Status of grouting to reduce groundwater inflow into deep shafts and galleries in the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory, Japan

Sato, Toshinori  ; Mikake, Shinichiro ; Kobayashi, Shinji*; Tsuji, Masakuni*

Japan Atomic Energy Agency is operating Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory project focusing on crystalline rock. Grouting for reducing water inflow is an essential countermeasure technology utilized during construction of underground facilities. Pre-excavation grouting and post-excavation grouting using Ordinary Portland cement, super-fine Portland cement and liquid-type colloidal silica were performed to investigate their performance as countermeasures for reducing groundwater inflow at many locations in the shafts and galleries in the laboratory. The results show that pre-excavation grouting successfully attained the target hydraulic conductivity of 2 Lu for Ordinary Portland cement and 0.2 Lu for super-fine Portland cement using criteria of Lugeon value and changing W/C. Liquid-type colloidal silica was able to drastically lower the hydraulic conductivity of 0.29 Lu and seemed to be stable for water pressures of at least 5 MPa and to be important material used in deep underground.