Vendome Solves Water Control Problem – Grouting a Mud Seam

When shaft sinking was begun on the Vendome Mines property in the Barraute area of north-western Quebec, there was no indication of the flat mud seam that was later encountered, and no special precautions were taken in applying conventional methods of grouting. Failure of the first cementing attempt emphasized the important fact that mud is an adverse condition in grouting. A method was then devised that would remove the clay from those portions of the seam adjacent to the shaft, replacing it by a bulky mixture of cement and sawdust. Tests were carried out to insure that the seam had been properly sealed and that excavation could be resumed without endangering the shaft.