Interface bond degradation and damage characteristics of full-length grouted rock bolt in tunnels with high temperature

Full-length grouted bolts play a crucial role in geotechnical engineering thanks to their excellent stability.However,few studies have been concerned with the degrading performance of grouted rock bolts caused by extensive and continuous heat conduction from surrounding rocks in high-geothermal tunnels buried more than 100 m(temperature from 28C to 100C).To investigate the damage mechanism,we examined the time-varying behaviors of grouted rock bolts in both constant and variable temperature curing environments and their damage due to the coupling effects of high temperature and humidity through mechanical and micro-feature tests,including uniaxial compression test,pull-out test,computed tomography(CT)scans,X-ray diffraction(XRD)test,thermogravimetric analysis(TGA),etc.,and further analyzed the relationship between grout properties and anchorage capability.In order to facilitate a rapid assessment and control of the anchorage performance of anchors in different conditions,results of the interface bond degradation tests were correlated to environment parameters based on the damage model of interfacial bond stress proposed.Accordingly,a thermal hazard classification criterion for anchorage design in high-geothermal tunnels was suggested.Based on the reported results,although high temperature accelerated the early-stage hydration reaction of grouting materials,it affected the distribution and quantity of hydration products by inhibiting hydration degree,thus causing mechanical damage to the anchorage system.There was a significant positive correlation between the strength of the grouting material and the anchoring force.Influenced by the changes in grout properties,three failure patterns of rock bolts typically existed.Applying a hot-wet curing regime results in less reduction in anchorage force compared to the hot-dry curing conditions.The findings of this study would contribute to the design and investigations of grouted rock bolts in high-geothermal tunnels.

Bond behavior of the interface between concrete and basalt fiber reinforced polymer bar after freeze–thaw cycles

The shear bond of interface between concrete and basalt fiber reinforced polymer(BFRP)bars during freeze–thaw(F–T)cycles is crucial for the application of BFRP bar-reinforced concrete structures in cold regions.In this study,48 groups of pull-out specimens were designed to test the shear bond of the BFRP-concrete interface subjected to F–T cycles.The effects of concrete strength,diameter,and embedment length of BFRP rebar were investigated under numerous F–T cycles.Test results showed that a larger diameter or longer embedment length of BFRP rebar resulted in lower interfacial shear bond behavior,such as interfacial bond strength,initial stiffness,and energy absorption,after the interface goes through F–T cycles.However,higher concrete strength and fewer F–T cycles were beneficial for enhancing the interfacial bond behavior.Subsequently,a three-dimensional(3D)interfacial model based on the finite element method was developed,and the interfacial bond behavior of the specimens was analyzed in-depth.Finally,a degradation bond strength subjected to F–T cycles was predicted by a proposed mechanical model.The predictions were fully consistent with the tested results.The model demonstrated accuracy in describing the shear bond behavior of the interface under numerous F–T cycles.

Testing and modeling of cyclically loaded rock anchors

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration(NPRA) is planning for an upgrade of the E39 highway route at the westcoast of Norway. Fixed links shall replace ferries at seven fjord crossings. Wide spans and large depths at the crossings combined with challenging subsea topography and environmental loads call for an extension of existing practice. A variety of bridge concepts are evaluated in the feasibility study. The structures will experience significant loads from deadweight, traffic and environment. Anchoring of these forces is thus one of the challenges met in the project. Large-size subsea rock anchors are considered a viable alternative. These can be used for anchoring of floating structures but also with the purpose of increasing capacity of fixed structures. This paper presents first a thorough study of factors affecting rock anchor bond capacity. Laboratory testing of rock anchors subjected to cyclic loading is thereafter presented. Finally, the paper presents a model predicting the capacity of a rock anchor segment, in terms of a ribbed bar, subjected to a cyclic load history. The research assumes a failure mode occurring in the interface between the rock anchor and the surrounding grout. The constitutive behavior of the bonding interface is investigated for anchors subjected to cyclic one-way tensile loads. The model utilizes the static bond capacity curve as a basis, defining the ultimate bond sbuand the slip s1 at τ. A limited number of input parameters are required to apply the model. The model defines the bond-slip behavior with the belonging rock anchor capacity depending on the cyclic load level(τcy/τ), the cyclic load ratio(R= τcy/τcy), and the number of load cycles(N). The constitutive model is intended to model short anchor lengths representing an incremental length of a complete rock anchor.