How cellular pipe abandonment works
Pipe abandonment grouting leaves the line in the ground and fills it. Crews bulkhead the ends and pump cellular grout until the inside is full. The volume is the inside of the pipe, not the trench around it. Grouting abandoned pipes this way is an abandon-in-place fill: sewer abandonment, storm lines, and other utility pipe decommissioning all use the same geometry — inside diameter, length, and count.
Volume's cellular packets are foamed from one 108 PCF neat-cement base slurry. Only the foam rate changes. For most pipe abandonment, start at 27 PCF or 33 PCF. Use 38 PCF or 45 PCF only when the engineer specifies higher strength or density. Compare them on the cellular mix page. Packets: 27, 33, 38, 45 PCF.
Cellular concrete, flowable fill, and sand slurry
Flowable fill for pipe abandonment is not the same product as cellular concrete. Cellular is the foamed 27 / 33 / 38 / 45 PCF family. The published flowable fills are CDF-LP-250 (about 250 psi) and CLSM100 (about 100 psi) — controlled-density fills, not foamed cellular. Sand slurry is not a Volume packet, and this site does not publish a unit weight for it. If the spec names CDF or CLSM, use those pages. If it does not, 27 or 33 PCF is the usual start because the fill stays light.
Long pumping distances
Fleet is 7 barrel trucks, 5 volumetric mixers, and 8 concrete line pumps. Volume Concrete are the leaders in long-distance line pumping. Cellular grout is a line-pump placement. This calculator does not estimate hose size, pressure, or how far a given pump will reach. Call Dispatch with the jobsite and the run length.
Why the low densities
27 PCF is the lightest published Volume cellular fill: about 107 psi, foam 81.6% ± 2.5 by volume. 33 PCF is about 145 psi, foam 77.5% ± 2.5. A lighter fill puts less load on the host while the line is being abandoned. Neither mix is structural concrete. 38 PCF (about 180 psi, about 74% foam) and 45 PCF (about 230 psi, 69.4% foam) stay in the catalog for the day the engineer specifies more strength or more unit weight.
Pipe abandonment questions
How does pipe abandonment grouting work?
Cellular pipe abandonment leaves the pipe in the ground. The ends are bulkheaded and cellular grout is pumped until the inside is full. Volume's published cellular mixes are foamed from one 108 PCF neat-cement base slurry. For most jobs, start at 27 or 33 PCF. Use 38 or 45 PCF only when the engineer specifies higher strength or density. This page estimates volume. It does not replace the drawings or the spec.
How much grout is needed for grouting abandoned pipes?
Full-pipe volume is π/4 × inside diameter² × length × count. An 8-inch inside diameter and 100 feet is 34.9 cubic feet, which is 1.29 cubic yards, before waste. Cubic yards are cubic feet divided by 27. The overfill field starts at 10% and you can change it. Use the inside diameter, not the outside diameter.
How do I calculate annular space grouting and slip lining grout?
Annular grouting fills the ring between the host pipe's inside diameter and the carrier pipe's outside diameter: π/4 × (Dhost² − Dcarrier²) × length × count. That is the slip lining grout volume when a carrier stays inside the host. The carrier outside diameter has to be smaller than the host inside diameter.
Is flowable fill for pipe abandonment the same as cellular concrete?
No. Cellular concrete here is the foamed 27, 33, 38, and 45 PCF family. Flowable fill in the Volume catalog is CDF-LP-250 (about 250 psi) or CLSM100 (about 100 psi). Those are controlled-density fills, not foamed cellular. Sand slurry is not a published Volume packet, and this site does not give it a unit weight. If the spec names CDF or CLSM, use those mix pages. If it does not, 27 or 33 PCF is the usual abandon-in-place start.
What does it mean to abandon pipe in place?
Abandon in place means the pipe stays and is filled so the void is occupied, instead of being dug out. Sewer abandonment and other utility pipe decommissioning use the same fill math: inside diameter, length, and how many pipes. Whether abandon-in-place is allowed is up to the owner, the utility, and the engineer. Call Dispatch at (971) 219-8604 to schedule a load in the Greater Portland Metro.
How do I size culvert abandonment?
Culvert abandonment for a box or rectangle is inside width × inside height × length × count. Use inside dimensions. A round culvert is a full pipe fill, π/4 × inside diameter² × length. Add a separate run for each size.
How do I size tank abandonment or a vault cylinder?
Tank abandonment for a cylinder is π/4 × inside diameter² × height or length × count. A vertical tank and a horizontal cylinder use the same formula. A rectangular vault uses the box culvert mode. Measure inside the walls.
Which density should annular grouting use — 27, 33, 38, or 45 PCF?
For most pipe abandonment, including annular grouting to abandon a line, start at 27 or 33 PCF. 27 PCF is about 107 psi with 81.6% foam. 33 PCF is about 145 psi with 77.5% foam. Both come from the 108 PCF base slurry. Choose 38 PCF (about 180 psi, about 74% foam) or 45 PCF (about 230 psi, 69.4% foam) only when the engineer specifies higher strength or density. Cellular grout is not structural concrete. Packets are on the cellular mix page.
Related tools: all calculators · annular space only.
Optional more on the sister site: cellularbackfill.com. Delivered by Volume Concrete. Call Dispatch to schedule or price a load.
Call Dispatch (971) 219-8604