Assessment of the Influence of the Type of Filler Materials on the Properties of Cement Grouts

Abstract

Cement grouts have many purposes in various civil engineering applications such as precast construction, soil stabilization and structural rehabilitation. Using filler materials as a component in cement grouts has been increasingly implemented. The incorporation of such fillers not only does improve the fresh and hardened properties of grouts but also contributes to the decarbonization of grouts by reducing the amount of Portland cement, thereby lowering the carbon footprint of grouting materials. This study aims at assessing the influence of various filler materials on the properties of cement grouts. Three different fillers were used in this study: commercial limestone, commercial pure dolomite, dolomitic quarry dust. These fillers were assessed in terms of their effect on the spread, flowability, cohesion and compressive strength at 3, 7 and 28 days. The results show that fresh properties of the grout were dependent on the type of fillers. Dolomitic quarry dust improved the workability and flowability more than the commercial limestone and dolomite did. The compressive strengths of cement grouts did not change significantly with the incorporation of the fillers. However, cement grout samples including quarry dust exhibited slightly higher 28-d compressive strength than other samples although the same mix had lower 1-d compressive strength than other mixes. This study highlights the benefits of utilizing quarry dust in cement-based binders without compromising the performance.