Standardization News

All interested parties are invited to help develop standards for ASTM International’s subcommittee on grouting, part of the committee on soil and rock (D18). The purpose of the grouting subcommittee (D18.16) is to promote grouting practices by developing specifications and test methods related to the characterization of properties and behavior of chemical and particulate grouts, as well as grouted soil and rock.

John Germaine, chairman of committee D18, notes that the grouting subcommittee has been reactivated after having been disbanded almost 20 years ago. Those with an interest in grouts, drilling muds, cementitious material, and related products are welcome to join the subcommittee as it plans to develop new standards related to structural strength, water flow control, contaminant leakage control, and more.

“Grouting applications span a wide range of civil engineering construction sectors with different types of grouting being used for specific applications,” says Germaine. “The applications for grouting will continue to grow and we need up to date standards to support the industry.”

According to Germaine, the wide range of projects involving grouting includes:

• Compensation;
• Compaction;
• Cutoffs;
• Jet grouting;
• Permeation grouting;
• Karst geology; and,
• Tunneling, both for lining and preconstruction stabilization.

The reactivated subcommittee is planning to develop new standards for bleed test, filter press test for grout stability, in situ cohesion test, and water pressure tests, among others. These tests are regularly performed at construction sites, but without the underpinning of unified testing methods for them.

“Beyond these applications, there is major crossover and common interest between grouting and the oil industry, whether for drilling, formation damage, or wellbore stability,” says Germaine.