MODELIZATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE FILTRATI ON OF FLOWABLE FILLS

In most applications the fundamental requirements of a flowable backfi ll are that it can be poured or pumped into voids in a structure or th e interstices of another material and that it will set as a coherent m ass which fills the entire space. The fresh properties of grouts are p ossibly more important than the workability of concrete as the filled region will usually be inaccessible to visual inspection. Thus, in bac kfill specifications much emphasis tends to be placed on now behaviour and bleeding prior to set. In the present study, the filtration of fl owable fills is analyzed and modelized. A physical parameter is define d which allows the characterization of the pumpability of fills and th eir water retention.