ASTM D8109-17(2024)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: D8109 − 17 (Reapproved 2024)
Standard Guide for
Waterproofing Repair of Concrete by Chemical Grout Crack
Injection
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D8109; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 2. Referenced Documents
1.1 This guide describes the selection of materials, installa- 2.1 ASTM Standards:
tion methods, and inspection required for sealing leaks at F2304 Practice for Sealing of Sewers Using Chemical
cracks in concrete building walls and slabs using chemical Grouting
grout. The process discussed in this guide is a waterproofing F2414 Practice for Sealing Sewer Manholes Using Chemical
repair in which voids in a concrete element are sealed with a Grouting
reactive solution, installed by pressurized injection through F2454 Practice for Sealing Lateral Connections and lines
drilled or surface-mounted ports. from the mainline Sewer Systems by the Lateral Packer
Method, Using Chemical Grouting
1.2 This guide does not address the use of chemical grout
2.2 International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI):
for waterproofing by curtain grouting or injection into pre-
Guideline No. 340.1 Guide for the Selection of Grouts to
placed permeable waterstop tubes. Injection of masonry ele-
Control Leakage in Concrete Structures
ments presents additional factors beyond the scope of this
2.3 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
guide. This guide does not address the use of injectable
Manual No. 1110-1-3500 Chemical Grouting
materials for structural repairs or for geotechnical applications
2.4 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclama-
such as soil stabilization.
tion:
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded
Leaking Crack Repair Using Chemical Grouts
as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical
conversions to SI units that are provided for information only 3. Terminology
and are not considered standard.
3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the
3.1.1 acrylamide, n—organic solid of white, odorless,
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
acrylic resinous material available in flake-like crystals and in
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
liquid form.
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
3.1.2 acrylate, n—a general term applied to various water-
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
soluble acrylic resinous materials.
1.5 This international standard was developed in accor-
3.1.3 acrylic resin, n—a type of resin polymerized from
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, esters of these acids, or acry-
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
lonitrile.
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website.
1 3
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D08 on Roofing and Available from the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI), 10600 West
Waterproofing and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D08.22 on Water- Higgins Road, Suite 607, Rosemont, IL, 60018, www.icri.org.
proofing and Dampproofing Systems. Available from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2024. Published January 2024. Originally www.publications.usace.army.mil.
approved in 2017. Last previous edition approved in 2017 as D8109 – 17. DOI: Available from U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation,
10.1520/D8109-17R24. www.usbr.gov/research/projects.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D8109 − 17 (2024)
3.1.4 chemical grout, n—injection repair media other than The repair obstructs the infiltration of water at a specific
particulate or cementitious grout that may be multi-component, location only. The flow of water will be diverted elsewhere,
with or without additives, and based on either polyurethane and it is common for water to subsequently appear at a different
resin or acrylic resin. location that was previously dry. A successful campaign at a
given location can significantly reduce the amount of water
3.1.5 cohesion, n—the state in which the constituents of a
infiltration, but may not fully prevent leakage. Given the nature
mass of material are held together by chemical and physical
of the materials and application technique, and depending on
forces.
the conditions, the repairs should be periodically monitored
3.1.6 control agent, n—substance added which controls the
and additional repair installations may be required.
viscosity or flow properties of the material it is added to.
4.3 This guide is applicable to installations at below-grade
3.1.7 curtain grouting, n—injection of grout into a sub-
walls and slabs. At above-grade elements, temperature varia-
surface formation in such a way as to create a barrier of grouted
tion on a daily or seasonal basis may lead to significant or more
material transverse to the direction of the anticipated water
frequent changes, or both, in the width of a crack or joint. The
flow. A grout curtain on the positive side of the leaking
use of injected chemical grout may be appropriate for many
sub-grade element can be injected from the interior side of the
above-grade applications, but this guide does not specifically
element or from the exterior surface.
address installation of grout in dynamic cracks or joints.
