/B) ratio or decreased replacement ratio led to longer gel times and lower homogel strength.
• Increased binder weight reduced gel time and increased homogel strength, indicating a negative correlation.

Conclusions:

• Cementless grouting materials (CGMs), particularly CGM2, offer superior engineering properties compared to OPC.
• Optimal mixing proportions for CGM2 were determined: 117.8-167.7% W/B ratio, 42.6-56.7% Liquid B volume ratio, and 20.4-43.7 kg binder weight.
• CGMs meet the performance requirements for gel time and homogel strength, indicating their viability for grouting construction.