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The use of grout in conventional reinforced masonry construction increases the cost and time of construction but allows walls subject to out-of-plane loads an enhanced ability to span between lateral support levels. An experimental investigation including a total of 21 walls was conducted in an attempt to identify potential alternatives to conventionally grouted walls. The strength and serviceability of walls containing unbonded reinforcement anchored at its ends was evaluated. All walls were two and a half blocks wide and 14 courses tall and were constructed in running bond using standard 200 mm concrete blocks. Six replicate unreinforced and partially grouted, conventionally reinforced walls served as control specimens. Walls with unbonded reinforcement were determined to be inherently stable with maximum loads approaching those of partially grouted, conventionally reinforced walls. If used in practice, these walls would need to be limited to indoor exposures due to the wide crack widths that develop.

An experimental program was undertaken to evaluate the performance of self-consolidating mortar designed for filling small annular spaces for the rehabilitation of underground water line or sewage pipelines. The study also intended to establish a testing protocol to validate the workability of repair grout. All the investigated mixtures had good filling and passing ability with adequate retention of workability over 3 h. The repair mortars exhibited high stability with bleeding lower than 0.3% compared to 3% bleeding in the case of the reference neat cement grout. The reference grout had a lower plastic viscosity and higher slump flow values than the sanded repair grouts. A V-funnel with 30 mm × 30 mm overture and a flow cone with 12.7 mm overture are recommended for mortar made with concrete sand with a 5 mm nominal size and micro mortar with fine sand with a nominal size up to 3 mm, respectively.

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the effect of the replacement rate and fineness of natural zeolite on the rheological properties of cement-based grouts. For this purpose, natural zeolites with two different finenesses were used to partially replace Portland cement at 20%, 30%, and 40% by weight. While preparing the grout mixtures, a constant water to cementitious material ratio (w/CM) of 0.60 was used together with a superplasticizer (SP). Setting times and compressive strength of grouts were also determined as part of the experimental study. Test results indicated that the rheological properties of cement-based grouts were significantly affected by the replacement rate and the fineness of natural zeolite. The replacement rate of cement by natural zeolite for a constant SP content significantly increased the yield stress and apparent and plastic viscosities, and reduced the fluidity and deformability of the cement-based grouts. Moreover, incorporation of a fine natural zeolite resulted in a further decrease in the rheological and workability properties of grouts. With an increase in the dosage of SP, both yield stress and plastic viscosity decreased significantly. Grouts made with natural zeolite also showed pseudoplastic behavior, and shear thinning increased with the increase of zeolite amount and fineness. Test results also indicated that the natural zeolite with different fineness had a marked effect on the setting time and compressive strength of grout mixtures. Therefore, the use of natural zeolite confirms that grouts with satisfactory rheological and mechanical properties can be successfully obtained.

Several bridge columns, in which concrete was delaminated as a result of steel corrosion, were repaired in the mid 1990s. Different types of grout, including one based on expansive cement, were used to rebuild the damaged columns to their original shape; the columns were then wrapped with glass-fibre-reinforced polymers (GFRPs). The associated lab study indicated that the observed damage caused a reduction of about 20% in the axial-load-carrying capacity of the columns and much larger reductions in ductility and energy-dissipating capacity. The experimental results also showed that the strength and ductility of the columns could be recovered by repairing them with GFRP. Long-term monitoring of three columns repaired in the field using GFRP has indicated their excellent performance. No deterioration has been observed in the fibre-reinforced polymer or in the columns in more than 10 years. Monitoring has also shown a reduction in the rate and associated risk of corrosion over time; thus, this is a more durable retrofitting technique than traditional ones, such as steel jacketing.Key words: concrete, columns, corrosion, cyclic loading, ductility, expansive cement, glass-fibre-reinforced polymers, monitoring, repair, strength.

Grout-type transverse joints between precast concrete slabs were tested to study their static and fatigue behaviours. The tests were performed with loading equipment especially designed and constructed in the laboratory to introduce shear force on the joints of the test specimens. The aim of this study was to improve the shear and fatigue strength of grout-type transverse joints by identifying the effects of prestressing the specimens. The results indicated that longitudinal prestressing was an effective method to increase both the shear and fatigue strengths of grout-type transverse joints. Rational methods to estimate the cracking and ultimate loads for grout-type transverse joints are proposed based on the static loading tests. An estimation of the fatigue strength with respect to the amount of prestress is also suggested to aid in design of the grout-type transverse joint.Key words: grout-type transverse joints, precast concrete slabs, shear and fatigue strength, prestressing.

