Inflatable Packers for Grouting

11/10/00
Introduction

Inflatable packers are frequently used for grout injection in geotechnical applications for structural
reinforcement and/or water-proofing of foundations, tunnels and mines. The two main methods are
single packer grouting, where grout is injected into the ground below a single inflated packer and
double packer grouting, usually in combination with a Tube à Manchette or grouting sleeve. Each of
these is reviewed here.

Whether using single or double packers, both grouting methods rely on the use of inflatable packers for
efficient and reliable sealing of the borehole. We will consider the general criteria of importance in
selecting and using inflatable packers before moving on to the specifics of each method.

The basic types

Cross-sections through two typical inflatable packers are shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows a
fixed end packer and Figure 2 shows a moving end style packer. As can be seen from the drawings, a
fixed end packer remains the same length as it is inflated whereas the moving end style shortens on
inflation by an amount depending on the amount of inflation.

Figure 1 - Fixed end inflatable packer Figure 2 - Moving end inflatable packer
Generally, in competent formations at grouting pressures below 500 psi (35 bar), the fixed end
design is preferred. The main reason for this is that when the moving end packer inflates the central
mandrel is progressively exposed as the end slides upwards. This exposed portion is potentially
subject to damage by the grout being pumped into the borehole.

In the double packer configuration this is even more important since the two packers are linked,
usually, by a small bore tube which has to be spiraled around the center pipe to allow the lower end
of the top packer to move relative to the top end of the bottom packer. In this case, both the
exposed portion of pipe for the top packer and the spiraled tube are potentially open to damage.
Conversely, in a fixed end design double packer, there’s no relative movement of the packer ends
in the straddle zone. This facilitates the use of flush OD pipe that incorporates an integral inflation
line (for the lower packer) in the straddle zone (see Figure 5) thus eliminating both potential
damage points. It also minimizes the grout contained between the packers thus minimizing the
likelihood of being stuck after packer deflation.

Inflation fluid

Another major consideration is the choice of inflation fluid. Most

inflatable packer manufacturers recommend inflation with water for
grouting applications whenever possible. Generally the only time it’s
not possible is in a dry hole or where the water table is too low. In
these circumstances the column of water in the inflation tube is too
great to allow complete deflation of the packer. Even then, use of
special deflation valves (usually requiring running two inflation tubes)
makes use of water inflation possible.

The reason water inflation is preferred is that a water inflated packer

after establishing an initial seal will remain inflated up to the burst
pressure of the packer owing to the incompressibility of the water. In
contrast a gas inflated packer can only provide a seal if the gas
pressure is maintained at a level above the sum of the sealing and
grouting pressures. Leaks, relaxation, soil movement, excess
grouting pressure, etc can all lead to bypass of a gas inflated packer
without the operator’s knowledge. If grout pumps around and sits
above the packer for any length of time, the packer will become
difficult or impossible to retrieve.

In fact, any liquid will provide the same inflation benefits as water and
in sub-zero temperatures other liquids or water/anti-freeze solutions
must be used. Where possible however, water is the preferred liquid
since it’s non-polluting, readily available and will not damage the
rubber. (Note that most grouting packers are made of natural or SBR
rubber and thus are not suitable for oil inflation.)

The major drawback with using water for inflation is that deflation is
slower than when using gas and it may be more inconvenient to
Figure 3 - Single, fixed
operate a manual inflation pump in some circumstances.
end grouting packer

Where gas inflation is used, the gases preferred are compressed air or nitrogen. Under no
circumstances should oxygen be used as it may cause explosive failure of the packer. Other gases
should be checked with the packer manufacturer for compatibility with their elastomers.
Gas inflation pressures, as already mentioned, are of critical importance and must be carefully
calculated and monitored during grouting operations. For any particular application, the minimum
inflation pressure required (in units of kPa), as read on a surface pressure gauge, can be calculated
as follows:

Minimum gas = (Pressure to inflate to hole diameter) + (sealing pressure advised by manufacturer)
inflate pressure + (maximum grouting pressure)

Note that the “maximum grouting pressure” is the pressure at the packer, not the surface pressure.
This is determined as follows:

Maximum grout = (depth to packer (m) x 10 x S.G. of grout) + (surface grouting pressure)
Pressure - (Packer depth below water (m) x 10)

The above calculations assume all units to be in kPa. If using psi, multiply the depth in feet by 0.43
to get the head pressure in psi. If using bar, multiply the depth in metres by 0.1 to get the head
pressure in bar. The pressure to inflate the packer to the hole diameter is normally given by the
manufacturer but should be checked on site before starting grouting operations. If the sealing
pressure (really a safety factor to assure adequate sealing) is not provided by the manufacturer a
figure of around 10-20% of the maximum grouting pressure should be used.