3.1.8 epoxy, n—a type of resin polymerized from epoxide
4.4 Cracks in below-grade walls may be a sign of structural
groups.
distress. Prior to the injection of chemical grout, the overall
3.1.9 gel time, n—time from the initial mixing of the resin
conditions and context of the damage should be assessed to
with catalyst to gelation, also referred to as “set time.”
determine if a non-structural repair is appropriate.
3.1.10 hydrophilic, adj—having a strong affinity for water.
4.5 This guide does not address repairs intended to provide
Hydrophilic grout will absorb water.
a seal against air leakage or air infiltration.
3.1.11 hydrophobic, adj—lacking affinity for water. Hydro-
4.6 Project-specific or environmental conditions such as
phobic grout will repel water.
existing construction, prior waterproofing installations, access,
3.1.12 injection port, n—port through which materials are
water volume or flow rate, water chemistry, temperature,
injected under pressure into the interior of a concrete element
humidity, and other factors may warrant the evaluation of
via attached mechanical pumping equipment. Injection ports
curtain grouting as an alternative to crack injection.
may consist of a drilled hole fitted with a packer at the opening;
4.7 Practices F2304, F2414, and F2454 describe materials
or an attachment device mounted flush to the surface of, or
and procedures related to the use of chemical grout to seal
directly into, a crack or other void.
components of sewer systems. While the specific procedures
3.1.13 oakum, n—loose hemp or jute fiber, sometimes
differ from those described in this guide, the standards contain
treated with resin or grout.
general information on chemical grouting materials and meth-
ods that may be of interest to those involved with waterproof-
3.1.14 packer, n—a tapered or expandable annular plug
inserted into a drilled hole or crack in which grout or water is ing repair of building elements.
to be injected, which serves as an attachment for pumping
4.8 This guide does not address the use of particulate grouts
equipment and includes a one-way valve fitting to prevent the
or epoxy as an injection material.
return of the grout or water when material is not being injected.
3.1.15 polyurethane resin, n—any of various polymer resins 5. Materials
containing the urethane radical.
5.1 General:
5.1.1 The intent of this section is to define the properties that
4. Significance and Use
a chemical grout should have to perform effectively in the
4.1 This guide is intended to be used in the selection and intended application and under expected field conditions.
installation of chemical grout to seal leaks in concrete walls, 5.1.2 It is recognized that new and improved chemical grout
floors, and ceilings. The procedure described in this guide materials will become available in the future. Sources,
focuses on the injection of through-wall cracks, but may be manufacturers, formulations, and product names of materials
adapted to cold joints, control joints, voids associated with will change from time to time, and therefore specific manufac-
penetrations, and other voids contributing to water intrusion
turers and product names are not provided.
through concrete elements. This guide is intended to assist the
5.2 Chemical Grout Characteristics:
building owner, owner’s representative, architect, engineer,
5.2.1 The following are general characteristics that should
contractor, or authorized inspector, or combinations thereof,
be exhibited by the chemical grout.
during the selection, specification, or installation, or combina-
5.2.2 The chemical grout should have documented satisfac-
tions thereof, of chemical grout for waterproofing repair.
tory performance in similar usage as the intended conditions.
4.2 Prior to attempting any repair, it is important for all 5.2.3 The chemical grout should have controllable reaction
parties to have a clear and mutual understanding of the times.
limitations of the repair and the iterative nature of the process. 5.2.4 The chemical grout should have resistance to the
Injection of chemical grout does not affect the source of a leak. concentrations of chemicals found in the type(s) of water the
D8109 − 17 (2024)
cured grout is expected to be exposed to (groundwater, storm crack movement is especially important when selecting a
water, waste water, etc.). polyurethane grout, which are typically classified as either
hydrophilic or hydrophobic. Hydrophilic grouts absorb water
5.2.5 The chemical grout should be non-toxic in cured form.
and form a flexible foam or gel, but many formulations require
5.2.6 The chemical grout should be non-corrosive.
constant moisture to maintain an effective seal. Hydrophobic
5.2.7 The cured chemical grout formation should not be
grouts repel water during and after the reaction, and are better
biodegradable.
suited to cyclical exposure to water. However, some hydropho-
5.2.8 The cured material should withstand submergence in
bic materials form a rigid formation, and expansion and
water in the environment in which it is installed without
contraction of the crack will compromise the seal.
degradation.