Three-dimensional finite element models of unreinforced hollow concrete masonry walls with one-course bond beams subjected to concentrated loading have been analyzed. The walls were modelled with different loading plate sizes, different loading locations along the wall (at the midpoint of the wall, at the end of the wall, and between these points), and different out-of-plane eccentricities (e = 0, t/6, and t/3). The hollow block units, mortar, grout, and bond beam blocks in the walls were modelled separately. Both smeared and discrete cracking methods have been utilized for predicting cracking under load. Geometric and material nonlinearities and damage due to progressive cracking were taken into account in the analyses. The predicted failure modes and ultimate capacities of the walls with the concentric concentrated load applied at the midpoint or at the end of the wall compared very well with the experimental results. When the load was between the midpoint and the end of the wall, the predicted ultimate capacity was between those for the load at the midpoint and at the end. The strength of the walls decreases with increasing out-of-plane eccentricities.Key words: finite element models, hollow masonry, smeared and discrete cracking models, concentrated load, loading locations, out-of-plane eccentricities.

An experimental programme was performed to study the behaviour of hollow concrete masonry wallettes with bond beams and vertical columns of grout subjected to concentrated loads. Forty-three wallettes were tested, with concentrated loads being applied either concentrically or eccentrically, through various-sized loading plates above the grout columns or on the bond beams above the hollow blocks. When the concentrated load was applied above the grout columns, the face shells of the hollow block units attached to the grout columns split and the columns subsequently crushed. When the load was applied on the bond beams, wallettes failed similarly to hollow masonry walls without vertical columns of grout, with web splitting and vertical cracking in line with the load, followed by face-shell spalling and (or) mortar crushing. When the eccentricity was one third of the wall thickness, failure was dominated by local spalling beneath the loading plate. The testing programme and mechanisms of failure are described, together with strength variation with increasing eccentricity, and dispersion of the concentrated load through the bond beam. General implications for the design of hollow concrete masonry with bond beams and vertical columns of grout subjected to concentrated loads are discussed.Key words: hollow concrete masonry, bond beam, grout columns, concentrated load, concentric, eccentric.

Rehabilitation of a watermain by grouted sliplining is usually carried out when the existing pipe is only partially deteriorated. Although designs that neglect the structural contributions from the existing pipe and the grout are generally conservative, the performance of the rehabilitated pipe needs to be better understood for effective design and management of buried water pipes. Presented in this paper is a practical method for the determination of load sharing and circumferential stresses in a sliplined pressure pipe. The laboratory tests show that the load carrying capacity of a cast iron pipe increases substantially after it is sliplined and grouted. Results also indicate that the eccentricity between the host pipe and the inserted pipe and the direction of eccentricity have an impact on the rupture load of the sliplined pipe. The effects of the host pipe wall thickness and the grout strength are also discussed. Although the method is based on a pressurized watermain, it can be used to assess the load carrying capacity of a non-pressurized pipe such as a sewer pipe. The use of this method is demonstrated through an example.Key words: performance, sliplining, watermain, circumferential stress, load sharing, grout, service life.

Several masonry structures, built over the past centuries, have to be restored to ensure their structural integrity and their conservation. Important research and development projects have been initiated by Public Works and Government Services Canada to rehabilitate some of these structures, such as the Rideau canal locks, by using a cement-based grouting technique. By following grouting pressures and flow rates, the stability of the structure is protected and the efficiency to fill openings is assured by using microfine cement-based grouts with admixtures. However, cement grout penetration cannot be observed with precision during the injection. The project described in this paper presents the grouting treatment of a Rideau canal lock sill wall that had to be demolished and reconstructed. The penetration of two different grout mixes was observed by removing the front row of blocks, piece by piece. A second phase of this study was conducted in the laboratory to compare the penetration of different grouts in a reconstructed granular material which simulated the lock's interior walls.Key words: restoration, masonry, grouting, groutability, cement grout, colloidal agent.

As part of the La Grande complex, in northern Québec, the development of the LG-1 hydroelectric project required the construction of a 2444 m long dyke on the north shore. The presence of a wide sensitive marine clay terrace covered with deltaic and river sand and silt deposits called for several design features, including the construction of a cement-bentonite cutoff through the sand and silt deposits on the terrace. This paper describes the different construction phases of the cement-bentonite cutoff with emphasis on excavation procedure and quality control.Key words: bentonite, cement, construction, cutoff, excavation, slurry trench.

Concentrated loads are one of the most common types of load applied to masonry walls. Concentrated loads occur under beams, trusses, and joists resting on a bearing wall ; they could also occur from the prestressing anchorages of a post-tensioned masonry wall. The current typical design detail of grouting some of the blocks in hollow concrete masonry beneath the concentrated load increases the bearing capacity of the wall. However, the present configuration of grouting is empirical, not being supported by any analytic procedure or published experimental data, despite the fact that it actually does improve the bearing capacity of the wall. An experimental investigation into the effect of grouting on the bearing capacity of hollow concrete masonry walls is described. A grout configuration is proposed, supported by a previous numerical analysis, which improves the bearing capacity of the wall beyond that obtained with the current pattern. The effect of the concentrated load location with respect to the block geometry on the wall capacity was also studied. The strength enhancement factors for the zone directly under the concentrated load are given for the walls analyzed. Recommendations for both the best location of the load with respect to the block geometry and grout configuration beneath the load are provided.