Another prime consideration with gas inflation is the safety aspect of dealing with high pressure
gas. A gas inflated packer is basically a bomb and should be treated as such. If ruptured it has the
potential to do lethal damage – we have seen the center pipe from such a packer driven through the
engine block of a truck! Under no circumstances should gas be used to test inflate packers free-in-
air. Test inflations should always be conducted in a pipe with adequate protection to personnel
against potential injury by projectiles ejected from the pipe should the packer fail.

Inflation Controls

Regardless of the type of packer or

the inflation method it is critically
important to have an inflation system
that provides sufficient control and
monitoring functions. The assembly
shown in Figure 4 (or an equivalent
set-up) is considered to be the
minimum for safe, efficient operation.
The system basically requires: a
pressure source; an isolation valve; a
vent valve; a pressure gauge;
suitable hose/tube to connect to the
packer and the between the other
items. (Figure 4’s assembly
combines the isolation and vent
valves into one 3-way ball valve for
more compact packaging.)

Using this type of inflation control

Figure 4 - Inflation control & monitoring system and monitoring assembly ensures
that, for example:
 • the pressure gauge cannot be accidentally isolated from the packers and so always
indicates packer pressure.
• The pressure source is independently isolated from the packer. This is of great importance
with gas regulators since they can easily be set at very high pressures or not be properly
shut down. (In fact, the temptation is to leave the regulated gas sully connected to the
packer at pressure which may lead to packer over-expansion and sub-sequent failure.)
• The separate vent valve (or vent function) ensures the packer can be safely vented for
deflation.
• Being small, self contained and portable (if provided with suitable hose lengths), the gauge
set can be moved to the most convenient location to control and monitor the packer during
inflation & grouting operations.

Clearly, all components used in the inflation control system must be of adequate pressure rating. In
the case of gas inflation, if operating deep in a water filled hole the surface gas pressure may easily
be over 1000 psi (70 bar) and adequate precautions are required. The pressure gauge should be
chosen such that the maximum inflation pressure lies in the middle third of the gauge’s scale.
Pressure gauges are delicate instruments that require careful treatment and regular calibration to
ensure their reliable operation.

Inflating the packers

Once the packers have been chosen along with a suitable

inflation fluid and an inflation control and monitoring system it’s
time to connect it all up and trial inflate the packer/s. If gas
inflating, trial inflations should only be performed in a pipe of
adequate strength and with appropriate safety precautions. If
inflating with a fluid, trial inflations may be performed free-in-air
but are probably more usefully done in a pipe as per the gas
inflated packers.

Trial inflation allows the operator to check for system

performance and leaks. Specifically, the operator should be
checking inflation pressure to firm contact with the test pipe wall
and packer integrity at the maximum in-hole pressure. Note that
the latter may be considerably less than the surface inflation
pressure for a gas inflated packer owing to the fact for a surface
inflation there’s no “depth below water” term in the inflation
pressure calculation. This may mean that a separate pressure
test with the packer disconnected is warranted to assure the
inflation system.

It is best to perform trial inflations with the full length of inflation

tube that will be run in the hole with the packer. This allows the
operator to time inflation and deflation, get an indication of
pumping pressures during different stages of inflation and, for a
liquid inflated packer, primes both the packer and the inflation

tube.
Figure 5 - Double, fixed end
packer components
The general characteristic of packers whether inflated with liquid
or gas is that the bulk of the inflation volume is placed into the packer at relatively low pressure and
it is only the last little bit of volume that is placed at increasingly higher pressures. Charting inflation
pressure against time leads to a curve showing low, steady pressure increase over an extended
period followed by a rapid pressure increase (after wall contact is achieved) in a relatively very short
time. This characteristic takes some getting used to and operators should be encouraged to use the
trial inflations to accustom themselves to the pressures, volumes and times involved.

Deploying the packer

The usual deployment methods are via rigid pipe or via hose. The later is quicker but provides
limited depth control, no packer hold-down capacity and limited support for inflation tubes. It is also
depth limited by the self-supporting capacity of the hose and it’s connection to the packer for which
reason a safety wire is sometimes used along with the hose. Depth limitations may also be due to
the handling capacity of the hose raising and lowering system which is frequently manual.

Using a rigid pipe for running the packers offers good depth control, good support for inflation tubes
and some hold-down capacity. However it generally requires a mechanized system (drill rig or
crane) to handle the rods due to their length and weight and thus is much slower and more
cumbersome.

