Research and Development of Cement-Based Dynamic Water Grouting Material for the CSM Construction Method

Cutter soil mixing (CSM) is a widely adopted construction technique for forming waterproof diaphragm walls in underground engineering. However, cement slurry is prone to dispersion loss and performance degradation in moving water, making it difficult to meet engineering requirements. In this study, based on the characteristics of the CSM method in dynamic water environments, ordinary Portland cement is used as the main material, and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), redispersible latex powder, polypropylene fiber and a polyether defoamer are added to improve it. The influence of each component on the performance of the new material is investigated, and a new CSM material suitable for dynamic water environments is developed. The material has good stability and suitable fluidity, controllable setting time, good anti-dispersion performance in dynamic water. The optimal mix ratio is as follows: water-cement ratio of 1; HPMC 1.4%; redispersible latex powder 3%; polypropylene fiber 0.4%; and polyether defoamer 0.8%. Field tests show that the new grouting material applied to CSM waterproof curtain construction results in a leak-free wall with excellent waterproofing performance, which verifies its engineering feasibility and provides a technical reference for the application of the CSM method in dynamic water environments.