The paper discusses the application of a transient pressure pulse technique for the laboratory evaluation of the permeability characteristics of a cementitious grout material with a relatively low permeability. The experimentation involves the internal pressurization of a cylindrical grout specimen with a concentric circular cavity. The time-dependent decay of the fluid pressure within the cavity is used as the basis for the computation of the permeability of the grout. The paper presents details of the experimental methodologies and the mathematical procedures which are used to evaluate the permeability. The results of a series of radial flow pressure pulse tests are used to ascertain the permeability characteristics of a cementitious grout.

Many parameters affect the behaviour and failure of face-shell bedded hollow masonry subject to concentrated load. Detailed study of these parameters is needed to develop realistic design rules for this situation. The effects of loaded length and wall dimensions on capacity of the face-shell bedded hollow masonry subject to concentrated load are studied; the effect of mortar joint strength is also evaluated. The current design detail of filling some of the blocks under the concentrated load with grout is reviewed. The study was performed with a nonlinear elastoplastic finite element model that takes into account geometric and material nonlinearities as well as damage due to progressive cracking. The methodology, when combined with substructuring, allows analysis of substantially larger walls than would more typical three-dimensional analyses. The results indicate that the length of the loading plate is the significant parameter for load capacity. A possible design equation for plain hollow masonry subject to concentrated loads, concentric across the width of the wall, is provided. Adjustments could be made given the precise loading detail specified. Improvement details are explained. Key words: masonry, hollow concrete masonry, finite element modelling, cracking, failure, strength-enhancement factor, concentrated loads.

A nonlinear three-dimensional finite element model was developed to study the complex behavior of ungrouted and grouted concrete block masonry prisms under axial compression. The model detects crack initiation and traces crack propagation in the masonry assemblage. Variable strengths for blocks, mortar, and grout were used to study the effect of the mechanical properties of prism constituents, and their combinations, on the prism strength and modulus of elasticity. The effect of the number of courses was also investigated. The results of the finite element analysis were used to develop simplified relationships to predict prism strength and modulus of elasticity. Good agreement was observed between the available experimental data and the predicted prism strengths. Key words: compressive strength, concrete blocks, failure modes, finite element, masonry, modulus of elasticity, prisms.

LG-1 hydroelectric project, part of La Grande Complex in northern Quebec, required the construction of a 2444 m long dyke on the north bank. The presence of sensitive marine clay, with deltaic and river sand and silt deposits on top of the clay in the central terrace, called for special design features. These included the construction of a dyke with side berms in a depression to ensure stability and the construction of a cement–bentonite cutoff through the sand and silt deposits of the terrace. This paper describes the different phases of dyke construction with emphasis on foundation treatment and construction techniques. Key words: bentonite, cement, clay, construction, cutoff, dyke, excavation, foundation, slurry, trench.

A grout for use in pile installation in permafrost is described. The high alumina cement (Ciment Fondu) based grout cures by rapidly evolving heat which maintains it above 0 °C until it hydrates and hardens. The laboratory development program of the mix design along with the cement admixtures which allows the grout to cure at temperatures as low as −10 °C and to remain workable during field use is reviewed. The development of installation procedures for the grout during construction of short range radar foundations is described along with field measurements of the compressive strength and the temperature profiles of the grout after placement in permafrost as cold as −14 °C. The Ciment Fondu grout performed according to the design requirement of hardening without freezing in permafrost colder than −10 °C during the installation of about 2000 piles for part of the short range radar project. Key words: permafrost, grout, laboratory, field, installation procedure, mix design.

During summer, it is possible to inject Portland cement grout in the Arctic because there is a layer of unfrozen rock surface which is approximately 2 m deep. During the month of August, the temperature of the unfrozen rock layer reaches +5 °C at a depth of 1 m, which allows the Portland cement to harden in good conditions and to acquire its full strength.After 7 days, the mean shear strength to failure at the rod–group contact, determined when the anchorages were pulled out, was 10 MPa. After 1 year, this strength was close to 20 MPa. These results are similar to those recorded in Sherbrooke for the same grout formulas. Key words: anchorage, cement grout, rock, Arctic, tearing off. [Journal translation]

Grouts in post-tensioning ducts can cause cracking of the structural member if the grout freezes at an early age. This laboratory program examines a range of cement–water grouts with differing w/c ratios, air contents, and ages. A new empirical test method employing a test bottle was introduced to study the performance of grouts during early freezing.It was determined using the bottle method and other experimental and analytical procedures that excessive grout dilation during early freezing could be avoided if the entrained air content of the grout exceeded[Formula: see text]where w/c is the original water-to-cement ratio of the grout and M is the fraction of the cement that has hydrated before the grout freezes.