A failure associated with steel corrosion was identified in early 2011 in a bridge external post-tensioned tendon, approximately eight years after construction. Large voids in the grout and pockets of non-homogeneous material were identified. The non-homogeneous grout was characterized by high moisture content, and in most cases, the chloride content was lower than conservative threshold values. The non-homogeneous grout also had high pH and high content of sulfates (approximately in the range of 10,000-ppm). As a result, there was an interest in the study of possible corrosion development in repaired systems in which the affected tendons have been re-grouted with dissimilar grouts. The presence of two distinct grouting materials, manifested by the existing/simulated base grout and a newly introduced repair grout, provided the dissimilar grout condition studied. Corrosion activity was monitored in un-stressed mock up assemblies, in sections retrieved from the failed tendon, and in samples immersed in simulated pore solution. Corrosion activity was monitored through macrocell current, linear polarization resistance, open circuit potential, potentiodynamic scans, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Samples in simulated pore solutions were studied at various pH levels and constituent concentrations. All samples were repaired or built with commercially available grouts. After analysis, no evidence of corrosion development was found when both existing and repair grout were free of material deficiencies. Corrosion activity was noted in the presence of nonhomogeneous grout and an increase in rate was observed due to macrocell coupling with sections containing normal grout. Results suggest that early exposure to sulfate to hydroxyl ion ratio as low 0.35 may prevent steel passivation and result in early high corrosion rates. Otherwise, sulfate to hydroxyl ratios as high as three may not be sufficient to initiate corrosion after formation of passive layer.

The increasing volume of waste of all kinds is currently a phenomenon of economically developed society and one of the problems of environmental protection. It is therefore imperative, in the interest of sustainable development, to monitor impacts related to the impact on our ecology, to regulate waste production by legislation and universally promote their reuse and recycling. Construction and demolition waste occupy a significant share of the total waste volume. This category also includes excavated soils. Recycling of these materials could significantly reduce the amount of landfilled waste and at the same time, these materials could be used as an important source of secondary raw materials. The doctoral thesis describes the research and development of the new technology of reuse soils in the form of self-compacting grouts. The result of the solution will be a suspension of optimal rheological properties, providing a perfect leaking around the stored utility networks. Emphasis will be placed on the study of the interaction of different types of soils with the stabilizers, flowable or plasticizing additives and its typical dispersible substance, including verification of the developed technology in situ.

The main goal of the grouting is to seal the fractures in the rock mass,improve the strength properties of the rock mass and decrease deformability. However,the overuse of the grouting should be avoided due mainly to economic reasons,optimizing the project time and sometimes severe environmental issues.Insufficient grout spread can cause worse sealing results and decreasedurability. To control the process of grouting and predict the penetrationlength an analytical solution called Real Time Grouting Control theory (RTGC) hasbeen developed. This thesis aimed to evaluate RTGC theory on the equipmentrepresenting a one-dimensional model of a fracture called Varying Aperture LongSlot - VALS. The evaluation was based on a comparison between the calculated(predicted) penetration length according to RTGC theory and the realpenetration obtained in the experiments. Results of the tests show that the RTGCtheory is a good tool to predict the penetration length of the grout at thejoints with apertures close to the hydraulic apertures. At the apertures,significantly less than the hydraulic aperture, the results of the test andRTGC theory differ a lot.

Yes / This paper investigates the effect of cement based grout rheology on the injection process through coarse aggregate for producing preplaced aggregate concrete. Four different sands were used in the grout production at different water-cement ratios and cement-sand ratios. Superplasticiers and pulverised fuel ash were also employed in the grout production. Coarse aggregate of known weight was compacted into 150 mm cubic forms, and then the grout was injected through a plastic pipe under self weight into the stone ‘skeleton’. It has been found that there are threshold values of the rheological parameters beyond which full injection is not possible. In particular, all grout mixes with and without additives and admixtures exhibited the same yield stress threshold value for full injection, whereas the threshold values for other rheological properties including the grout plastic viscosity, flow time and speed were different according to the materials added to the mix.

