Applications

Grout & Flowable Fills

  • Description
  • Tunnel Grout
  • Slipline & Annular Grout
  • Pipe Abandonment
  • Flowable Fills
  • Videos

Compared to heavier grouts, cellular concrete is lightweight and highly fluid, resulting in the following advantages:

  • low pumping pressures,
  • the ability to pump for long distances,
  • minimal shrinkage,
  • easier than conventional fill in winter conditions,
  • low hydrostatic and buoyant forces acting on carrier pipes, and
  • virtually eliminates risk of incomplete filling or plugging of void spaces.

Cellular concrete is routinely used to fill cracks, crevasses, and voids that form around tunnels during the boring process, and to fill around carrier pipes.  Because of its low density, the buoyant and hydrostatic forces exerted on carrier pipes are much less than traditional grouts.  Also, the closed-cell structure of CEMATRIX Cellular Concrete results in a low permeability material that inhibits water flow. 

Case Study

E.L. Smith Water Treatment Plant, Edmonton, Alberta

Culvert relining and other utility projects usually require the annular space between casing and carrier pipe to be filled with grout.  The spaces are often narrow, and multiple pipes may be present.  The low density of cellular concrete results in substantially less buoyant and hydrostatic forces exerted on carrier pipes, and the highly fluid nature of the product ensures complete filling. 

In order to reduce the cost of open cut and removal, it is common practice to abandon below ground pipes in-place.  In order to prevent future subsidence or potential migration of contamination, these pipes must be filled with grout.  Cellular concrete is the ideal choice to quickly and economically abandon these utilities.

Case Study

Anderson Road & Macleod Trail SW, Calgary, Alberta

Cellular concrete is used as flowable fill in many situations, such as:

  • filling voids in areas that are difficult or unsafe to access, or where compaction cannot be performed,
  • backfilling trenches with numerous pipes,
  • alternative to using soil backfill in winter conditions,
  • reinstating support for slabs-on-grade where settlement of underlying soil has occurred,
  • when roadways must be re-opened quickly, and
  • where both void fill and load reduction is required.

Case Study

United Cargo Building, Chicago, Illinois

Featured Videos

Pemberton Tunnel Grouting

Daylighting Cellular Concrete