• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.301-321
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• 2019

The development of a rapidly hardening seal material applicable to steel pipe multistage grouting is described in this paper. In the multistage technique, seal materials are inserted to prevent the backflow of main grouting material. The grouting material must be inserted only after sufficient time has passed for the seal material to reach a gel state. Otherwise, the fluid seal material mixes with the main grouting material and a backflow of the grouting material occurs, thereby making its in situ insertion difficult. Furthermore, if the seal material remains in the gel state for too long a time, it solidifies; and the main grouting material will not be able to seep into the soil. The gel time, i.e., the time needed for the fluid seal material to turn into a gel state, determines the construction period of steel pipe multistage grouting. The gel time is one of the important factors in this technique, because it impacts the total tunnel construction period significantly. This study develops a rapidly hardening calcium aluminate material, which can reduce the gel time and shorten the construction period while retaining proper sealing function. It also presents a method to determine whether the seal material has reached the gel state as well as the quality standard and bleeding rate testing method for the seal material in the gel state.