Le boulonnage et le câblage à ancrage réparti sont deux techniques de renforcement du terrain couramment utilisées dans l'industrie minière et dans le génie civil. Au fil de cette recherche, on s'intéresse à la réponse de ces éléments sous des sollicitations axiales de traction, en régime statique. Dans ces conditions, l'expérience montre que la rupture se produit le plus fréquemment à l'interface barre-scellement via un processus de décohésion qui commence dès que la force sur la barre atteint une valeur limite. L'objectif est de mieux comprendre le comportement de cette interface, avant et après rupture. Premièrement, on revoit l'état de l'art afin de comprendre le travail effectué et les aspects non maîtrisés à ce jour. Deuxièmement, on décrit des outils analytiques qui permettent de comprendre la réponse d'un boulon ou d'un câble à ancrage réparti soumis à une force de traction. Ensuite, on présente les études expérimentales menées en laboratoire et in situ. Des essais d'arrachement ont été effectués pour déterminer les principaux facteurs qui régissent la réponse de l'interface. Finalement, on analyse les résultats des essais effectués en laboratoire sur les boulons. Après l'obtention des variables nécessaires, on propose un modèle semi-empirique d'interface, qui devra être validé par des essais complémentaires. Cette perspective et d'autres améliorations sont également présentées. / Rockbolting and cablebolting are two ground reinforcement techniques broadly used in civil and mining engineering. This research focuses on the behaviour of fully grouted bolts subjected to tensile axial loads, in static conditions. Under these circumstances, experience throughout the world proves that failure usually takes place at the bolt-grout interface via a decoupling process that starts if the load on the bolt exceeds a critical value. The objective is to gain more insight into the behaviour of this interface, before and after failure. First, the state-of-the-art is presented to understand the existing advances and to identify the lacking aspects. Secondly, analytical tools that help understand the response of a fully grouted bolt subjected to a tensile load are described. Then, the field and laboratory experimental campaigns are exposed. Pull-out tests have been conducted to determine the most influencing parameters on the interface behaviour. Finally, the laboratory results on rockbolts are analyzed. Once the necessary variables are obtained, a semi-empirical interface behaviour model is proposed. The further evaluation of this model and other improvements are suggested as perspectives of evolution.

