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Mechanisms of rockbolt support for highly fractured rock masses–insight from physical and numerical modeling

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Abstract

Rockbolting is the most common support system in both civil and mining engineering. The mechanics of ground support using rockbolt have yet not been very clear, especially in highly fractured rock mass conditions. In this study, large-scale physical models with full-scale rockbolts and rock blocks were constructed, aiming to evaluate the bearing capacity of incoherent rock blocks quantitatively. The effect of surface support was especially examined with the incorporation of different sizes of bearing plates and mesh in the models. It is found that lateral confinement plays an important role in the load bearing and deformation capacity of the incoherent rock blocks reinforced by rockbolts. High lateral confinement promotes the formation of a strong pressure arch. The installation of surface support can significantly increase the deformation capacity of incoherent rock blocks. The result provides insight into the mechanism of rockbolting and highlights the importance of surface support in highly fractured rock mass ground conditions.

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Acknowledgements

This work has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 52074154).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Coal Mining and Clean Utilization, (China Coal Research Institute), Beijing, China

    Hongpu Kang, Jianzhong Li, Fuqiang Gao & Jinghe Yang

  2. CCTEG Coal Mining Research Institute, Beijing, China

    Hongpu Kang, Jianzhong Li, Fuqiang Gao & Jinghe Yang

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  1. Hongpu Kang
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  2. Jianzhong Li
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  3. Guiyang Yuan
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  4. Fuqiang Gao
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  5. Xiaoqing Wang
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  6. Jinghe Yang
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Correspondence to Fuqiang Gao.

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Kang, H., Li, J., Yuan, G. et al. Mechanisms of rockbolt support for highly fractured rock masses–insight from physical and numerical modeling. Bull Eng Geol Environ 81, 198 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02696-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02696-x

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