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International Conference on Case Histories in
Geotechnical Engineering
Robert K. Barrett
TerraTask (MSB Technologies), Grand Junction, Colorado
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927
Proceedings: Fourth International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering, St. Louis, Missouri,
March 9-12, 1998.
Robert K. Barrett
TerraTask (MSB Technologies)
Grand Junction CO USA 81503
ABSTRACT
A three year research project was sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in 1991 to detennine the best materials
and methods for sealing small diameter geotechnical exploratory holes. A key requirement of the research project was to verity the
effectiveness of the in-place seals. Seal verification studies were conducted at two sites, one in the USA and one in Canada. Seals
consisting of various bentonite products and Portland cement were installed and allowed to age. Periodic in situ hydraulic
conductivity tests were performed at the Canadian site. Seal exhumation studies were conducted at the USA site. Upon completion
of the research in 1994-5, hole sealing guidelines were published by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program
(NCHRP). This paper provides an overview of the research project and describes the hole sealing guidelines.
KEYWORDS
Boreholes. Backfilling, Bentonite, Cement, Contamination, Drilling, Exploration, Grouting, Placement, Sealants, Sealing
INTRODUCTION
Geotechnical exploratory holes are drilled to investigate
subsurface conditions. Upon completion they are either
backfilled with native soil cuttings or further deployed for the
installation of instruments such as piezometers. Groundwater
.O.quil"'
928
RESEARCH OUTLINE
The research was conducted in five stages. Stage I involved a
nationwide survey of current practices in hole sealing and
hole abandonment. The results of the survey were used in
Stage 2 to select and test in the laboratory a number of
promising common sealing materials. The materials tested
included a variety of bentonite products from various
manufacturers, Portland cement, and mixtures of the two.
The laboratory test procedures were designed to reflect field
practices. Initial results from Stage 2 were used to select
some promising seals for field verification studies in Stage 3.
Two field verification study sites were selected, one in
Canada and one in the USA The Canadian site was located
near Ottawa in South Gloucester. The USA site was located
on the UMASS campus which has been designated by the
National Science Foundation as a U.S. National Geotechnical
Experimentation Site (NOES). In Stage 4 of the research
program a short video was produced for use as an
introduction to the subject of hole sealing at training seminars
(Black, 1995). The final report (Lutenegger et al., 1995) and
guidelines (NCHRP, 1995) were completed in Stage 5.
Test Category
Physical Properties
Test
Specific Gravity
AUerberg Limits
Grain Size Analyses
Chemical Properties
Carbonate Content
pH
Organic Content
Salinity
Cation Exchange Cap.
Free Swell, Bentonites
vs. Time
Grout Viscosity
vs. Time
Grout Mud Weight
vs.% Solids
Dispersion
Double Hydrometer
Pinhole
Resistivity
vs.% Solids
Hydraulic Conductivity - Various Placements
Seal-Material Compatibility
Soil-Seal System Hydraulic Conductivity
Flexible Wall Hydraulic Conductivity
No.
37
38
38
38
13
13
13
13
22
>20
>25
37
58
30
112
>20
79
6
929
provided in Chapter 5 of the Final Research Report
(Lutenegger eta!., 1995).
FIELD STUDIES
One of the main challenges of the project was to verify !he inplace performance of selected seals. Two distinct methods
were used to meet !his challenge. At the South Gloucester
site, a precision manufactured stainless steel cap was placed
over each seal in order to conduct hydraulic conductivity tests
at various times after seal placement. In situ constant head,
rising head and falling head hydraulic conductivity tests were
performed on these seals over a 2 year period. At the
UMASS NGES site, seals were installed and cured in place
before exhumation and examination under controlled
laboratory conditions.
SURFAC'EOFWORXI!>KO
(iltAVU.MAT
(I'LACEVtlVERGEOTEXTU.E)
OniCINAL
GltOIJNDSURFArn
777777'---
,-zn~'"''c--
!'VC
---I'EAGIU..VEl..
\\'ELO
31.75 rrtn1
:t_
't
6.J'i mm
"y
6.35 mon
I
I
I
i
f'
.:~~
v
I
-I-
I~==---;;:~;-=:==:::;~
<.n mm ~k
-
!42.K5mm!D
ec
g
"
No.