Ancoragens são muito utilizadas na estabilização do maciço rochoso pela rapidez e baixo custo, embora sua análise não seja completamente entendida devido à interação de diferentes materiais como rocha, graute e aço. Este documento apresenta os resultados de um estudo realizado em juntas lisas reforçadas com ancoragens. Foram ensaiadas ancoragens com barras de diferentes diâmetros e diferentes orientações em relação ao plano da descontinuidade. Os ensaios realizados para avaliar o comportamento deste tipo de reforço foram o ensaio de arrancamento em tubo duplo e o ensaio de cisalhamento em juntas lisas reforçadas. Os ensaios de arrancamento em tubo duplo demonstraram que a resistência ao arrancamento é dependente da resistência à tração da barra. As deformações internas no sistema foram idealizadas através da obtenção de um comprimento livre hipotético de uma barra livre submetida a tração. Nos ensaios de cisalhamento, avaliou-se a melhora da resistência ao cisalhamento de descontinuidades lisas reforçadas com barras ancoradas. Observaram-se dois picos de carga mobilizada antes da ruptura do sistema no caso de barras perpendiculares ao plano da descontinuidade. Este fato introduz significativa ductilidade ao sistema e é importante do ponto de vista de confiabilidade do sistema. A ruptura das ancoragens se produz devido a uma combinação de efeitos de tração, flexão, e cortantes. Os sistemas reforçados com áreas maiores de aço apresentaram maior ductilidade, e, portanto oferecem maior segurança. Os resultados sugerem que uma vez superado o comprimento mínimo ancorado a ruptura das ancoragens acontecerá por ruptura das barras de aço e não por aderência na interface barra-graute, concluindo-se que a resistência das ancoragens é dependente da resistência de ruptura e da área de aço utilizada. Finalmente, esta pesquisa contribui ao entendimento dos mecanismos de ruína que acontecem num maciço reforçado com ancoragens. / Rock anchors are widely used to stabilize rock masses due to their rapid installation and low cost. Their behavior is not fully understood because of the interaction of different elements such as rock, grout and steel. This document presents the results of both pull-out and shear tests on steel bar reinforced discontinuities. Tests were carried out with different diameters and orientations of bars with respect to the discontinuity plane. Double-pipe pullout tests and smooth-joint anchor-reinforced shear tests were performed. The results of double-pipe pull-out tests were analyzed in terms of both strength and deformations. Internal strains were idealized through a model based on hypothetical length of a free bar. In the smooth-joint anchor-reinforced shear tests, both increase in shear strength and ductility were evaluated. Two load peaks were observed in test with bars perpendicular to the joint plane. Ductility is significantly increased with respect to joints reinforced with inclined bars. This is important for reliability evaluation. The failure of anchors is produced by a combination of tensile, bending, and shear internal forces. The systems reinforced with a greater amount of steel presented more ductile behavior than those less reinforced. The results suggest that since the minimum anchor length is exceeded, the system failure is governed by the rebar failure and not by the adhesion in the rebar-grout interface. From this, it is concluded that the anchor strength is dependent on the strength and cross section area of the rebar. Finally, this research contributes to better understanding of the failure mechanisms of anchor-reinforced rock masses.

Universidade Federal de Uberlândia / Este trabalho é relativo a uma investigação experimental sobre reforço à flexão de vigas de concreto armado e a influência de um tipo de conector. O programa experimental foi constituído de 8 conjuntos de blocos de concreto e de 15 vigas. Os blocos para ensaios de cisalhamento direto com seção transversal de 15 cm x 15 cm, sendo 4 conjuntos sem conectores e 4 com conectores. As vigas para ensaio à flexão possuíam seções transversais de 12 cm x 22 cm e comprimento de 200 cm, distribuídas em três séries de ensaio, cada uma envolvendo cinco vigas: 5 vigas utilizadas para referência, ou seja, sem reforço, 10 vigas reforçadas com superfície do substrato de textura escovada, sendo 5 delas com conectores metálicos colados no substrato. Para a confecção das vigas foi utilizado concreto usinado auto adensável de 20 MPa, 2ø12,5 mm na armadura longitudinal inferior e 2ø5 mm na armadura longitudinal superior. Os estribos foram de ø5 mm, espaçados a cada 10 cm. As vigas foram submetidas à aplicação de uma força aplicada em dois pontos, distantes de 60 cm dos apoios. Previamente a ruptura e ao serviço de reforço, todas as vigas foram submetidas à carga de projeto até a estabilização de flecha, posteriormente, a carga foi reduzida para 80 % sendo executado o reforço e finalmente ensaiadas até a ruptura. O reforço foi composto do acréscimo de 5 cm de graute nas laterais e fundo da viga em uma extensão de 140 cm, simetricamente ao centro do vão. As armaduras acrescentadas foram similares a existente na viga. A força aplicada, os deslocamentos, as deformações no aço e no concreto foram medidas. Nos ensaios de cisalhamento direto em blocos, os conectores contribuíram para o aumento da tensão média de ruptura em 70,8%. As vigas de referência romperam por flexão com cargas próximas às calculadas. Pelos resultados, o reforço à flexão foi eficiente, elevando a capacidade portante em 44 % e mudou o mecanismo de ruptura para cisalhamento no trecho sem reforço. Nas vigas com conectores o aumento foi de 47%, somente um pouco superior, pois eles não foram totalmente solicitados. / This work is based on an experimental investigation of reinforced concrete beams strengthened to flexure and the influence of a type of connector. The experimental program consisted of 8 sets of concrete blocks and 15 beams. The blocks used in shear tests with cross section of 15 cm x 15 cm, 4 sets without connectors and 4 with connectors. The beams for flexure testing had cross sections of 12 cm x 22 cm and length of 200 cm, divided in three series of the tests, each involving five beams: 5 beams was used for reference, that is, without reinforcement. 10 beams reinforced with surface brushed texture substrate, 5 of them with metal connectors bonded to the substrate. Beams were made with self-compacting concrete of 20 MPa, 2ø12,5 mm to longitudinal bottom reinforcement and 2ø5 mm at longitudinal top. The stirrups were ø5 mm and 10 cm long run. The beams were submitted to four-point load bending test. Previously to the rupture and reinforcement, all the beams were submitted to the project load up to its deflection's stabilization, later, the load was reduced to 80% and executed the reinforcement and finally tested to rupture. The reinforcement was composed of 5 cm grouting increase on the sides and bottom of the beam in a length of 140 cm, symmetrically of the center. The additional reinforcement was similar to the used in the beam. The applied force, the displacement, deformations in steel and in concrete were measured. In direct shear tests in blocks, the connectors contributed to increase in the rupture average stress in 70.8%. The reference beams broken by flexure with loads next to those calculated. The results, the flexure reinforcement was efficient, increasing the load capacity by 44% and changed the rupture mechanism to shear at the unreinforced section. At the beams with connectors the increase was of 47%, a little superior because they had not only been total requested. / Dissertação (Mestrado)

