Taguchi approach for investigation of the setting times on cement-based grouts

Investigations on the effect of the bentonite, fly ash and silica fume on the initial and final setting time of cement-based grouts are reported here. Three additives (bentonite, fly ash and silica fume) were used in the grout mixes to improve the setting time of the grouts. Taguchi method was employed for the experiments and standard L 16 orthogonal array with 3 parameters and 4 levels were chosen. Experimental results show that the most efficient materials for the initial and final setting time are silica fume and bentonite, respectively. The initial and final setting times have been found to decrease rapidly with the increase in silica fume and bentonite ratio, while they rapidly increase with the increase of fly ash ratio. The Taguchi method has been found to be suitable for such studies.