TITLE:
Design and Strength Development of a Low-Mobility Grout for Repair of Embankment Dams
AUTHORS:
Johan Lagerlund, Peter Viklander, Jan Laue, Sven Knutsson
KEYWORDS:
Embankment Dams, Glacial Till, Grouting, Internal Erosion
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.13 No.12,
December
23,
2025
ABSTRACT: If the core of an embankment dam is damaged by internal erosion, it can be remediated by injection grouting. The grout material should not be allowed to harden, but rather become a natural part of the core after injection, exhibiting similar geotechnical characteristics as the core. However, the grout material must be pumpable during the injection. A new type of non-hardening grout material made for embankment dams has therefore been developed and tested. The grout material is made from natural, rounded sand and gravel aggregates, limestone filler, water, superplasticizer, air release agent, and bentonite powder. Since no hardening materials are included in the grout material, such as cement, the hardening of the grout material after injection relies on the effect of the superplasticizer to wear off. Test results show that this type of grout material is possible to pump and inject, eventually becoming part of the original core. Due to its tendency to absorb air, the grout material should not be homogenized longer than 15 minutes. After 34 days of storage, the undrained shear strength of the grout material was ~13 kPa, and its bulk density and water content had similar values expected in a core.