Ancoragens são muito utilizadas na estabilização do maciço rochoso pela rapidez e baixo custo, embora sua análise não seja completamente entendida devido à interação de diferentes materiais como rocha, graute e aço. Este documento apresenta os resultados de um estudo realizado em juntas lisas reforçadas com ancoragens. Foram ensaiadas ancoragens com barras de diferentes diâmetros e diferentes orientações em relação ao plano da descontinuidade. Os ensaios realizados para avaliar o comportamento deste tipo de reforço foram o ensaio de arrancamento em tubo duplo e o ensaio de cisalhamento em juntas lisas reforçadas. Os ensaios de arrancamento em tubo duplo demonstraram que a resistência ao arrancamento é dependente da resistência à tração da barra. As deformações internas no sistema foram idealizadas através da obtenção de um comprimento livre hipotético de uma barra livre submetida a tração. Nos ensaios de cisalhamento, avaliou-se a melhora da resistência ao cisalhamento de descontinuidades lisas reforçadas com barras ancoradas. Observaram-se dois picos de carga mobilizada antes da ruptura do sistema no caso de barras perpendiculares ao plano da descontinuidade. Este fato introduz significativa ductilidade ao sistema e é importante do ponto de vista de confiabilidade do sistema. A ruptura das ancoragens se produz devido a uma combinação de efeitos de tração, flexão, e cortantes. Os sistemas reforçados com áreas maiores de aço apresentaram maior ductilidade, e, portanto oferecem maior segurança. Os resultados sugerem que uma vez superado o comprimento mínimo ancorado a ruptura das ancoragens acontecerá por ruptura das barras de aço e não por aderência na interface barra-graute, concluindo-se que a resistência das ancoragens é dependente da resistência de ruptura e da área de aço utilizada. Finalmente, esta pesquisa contribui ao entendimento dos mecanismos de ruína que acontecem num maciço reforçado com ancoragens. / Rock anchors are widely used to stabilize rock masses due to their rapid installation and low cost. Their behavior is not fully understood because of the interaction of different elements such as rock, grout and steel. This document presents the results of both pull-out and shear tests on steel bar reinforced discontinuities. Tests were carried out with different diameters and orientations of bars with respect to the discontinuity plane. Double-pipe pullout tests and smooth-joint anchor-reinforced shear tests were performed. The results of double-pipe pull-out tests were analyzed in terms of both strength and deformations. Internal strains were idealized through a model based on hypothetical length of a free bar. In the smooth-joint anchor-reinforced shear tests, both increase in shear strength and ductility were evaluated. Two load peaks were observed in test with bars perpendicular to the joint plane. Ductility is significantly increased with respect to joints reinforced with inclined bars. This is important for reliability evaluation. The failure of anchors is produced by a combination of tensile, bending, and shear internal forces. The systems reinforced with a greater amount of steel presented more ductile behavior than those less reinforced. The results suggest that since the minimum anchor length is exceeded, the system failure is governed by the rebar failure and not by the adhesion in the rebar-grout interface. From this, it is concluded that the anchor strength is dependent on the strength and cross section area of the rebar. Finally, this research contributes to better understanding of the failure mechanisms of anchor-reinforced rock masses.