Concerning hold-down capacity, this is related to the inflatable packer’s ability to anchor itself in the
borehole against the up-lift force generated by the differential grouting pressure. It has been
calculated that for normal grouting situations, where the L/D ratio (packer contact length to hole
diameter ratio) is 10 or more the packer should be self-anchoring against all differential pressures
up to burst. If the L/D ratio is less than 10, whether or not the packer is self-anchoring would
depend on the specifics of the application. Advice should be sought from the packer supplier in
these circumstances.

Single packer grouting

This is the method most often used and the downhole equipment required is as illustrated in
Figures 1, 2 & 3. The technique is extremely simple in that the packer is lowered into the borehole,
inflated to the required pressure and grout is pumped in under pressure below the packer. If
multiple levels are to be grouted, then the lower level is treated first, the packer is deflated, moved
up-hole to the next level, re-inflated and grout is pumped with this process being repeated as
required.

Throughout the grouting process, the packer inflation pressure should be monitored to ensure that it
is adequate to seal against the grout injection pressure. If inflating with water, the packer inflation
pressure should automatically respond to the grout injection pressure and may, in fact, be used to
monitor injection in some circumstances.

Double packer grouting

As mentioned previously double packer grouting is normally limited to the so-called TAM pressure
grouting technique. Using a Tube à Manchette (TAM) system offers an efficient, cost effective means
of grouting for foundations, tunnels and mines. This system is based around the TAM which basically
consists of a length of pipe with small holes drilled around the circumference and at equal intervals along the
length of the pipe. Each set of holes is covered by a rubber sleeve (or manchette), which allows the whole
arrangement to act as a series of one-way valves. That is, flow out through the holes is permitted by expansion of
the rubber sleeve but flow in the opposite direction is prevented by the sleeve collapsing onto the pipe.
During grouting operations, each of the TAM valves is accessed individually by a set of inflatable
packers which are run inside the TAM pipe and inflated so that they straddle the valve.

The actual sequence of operations normally consists of two or more separate stages of grouting as
illustrated in Figure 6. In the first stage (A) the TAM is installed in a predrilled hole and in (B) is grouted
in place using a light "sleeve" grout or a gravel packing for low pressure applications. This operation
being required to seal the Tam into the borehole and to prevent flow of grout, under pressure, up the
borehole/TAM interface.

In the actual pressure grouting phase, the level to be grouted is isolated with the straddle packers which are run
on a separate string inside the TAM (C). The sleeve grout around the valve is fractured by pumping water under
high pressure down the packer string and out through the isolated valve. Grout is then pumped in through this
valve up to the permissible maximum injection pressure or volume (D). This process is repeated at subsequent
valve levels normally proceeding from the bottom up.

Optimum treatment may require more stages of grouting in which further fracture and grouting
processes are performed at some or all of the valves. The process may in fact be repeated for as long
as the TAM remains accessible and sufficient pressure may be applied to fracture the previously
placed grout.

Figure 6 - TAM pressure grouting stages

Packer damage and service life

Packer damage during grouting operations is generally due to one of the following factors:
• Over-expansion – caused by inflating in too large a borehole or a washed out section of the hole
or, occasionally, in a yielding soil such as weak clay.
• Rubber cutting – caused by any sharp object in the borehole, eg end of casing or a casing joint
or sharply fractured rock.
• Over-pressurisation – packers are rated for specific pressures in specific diameter holes and
over-pressurisation normally is caused by using the packer’s pressure rating in one hole as the
rating in a much larger hole. Always refer to manufacturer’s diameter vs pressure rating charts
before deciding on an inflation pressure.
• Moving a packer when it’s still partially inflated can damage it either by excessive wear against
the hole wall or by pulling the steel ends off the rubber, either partially or completely.
• Grout contamination of a sliding end packer mandrel can prevent the packer end from sliding
and/or damage the sliding end seals.
• Deterioration of the rubber in packers due to direct sunlight or high temperature conditions or
solvents exposure.
• Inflating natural (or SBR) rubber packers with oil will cause excessive swelling and associated
softening of the rubber.
• Long term inflation with gas (though rarely a criteria in grouting operations) often causes rubber
blistering and delamination after the packer is removed from the borehole as gas which has
been absorbed into the rubber under pressure is desorbed and collects in pockets formed within
the packer reinforcement carcass.

Barring failure due to one or more of the causes outlined above and assuming that the packers are well
maintained and adequately stored between uses, and when used are used in accordance with the
guidelines given in this article, then inflatable packers should provide long term reliable service for
grouting operations. There is no intrinsic reason why many hundreds of grouting operations may not
be performed with a single packer. When such service life is not realized it is frequently due to one or
more of the factors highlighted above which stem from inadequate operator knowledge and training. It
is hoped that articles of this nature will serve to remedy the first of these detriments and that, with such
knowledge available, contractors will ensure that their operators are appropriately trained.

By C.J. Rowe – Managing Director, Inflatable Packers International