To address the material requirements for grouting reinforcement in fine sand strata, a novel silicate-modified polymer two-component grouting material was designed. In this material, the traditional organic polyol component of the two-component polymer was replaced with an inorganic silicate (water glass) component, along with the addition of tertiary amine catalysts, organotin catalysts, water. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to statistically predict the performance of the modified polymer grouting material. The effects of four parameters (two-component mass ratio, tertiary amine catalyst content, organotin catalyst content, and water content) and their interactions on response variables (gelation time, polymer solids strength, cemented body strength) were investigated. Based on a comprehensive consideration of various performance requirements for grouting materials in loose fine sand strata, multi-objective optimization was employed to determine the optimal formulation of the modified polymer grouting material (A/B ratio of 0.85, tertiary amine catalyst at 2.48 %, organotin catalyst at 0.63 %, and water at 1.87 %). A series of experimental tests were conducted to evaluate the material properties of the optimal formulation, and its mechanical performance and microstructural characteristics were compared with those of traditional polymer grouting materials to verify the proposed formation mechanism of the modified polymer. The results demonstrated that the proposed design method effectively determines the optimal grouting material formulation. The optimized modified polymer grouting material exhibited excellent comprehensive performance. Finally, the optimized modified polymer grouting material was applied in a pavement repair project on a of a highway. After grouting, the structural layer's uniform integrity was significantly restored, the damaged areas were effectively repaired, the modified polymer slurry showed good diffusion, and the repair effect was satisfactory, meeting the engineering requirements for grouting in loose fine sand strata.
The alkali-activated composites technique is a promising method for the in situ preparation of cavity filling/grouting materials from engineering waste soil. To investigate the feasibility of engineering waste soil utilization by the alkali activation process, the macroscopic and microscopic properties of the fly ash/slag-based alkali-activated composites, after solidification/stabilization (S/S) with sandy clay excavated at Baishitang Station of Shenzhen Metro, were studied. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test was conducted to evaluate the S/S effect of alkali-activated composites. The results show that the optimum quality ratio of slag and fly ash correspond to 7:3, the modulus of alkaline activator to 1.3, and the alkalinity of alkaline activator to 10%. The alkali-activated composite's strength under these parameters can reach 45.25 MPa at 3 days, 49.85 MPa at 7 days, and 62.33 MPa at 28 days. A maximum 3-day UCS of 21.71 MPa, 75% of the 28-day UCS, was achieved by an engineering waste soil and alkali-activated composites mass ratio of 5:5, slaked lime content of 4.5%, and a water-to-solid ratio of 0.26, and it can also meet the required fluidity and setting time for construction well. Fluidity is primarily affected by the soil-to-binder ratio, which decreases as the ratio decreases, while the water-to-solid ratio increases fluidity. Slaked lime has minimal impact on fluidity. The setting time is mainly influenced by the soil-to-binder ratio, followed by slaked lime content and water-to-solid ratio, with setting time shortening as the soil-to-binder ratio and slaked lime content increase, and lengthening as the water-to-solid ratio increases. Through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) tests, microscopic analysis showed that loose granular units are firmly cemented by alkali-activated composites. Based on the results of on-site grouting tests in karst caves, the alkali-activated grout materials reached a strength of 5.2 MPa 28 days after filling, which is 162.5% of the strength of cement grouting material, satisfying most of the requirements for cavity filling in Shenzhen.