Ce travail s’inscrit dans le cadre du projet Cigéo (Centre industriel de stockage géologique de déchets radioactifs) et a porté sur la valorisation des argilites du Callovo-Oxfordien sous forme de coulis d’injection activé alcalinement. Cette utilisation requiert un liant présentant une importante durée pratique d’utilisation (~24 heures) et une valeur de pH modérée (10-11). Ainsi l’activation thermique de l’argilite a dû être maitrisée afin d’accroitre la réactivité des espèces argileuses tout en limitant la décarbonatation, pour éviter la présence de calcium réactif. Une solution alcaline silicatée potassique, de réactivité modérée (Si/K = 0,70), a été utilisée pour l’activation alcaline des argilites calcinées. Afin de développer le coulis, il a été nécessaire de favoriser la réactivité de l’argilite par addition de métakaolin et d’incorporer des additifs à base de bore. Un coulis dont les caractéristiques correspondent à celles visées a ainsi été obtenu. Enfin, une étude du liant dans des conditions proches de celles de l’utilisation finale (injection entre la couche géologique d’argilites et le chemisage de déchets radioactifs) a été menée. Pour cela, le liant a été mis en contact avec un bloc d’argilites du Callovo-Oxfordien, à une température de 90 °C (température maximale en condition d’usage). Il a ainsi été mis en évidence qu’à 90 °C le réseau géopolymère se réorganise (intégration du bore dans le réseau et formation éventuelle de zéolite). La mise en contact du liant avec l’argilite géologique a aussi permis d’identifier une diffusion du potassium dans les argilites du Callovo-Oxfordien. / In the context of Cigéo project (geological industrial disposal for radioactive wastes), this work focuses on the valorization of Callovo-Oxfordian argillite by the formulation of an alkali-activated grout. This application required a high setting time (close to 24 hours) and a moderate pH value (10-11). Thus, the argillite thermal treatment has been adapted to alter clays minerals without decomposing carbonate species (to avoid the presence of reactive calcium). A potassium-based silicate solution, with moderated reactivity (Si/K = 0.70), has been used for the alkali-activation step. Concerning the grout formulation, it has been necessary to enhance the argillite reactivity by the insertion of metakaolin and to add boron-based compounds. The resulting grout was in accordance with the specification. Finally, a study of the binder in an environment close to the using conditions (injection between geological layer and a radioactive waste lining) has been investigated. In this aim, the binder has been casted in contact with the geological argillite at 90 °C. It was evidenced a network reorganization at 90 °C (boron integration in the network and possible formation of zeolite). Potassium diffusion from the binder to the argillite has also been observed.

The thesis is aimed at deepening knowledge about the design and use of open-graded asphalt concrete filled with a special cement grout. The first part is the issue discussed theoretically with reference to the real possibility of practical application, a description of the various manufacturers and their patented technologies. The second part of this work is devoted to assess the resistance of this technology to chemical de-icing agents.