Gelation and Consolidation Characteristics of Cement-Sodium Silicate Grout within Water

Abstract

Cement-sodium silicate grout (CSG) is now widely adopted in water plugging engineering to prevent water inrush disasters, and the gelation and consolidation characteristics of CSG in water environment significantly affect the grouting effect. To obtain an in-depth understanding of the performance of CSG in water, the CSGs with different water-cement ratios and volume ratios were tested, and the gelation properties, the deposition characteristics and the diffusion process of CSG within water were examined. The compressive strength and microstructure of CSG consolidation formed in air and water were also analyzed comparatively. The test results indicate that the CSG consolidation exhibits obvious stratification and segregation phenomena in water, which can be divided into three layers with different substance compositions. The compressive strength of CSG consolidation formed in water is much lower than that of the grout consolidation formed in air, indicating that the water environment has a significant weakening effect on the consolidation properties of CSG. The hydration products and microstructure of CSG consolidation in water change clearly due to the dilution effect of water.

Special Issue “Multiphase Flows and Particle Technology”

“…With a specific focus on the dynamic changes of particles, this research provided theoretical guidance for understanding and optimizing engineering practices in offshore floating platforms. Zejing Huang et al [4] conducted tests on consolidated sand grains (CSG) with different water-to-cement ratios and volume ratios. They studied the gelation characteristics, sedimentation features, and diffusion processes of CSG in water, conducting a comparative analysis of the compressive strength and microscopic structure of CSG consolidation formed in air and water.…”