Grouting – For Groundwater Control And Mitigation Of Ground Movements

Tunnelling through soft ground or broken rock is extremely difficult; and this is exacerbated by the presence of water. Tunnelling through soft ground or beneath sensitive sediments in an urban environment may cause unacceptable ground movements that create problems for surface or near surface structures. Such problems are typically overcome by grouting. Whilst grouting may not be the answer to everything, the development of our knowledge and understanding of grouting and ground improvement has enabled us to provide better controls and allow urban tunnelling to expand.

This paper will discuss the development of grouting techniques and the application of these techniques from the author’s experience in Australia and around the world.