Effects of High CaO Fly Ash and Sulfate Activator as a Finer Binder for Cementless Grouting Material

The effects or high CaO fly ash and sulfate activator on cementless grouting material were investigated through Labiles Waterglass (LW) grouting applied at an actual construction field. Circulating fluidized bed combustion ash was used as CaO fly ash, and petro cokes desulfurization gypsum was used as sulfate activator. Cementless grouting material (CGM) could decrease the gel time by about 16.7% compared with ordinary Portland cement (OPC). This characteristic improved the average daily workload and construction period per meter by about 13.5% with CGM. Furthermore, when constructing 1000 holes of LW grouting, the construction time could be reduced by 19 days (20% of the total construction period of LW grouting). Meanwhile, CGM could increase the homogel strength by about 48.4% after 28 days compared with OPC. After X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscope analysis, CGM was found to produce cement hydrate by chemical reaction mechanism of high CaO fly ash and sulfate activator, even though cement was not used. The matrix structure properties of CGM and OPC specimens were similar, but CGM, with 134.3% fineness, exhibited higher compressive strength and lower air permeability than OPC. As a result, CGM could reduce the leakage length per square meter by 74.4% compared with OPC. Using CGM as a substitute for OPC in LW grouting in actual sites could be beneficial in terms of securing construction speed and durability, as well as reducing CO(2) emissions due to reduction of OPC usage.