Laboratory Investigation of Foam Grout Performance under Freeze and Thaw Conditioning

Abstract

Foam grout is a fluid, self-leveling, and lightweight material with excellent load spreading and thermal insulation properties. These properties have contributed to foam grout being considered over its regular cement/water grout counterparts for many projects. Although applied in many successful cases, not much has been done to compare foam and regular grout behavior in cold regions. This research focused on the compressive strength of both materials before and after freeze/thaw cycles. Specimens were cured for different durations in a moisture room and conditioned for diverse freezing/thawing cycles to assess short- and long-term performance. The impact of immediate freezing was also evaluated for both materials. Foam grout’s ability to resist cold environments was explained using test results and visual analysis. At the end of the process, a material cost versus strength analysis was conducted with the intent of providing a reliable source of information when selecting materials to fulfill minimum industry specifications.