5.4 Chemical Grout Materials:
5.3 Material Selection:
5.4.1 Acrylics, acrylates, and acrylamides.
5.3.1 ICRI Guideline 340.1 provides additional information
5.4.2 Hydrophilic polyurethane foam or gel.
on grout properties; guidelines on the selection of an appro-
5.4.3 Hydrophobic polyurethane foam or gel.
priate material; and the limitations, advantages, and disadvan-
tages of the commonly used materials listed in 5.4.
5.5 Additives:
5.3.2 The selection of an appropriate sealing material or
5.5.1 Gel control agents are commonly used to modify the
combination of materials for a specific repair application gel time of a chemical grout. In some instances, it may be
depends on a number of interrelated factors, including but not
necessary to modify the gel time multiple times before a crack
limited to those discussed below. The chemical grout should be is completely sealed. For example, if a crack varies in width,
able to adequately penetrate and fill a sufficient extent of the
different gel times may be required to achieve a consistent
crack or void prior to setting, and should remain in place while repair. When injecting very wide cracks, or cracks with a large
curing. The resultant chemical grout formation should prevent
volume of flowing water, a common practice consists of an
the passage of water (infiltration) through the crack or void. initial injection of material with a short gel time, followed by
5.3.3 Following the examination and discussion of the an injection with a longer gel time. The rapidly setting material
existing conditions by all involved parties, specific character- serves to seal the majority of the opening, while the subsequent
istics that pertain to the application requirements and desired injections are given time to travel into the remaining narrow
performance of the repair should be defined and approved by spaces.
the owner’s representative or project architect or engineer of 5.5.2 Grout additives may also be used for catalyzing the
record. reaction, inhibiting the reaction, buffering the solution, lower-
5.3.4 The ability of the grout to penetrate into a crack is ing the freezing temperate of the solution, acting as filler,
increasing strength, or inhibiting root growth.
affected by the width of the crack, and material properties
including: viscosity, cohesion, gel time, and expansion rate 5.5.3 The effect of additives should be limited to the
material properties and characteristics targeted for modifica-
during reaction, among others. Generally, injected material will
travel more quickly through wider cracks, and will require a tion.
shorter gel time. Material injected into narrow cracks may
6. Procedure
require a longer gel time to facilitate travel along the full extent
of the cracks. When selecting a chemical grout, a minimum
6.1 Assessment of Existing Conditions:
required set time should be established that will achieve
6.1.1 A thorough assessment of the existing leaks is a
adequate grout travel under the project conditions.
necessary step towards an effective repair. In addition to direct
5.3.5 For any given product or formulation, material prop-
examination of active leaks, attention should be paid to past
erties vary due to environmental conditions. The material
observations by building occupants, and patterns of water
properties will likely change over the course of the injection
staining visible on the surface of the concrete. A timeline of the
process, and can vary between laboratory and field-prepared water infiltration combined with an understanding of the
materials. Reaction times are influenced by the component and
surrounding conditions (natural bodies of water, infrastructure,
mix water temperature, the mix water chemistry, and the adjacent construction, existing waterproofing systems and
temperature of the concrete when injected and during curing of
drainage, expansion joints, etc.) is important when determining
the grout. Thus, when comparing various products, it is the performance criteria of the repair, especially if the leak is
important to understand the stated properties, as well as how
cyclical or seasonal, or perhaps temporary.
sensitive those properties may be to the conditions and physical 6.1.2 All reasonable effort should be made to understand the
structure of the cracks to be injected. Some products allow for
assembly into which grout is being injected. Existing drawings,
control over gel times through the prepar
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