Cure-on-Demand Acrylamide Grout Using Frontal Polymerization

An acrylamide-based chemical grouting system has been developed that allows users to initiate the curing process on demand. After heating a localized area, the curing reaction propagates through the grout via a process called frontal polymerization. The system was engineered so that the grout would eventually cure without user input, as with current systems. This cure-on-demand technology enables users to work with systems that have a long pot life, but gives them the flexibility to be able to cure sections of grout at different times. By adjusting the amounts of several components, pot lives ranging from a few minutes to 6 h have been achieved. The speed of propagation of the curing front can also be varied, with 2 cm/min as an average rate. The compressive strength of sand grouted with the cure-on-demand system was determined to be four times higher than that of samples prepared using a typical commercially available grout formula. (C) 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.