Bolt-anchored, steel-fibre-reinforced shotcrete linings

This study describes rock reinforcement through the use of reinforced shotcrete in structural interaction with rock bolts. The intention of the investigation was to increase the knowledge of steel-fibre-reinforced shotcrete and the way in which bolt anchorage in shotcrete is designed. The researcher performed 22 large-scale laboratory tests on bolt-anchored, reinforced shotcrete lays, 19 of which were reinforced with Bekaert steel fibres, 2 with cold-tensioned reinforcement mesh, and 1 with an annealed mesh. Fibre content, fibre length and anchorage of the bolt in the shotcrete varied in the tests. For each large-scale test, adhesion tests on the rock-shotcrete interface were performed, as well as strength on sawn-out shotcrete cubes and beams both with and without fibres. The concrete mass was tested using cast cubes. Four large-scale tests on extremely thin fibre-reinforced linings without bolt anchorage also were performed. Two specimens contained steel fibres, and two contained glass fibres. Details also are provided of shear tests on split steel-fibre-reinforced test specimens on a small scale. The paper concludes with a discussion of the test results.