S-1
S-2
S-3
S-4
S-5
S-<i
S-7
S-8
S-9
S-10
Material
Type
Bentonite
Powder
Bentonite
Pellets
Bentonite
Slurry
Cement+Bentonite (2%)
Neat Cement
Grout
Ottawa Sand
(Control)
Bentonite
in soluble bags
Bentonite
Grout
Neat Cement
replicate S-5
Bentonite
Chips
Date installed
1992 06 23
1992 06 23
1992 05 26
1992 05 25
1992 05 25
1992 05 15
1992 06 10
1992 06 10
1992 06 10
1992 05 26
UMASS Site
The stratigraphy at the UMASS site consists of surficial
gravelly and silty sands overlying a deep deposit of varved
clay from a depth of I. 7 m. The clay was deposited in glacial
Lake Hitchcock during the late Pleistocene era. Two series of
tests were conducted at this site. The first series of tests
(Series I) was conducted to investigate the integrity of the
soil-seal interface bond of seals installed and cured in the
field. Series 2 tests were performed to measure the physical
characteristics of the in-place cured seals for comparison with
930
wall tube fixed piston sampler. These sampled seals were
then subjected to laboratory hydraulic conductivity tests,
which were performed on the top and bottom portions of each
seal, using a flexible wall permeameter.
931
McKenna (1995). Recommendations for sealing inclinometer
casings are given in AASHTO (1978b). Properties of fly ash
as a potential sealant have been described by Jabr et al.
(1996). The use of chemical grouts as potential sealant
material has been extensively studied by Karol (1968, 1982,
1983, 1990), but has not been referred to in the literature for
nse in geotechnical borehole sealing.
Thus, even though much research has been done in the past
on the sealing qualities of various materials, the subject of
sealing small diameter geotechnical exploratory holes to
protect the subsurface environment has largely gone
unnoticed, until now. The concerns expressed by most State
DOT's on how best to protect the subsurface environment
before their drilling crews leave a site has resulted in this
research project and the NCHRP guidelines, described below.
NCHRP Guidelines
On the basis of the practice survey, laboratory tests, and field
verification studies, guidelines for sealing geotechnical
exploratory holes were prepared and published by the NCHRP
(1995). The guidelines were written with a lay audience in
mind, and were developed after extensive consultations with
drilling contractors, drill operators and field crew supervisors.
Gct<:lhutU
-\
Oll<>;rnm
H Sf Solods Coo""'
lloclooi1o Grut
--jCcmonL'Bcn.,io< C,.;>~rt
Ca<O!<
H:-o,<nL'h<mor.il< GrnJI
H._
Conor<l<
932
pipe end should be maintained at least 150 mm below !be
level of the grout in the hole.
CONCLUSIONS
Borehole Sealant Selection Chart B
fs'
from l>hin
Se<;;on Chrn ~
B'""'""' ?:lim
or Ch:p Oe'ow
GWT.i'<:O<CB
~
PC PMbnj ("'"'-'
I.
2.
3.
4.
REFERENCES
AASHTO. [1978a].
Manual on Foundation
Investigations. American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials, Highway
Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures.
AASHTO. [1978b]. Standard Method for Installing,
Monitoring and Processing Data of the Travelling
Type Slope Inclinometer. American Association of
State Highway and Transportation Officials, T25478, pp: 941-950.
Artura, C. M. [1992]. Hydraulic conductivity of selected
borehole sealants.
Research Report No. TRB92-396P,
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 200pp.
933
ASTM.
[1993].
Standard
Guide
for
Decommissioning of Ground Water Wells, Vadose
Zone Monitoring Devices, Boreholes, and Other
Devices for Environmental Activities, AS1M
Designation D 5299-92.
American Society for
Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA
[1994].
1985.
934
Lutenegger, A. J., DeGroot, D. J., Mirza, C. and Bozozuk,
M.
[1995]. Sealing Geotechnical Exploratory Holes to
Protect the Subsurface Environment. Final Report HR21-4
submitted to the National Cooperative Highway Research
Program, Transportation Research Board, National Research
Council, Washington, D.C.
Lutenegger, A. J., and DeGroot, D. J. [1995]. Techniques
for sealing cone penetrometer holes. Canadian Geotechnical
Journal, 32 (5): 880-891.
March, R. J. [1994]. Evaluation of dispersive characteristics
of bentonite products. Research Report No. TRB94-413P,
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 95pp.
Moline, T. D. [1992]. Effectiveness of Borehole Seals Using
Rigid Wall Permeameter Tests. Research Report No. TRB92394P, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 125pp.
McKenna, G. T.
[195].
Grouted-in installation of
piezometers in boreholes. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 32
(2): 355-363
NCHRP.
[1995].
Recommended Guidelines for Sealing
Geotechnical Exploratory Holes. National Cooperative
Highway
Research
Program,
NCHRP
Report
378,
Transportation Research Board, National Research Council,
Washington, D.C.
Reyes, M. S. [1985]. Discussion: Piezometer
installation under artesian conditions. Journal of the
Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, Ill:
1349-1351.
Tao, S., Guenter, D. M., and Snodgrass, L. J. [1980].
Design, construction and performance of a
pneumatic seal for crossed system piezometer.
Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 17: 436-439.
Vaughan, P. R. [1969]. A note on sealing piezometers in
boreholes.
Geotechnique,
19: 405-413.
Fourth International Conference
on Case Histories in Geotechnical
Engineering
Missouri University of Science and Technology
http://ICCHGE1984-2013.mst.edu