36
Geotechnical News June 2011
Grout Line
Paolo Gazzarrini
Rock Grouting for Dams and the Need to
Fight Regressive Thinking
Dr. Donald A. Bruce, C.Eng.
Abstract
It is generally recognized, both
nationally and internationally, that rock
grouting theory and practice in North
America has undergone a most positive
revolution during the last decade or
so. Key elements of this progress
have included the development and
use of suites of balanced, stable High
Mobility Grouts (HMG); increasing
use of Low Mobility Grouts (LMG);
new overburden and rock drilling
methods; computer monitoring control
and analysis; and the use of Apparent
Lugeon Theory and Lugeon testing to
assure proper stage refusals and low
residual permeabilities, respectively.
These concepts have been most
strongly implemented on major Federal
dam remediation projects. Also, certain
ERRATA CORRIGE
I could get on that soap box,
but for now will keep that for a
future article. In the mean time, I
hope there is no engineering firm,
contractor,manufacturer or supplier
who feels they are too small or
insignificant to consider attending
any of the industry’s educational
or conference opportunities. I hope
the 2012 ICOG Conference to be
held in New Orleans is at the top
of your list.
I want to thank the “Grout Line”
for giving us a venue for promoting
a focus where we govern ourselves
by an integrity that promotes the
industry as a whole. I, for one, be-
lieve our history is a testament to
the fact that we are doing a good
job of that.
Overture
Another issue of the Grout Line, the
24th, and a very interesting article
from Dr. Donald Bruce related to rock
grouting in dams.
But, before I touch briefly on the
content of Dr. Bruce’s article I need to
express my apologies to Sam Bandi-
mere for a cut/paste mistake in the pre-
vious March 2011 issue of the Grout
Line. The termination of the article
was not correct, a phrase was abruptly
cut and another phrase was missing.
Here is the “real” and complete text
(Sorry Sam, but the computers and
human inattention sometimes can pro-
voke this kind of mistake).
After this due apology I am back to
Dr. Bruce’s article. I don’t think I need
to present the author: Dr. Donald Bruce
is an international consultant, President
of Geosystems, L.P. based in Venetia,
PA
).
He was past Chair of the ASCE-Geo-
Institute Grouting Committee, still a
very active member of this organiza-
tion, and has been an instructor at the
Colorado School of Mines in the An-
nual Grouting Course since 1988. He
is the co-author of the textbooks “Dam
Foundation Grouting” (2007), “Ground
Control and Improvement” (1994),
and the author of the upcoming book,
“Specialty Construction Techniques
for Dam and Levee Remediation: The
U.S. Technology Review.”
The article expresses a very clear
point of view, arguable –in my opin-
ion- in some drastic judgments spe-
cifically about the GIN Method, but
definitely very interesting, and it is my
hope that it will open some construc-
tive discussions that can benefit our
grouting industry. I received it quite
late and I will comment, personally, in
the next September issue. If you have
an opinion about it please send me
your comments. An update about the
2012 Grouting Conference: everything
is proceeding on schedule. All the pa-
pers have been reviewed and we are
expecting a very busy week next year
in New Orleans. Write to: Paolo Gaz-
zarrini, fax 604-913 0106 or
,
or
. Or tweet me @
groutline.
Ciao!
