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Study of reinforcement support mechanisms for wide-span horse-shoe-shaped openings in horizontally layered jointed rock using the distinct element method

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Abstract

Wide-span openings in horizontally layered jointed rock were analysed using the distinct element method (DEM) to provide additional insight into rock bolt support mechanisms and forces. The rock bolt forces in the DEM calculations exhibited distinct mechanisms, identified here as reinforced rock unit, beam building or suspension mechanisms. Each of these mechanisms was found to be associated with certain characteristics in the jointed rock structure. In jointed rock with thick horizontal beddings, the rock bolt forces at the roof tapered off with distance leading to a reinforced rock unit where each layer exhibited a self-support mechanism akin to a voussoir beam. In jointed rock with thinner horizontal beddings not capable of self-supporting, a beam building mechanism took place. When the rock bolts were extended into a rigid layer above the thinner layers, a suspension mechanism took place. Potential inaccuracies of thrust line predictions and the benefits of rock bolt tensioning were investigated, and their effects were found to be sensitive to the bedding thickness. A case history of the cavern roof of the underground car park for the Sydney Opera House was modelled. The calculated deflections of the cavern roof compared well with field measurements reported in the literature. The findings in this paper highlight the importance to ensure that the reinforcement support for wide-span underground excavations in horizontally layered jointed rock are tailored to the geological conditions being encountered.

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(Reprinted from Pells and Bertuzzi 2006, with permission from Elsevier)

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Abbreviations

k n :

Rock joint normal stiffness

k s :

Rock joint shear stiffness

K a :

Rock bolt axial stiffness

σ H :

Horizontal stresses

K 0 :

Horizontal to vertical stress ratio

ϕ :

Rock joint friction angle

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Acknowledgements

The views in this paper are those of the author and not the affiliated organization. Dr Nick Barton is thanked for sparking an interest to look into tensioning of rock bolts. Prof. Giovanni Barla and Prof. Carlos Carranza-Torres are thanked for their encouragement and criticisms on the first submission of the manuscript; their comments have helped improve the quality of the paper. Discussions with Prof. Guy Houlsby and Prof Stefano Utili on the issues related to numerical artefacts during my period at Oxford University 2009–2013 are acknowledged gratefully.

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    C. W. Boon

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Boon, C.W. Study of reinforcement support mechanisms for wide-span horse-shoe-shaped openings in horizontally layered jointed rock using the distinct element method. Rock Mech Rock Eng 52, 1179–1191 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-018-1615-x

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