Methodology for remediation grouting in embankment dams -grouting with a new type of non-hardening grout

The core soil of an embankment dam can be exposed to deteriorating processes, i.e., different kinds of internal erosion due to high hydraulic gradients, disadvantageous particle size distribu-tion, too coarse-grained filters or built-in defects. During internal erosion, fines from the core soil are washed out by the seepage, decreasing the impervious properties of the core. If the internal erosion process is discovered in time, drilling and grouting can be performed to stop the erosion. During drilling and grouting, eroded material from the core soil is replaced. In this paper, the methodology: “Identification – Localization – Characterization – Remediation” has been proposed. The methodology was tested on a large-scale embankment dam in a laboratory environment. The dam had a central core of moraine and was built inside a watertight concrete structure so a reservoir of water could be created upstream the dam. The left abutment of the dam had higher seepage rates than the rest of the dam and therefore had to be remediated. During the identification and localization phase, a 10 x 10 cm horizontal, high hydraulic conduc-tivity zone through the core soil was identified and localized at the left abutment at 1 m depth. During drilling at the abutment, it was found that the core soil beneath the damage had become more wet compared to when built. The remedial method used was compaction grouting with a new developed type of non-hardening grout material. The grouting pressures equaled the height of the vertical grout material column with an additional pressure of ~50 kPa to compensate for frictional losses during injection. The grout material was delivered via a novel pipe system where water and air were allowed to be drained. The seepage was lowered by 44 % directly after grout-ing and 60% four months after grouting.