Computerised grouting design and control

Grouting is a somewhat unique activity in that everything happens out of sight under the ground and visual inspection is impossible while work is in progress; the only proof of success is the full-scale test when the excavations have been dug or the reservoir is filled with water, too late for any modifications to be made to the design. Quality control during the course of the grouting work is therefore vitally important for the safety of the structure being built. Yet the sheer volume of data collected is unmanageable and quickly overwhelms the user—an average-size job involves several hundred boreholes, each one generally comprising a few dozen stages which may themselves be grouted in multiple phases. The total soon represents several thousand individual grouting operations. Anyone who has been involved in a grouting project will retain the sad memory of overflowing shelves of files containing countless shift reports, grouting records, etc., and days or weeks at the drawing board, preparing the summary graphics needed to estimate the ground response and workmanship. Without mentioning the problems of preparing the design in the first place, and abstracting grout quantities, or last-minute amendments to deal with surprise discoveries. This was the challenge which prompted the leading specialist companies to equip themselves with electronic aids which quickly became standard tools in dealing with the requirements of major grouting jobs. They are present at every level of operations, from the initial design (for setting out borehole patterns and calculating grout quantities) to on-site control of the grout pumps and data collection, to verification of the quality of the finished job and work rates. This paper describes the components of the computer system for a typical grouting project.

• 1 Introduction

• 2 Prime areas for computer aid

• 3 Conclusion

• References