Geotechnical News • September 2015
29
THE GROUT LINE
somewhat controversial issue of who
should receive and own, the original
computer input files.
And the most contentious issue contin-
ues, what is the optimum way to grout
rock? Amenability; GIN; Aperture
Controlled; Apparent Lugeon, which
is best? The various offerings (and
sometimes strong opinions) appear-
ing in The Grout Line have provided
us with much food for thought, and
even more significantly, the ability
to better understand the mechanisms
involved. Though controversial, this is
good!!!..... we are all a little smarter,
as a result!
Unlike in earlier times, grouting is
now more often viewed as the science
it is; not as some form of black magic
which only the gifted promoters could
perform. The Grout Line has been
instrumental in spreading the word.
The Colorado School of Mines week
long Short Course on Grouting con-
tinues to educate our industry. This is
the only exhaustive training available
in the grouting industry, and in its 36th
year this past June, had 115 registrants
from 12 different countries, on five
different continents. The Grout Line
has regularly supported and reported
on its progress.
But.... what has not changed? Paolo
is still begging for articles, news, and
other material of interest to grout-
ers. So let us continue to supply him
with our ideas, opinions, and experi-
ences. For with such open discussion,
(even contrary opinion), we can better
understand and improve the work we
do. This is noble, and will benefit not
just grouters, but all mankind!
I use this special episode to share
with you the complete list of articles
published in these ten years. And of
course thanks to all the authors who
have helped me in keeping alive this
department of our very interesting,
competitive and quite often, argumen-
tative industry.
THANKS to everybody!
Ode to Grout
Michael Byle
Oh that grout, that marvelous goo;
You’d be surprised at the things it can do.
You can pat it and poke it and splash it like mud;
But there are many more things you can do with this crud.
You can glue up your dirt and make it real strong.
You can plug up those holes that have been leaking so long.
You can cause it to gel, or just let it flow;
There is almost no limit to the places it’ll go.
What else you may ask can we do with this stuff?
I can tell you much more ‘til you cry “Enough!”
You can pour it, or jet it, or pump it you know;
With packers, and sleeve ports, or in open hole.
You can make it so thick that it really won’t flow,
But compacts the ground if you pump it real slow.
With special ingredients that make up this goo;
There is almost no limit to the things it’ll do.
When you have fine fractures or soil to fill,
Chemical grouting may just fit the bill.
Some grouts are so thin that like water they flow.
Others much thicker, expand as they go.
You can mix them and blend them for all that they’re worth,
And then perform magic under the earth.
Fixing cracked pipes, or sealing a leak
There’s almost no limit to grouting’s mystique.
There’s more, much more to this marvelous goo.
It can do most anything you want it to.
For construction that’s new or fixing what’s old,
There’s nothing much better than this liquid gold.
Whether fixing your piles, or sealing your dam,
Grouting can do it as slick as canned Spam.
Creating a curtain or fixing a wall,
Grouting can do it in no time at all.
No matter the problem, no matter the cause,
Think about grouting to mend any flaws.
For this little treatise I’d like to point out,
That this only applies to underground grout.
While grouting above, we likely can do,
We have to leave something for those builders to do.
Think about grouting when ideas are few;
Because there is almost no limit to what this goo can do.
