Canal Embankment Stabilization Using Cementitious Slurry Injection

The objective of this paper is to document a residential project in which canal embankment stabilization was performed using injection of cementitious slurry. Concerns about the possible breaching of the embankment between the residential property and the canal were addressed through the implementation of a solution involving injection of a cementitious slurry into a portion of the embankment to fill subsurface voids and bind the soil particles together, with the desired outcomes of decreasing the permeability of the soil and increasing the strength of the embankment. Because the procedure involves improving the existing soil rather than replacing it, continuous functionality of the embankment is ensured during the slurry injection process. A slurry mixture consisting of approximately 60 percent portland cement, 20 percent fly ash, and 20 percent time by weight was batched on site at a minimum water-cementitious materials ratio of 0.50. Plasticizer and hydration stabilizer were added to provide improved consistency and sufficient working time, respectively. While water from the canal will naturally continue to permeate the embankment during each irrigation turn, the injected slurry now restricts and/or controls water movement from the canal into the property.