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Rock mass support using tendons

A short course presented by


Prof. Francois Malan
University of Pretoria and Groundwork Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Course contents
Day 1

1. Introduction
2. History of bolting
3. Types of bolts and their behaviour
4. Overview of design methodologies
5. Structural/Mechanistic analyses
Day 2

1. Support resistance
2. Critical bond lengths
3. Time-dependent rock behaviour
1. Introduction
1. The need for a course on bolting
2. Example of location of accidents in tunnels
3. Tom Lang’s model to demonstrate how rockbolts work
1.1 The need for a course on bolting
• A large variety of tendons
available
• A number of design
methodologies available
• “Over” design wastes money
• Choice of wrong tendons
wastes money
• “Under” design may endanger
the lives of people

What type of tendon should


I use and how should I do
the support design?
Examples of tendon failures

Time-dependent rock deformation causing failure


of grouted tendons
Poor bolt installations causing a wedge failure
Unravelling of weak rock – Carbon Leader stopes
Fall of ground – wrong bolting density
Fall of ground – Wrong bolt lengths
1.2 Location of accidents in tunnels

> 20 refer to
established
tunnels

• Example from South African mines – Accident statistics for 1990-1997


• Emphasizes need to install support close to tunnel face during development
1.3 Tom Lang’s model

• Used in 1960’s in Snowy


Mountain project to demonstrate
how rockbolts work
• Consisted of bucket of loose
gravel
• Miniature bolts held gravel in
bucket when overturned
• An 18 kg weight was suspended
from the bolts!
Modern equivalent of the experiment

Miniature rockbolts

Suitable frame

Gravel
Assembling the model

Attaching a temporary base Positioning the miniature rockbolts

Adding the gravel


Assembling the model

Tightening the rockbolts

Remove the temporary base


Load carrying capacity of the model
Lang’s explanation

• Zone of compression provide reinforcement


• Bolts will work if spacing s is less than 3 times rock
fragment diameter a
• Rockbolt length L should be 2s
Recent explanations and concerns
1. Pells (2008) questioned Lang’s demonstration/explanation
when compared to underground stress levels
2. According to Pells the stress scale is wrong when
compared to action of rockbolts in a tunnel
3. Numerical analyses illustrated that induced major principal
stress between bolts pre-stressed to 80 kN is only 7 kPa
• Too small to have effect on rock mass strength by confinement

Contours of major principal stress


2 m rockbolts, 1.1 m centres
Pretensioned to 80 kN
(Pells 2008)
How do rockbolts really work?
1. Pells’ (2008) explanation
• Rockbolts do not serve significant support function by modifying stress
field around a tunnel
• Rockbolts function as structural elements to transmit tensile forces within
the rock mass
• Similar to reinforcing steel in concrete
• Bolting cannot prevent stress induced fracturing and yielding – its purpose
is to maintain geometric integrity of the rock mass
• Bolts must assist the fractured rock to redistribute the stresses so that the
rock itself can provide the support
• In rocks with large movements, bolts must accommodate this and the
ability to deform “plastically” is important in selecting the type of bolt
“A tensioned anchor holding a rock block in its original position
acts as a preventative measure against the disintegration of the rock”
Egger, 1974
Exercise 1.1 (from Harrison and Hudson)
Exercise 1.1 (answer)

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