Underground cavity remediation using membrane grouting method

Ground collapse may occur around the tunnel when the cavity caused by groundwater runoff cannot resist the surcharge load. Any cavities or subsidence must be managed to avoid dangerous situations by stabilizing the ground through appropriate remedial measures. Trench and trenchless grouting methods can generally be used for the cavity restoration. The trench method is difficult to properly control the injection range and may cause environmental problems due to grout leakage and damages to the adjacent structures due to grouting pressure. In this study, Membrane-grouting method (MGM) is proposed, which, can be an appropriate trenchless grouting method that fills the void tightly and effectively controls the injection range. This method can be an alternative to eliminating the influence of adjacent structures and environmental pollution by inserting a membrane into the cavity and filling the membrane with grout. The membrane blocks the outflow of grout. In addition, it is easy to control the injection pressure to avoid heaving failure. This paper investigates the principle and application of the MGM using a theoretical method, model test and numerical analysis.