Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Design and Evaluation of the Roof Bolt Corrosion Test System in a Simulated Underground Coal Mine Environment

  • Technical Note
  • Published:
Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Corrosion of steel roof support systems can cause potential premature failure of the support, thus adversely affecting the excavation stability and rock-related safety. An in-house corrosion test system was designed and developed to test full-length roof bolts for material performance based on tensile load capacity and strength under different corrosive conditions found underground. The roof bolts tested are also used to identify the possible corrosion mechanisms that influenced the bolts’ performance over time. Initially, the most commonly used bolt material in the USA, the ASTM A615 grade 60 steel roof bolts, was tested with and without stresses in a simulated underground coal mining environment for approximately 6 months, and the results are discussed. Localized corrosion forms such as crevice and pitting were mainly observed after testing. The stressed and unstressed roof bolts with and without threads that were tested in alkaline coal mine corrosive environment for 6 months passed their load-bearing capacity as per ASTM F432 test standards. From the results, it is concluded that this test protocol could be applicable to test the material performance of different roof bolt metallurgies and coatings with desired modifications to the proposed methodology for the specific underground mine environment. This paper mainly discusses the test system and protocol and shortcomings of the system and makes recommendations based on the observations and results.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

References

  1. Spearing AJS, Mondal K, Bylapudi G (2010) The corrosion of rock anchors in US coal mines. Paper presented at the SME annual meeting, Phoenix, AZ, 02/28/2010

  2. Spearing AJS, Mondal K, Bylapudi G, Weber J (2013) Experimental research on rock anchor corrosion in US underground coal mines. Transactions of The Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration 334:410–419

    Google Scholar 

  3. Spearing AJS, Mondal K, Bylapudi G (2010) Experimental studies on corrosion of rock anchors in U.S. underground coal mines. Transactions of The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 328:556–563

    Google Scholar 

  4. Craig B (2018) Some corrosion and metallurgy issues in coal mines. Materials performance, vol 57. NACE international, Houston, TX

  5. Roy JM, Preston R, Bewick RP (2016) Classification of aqueous corrosion in underground mines. Rock Mech Rock Eng 49(8):3387–3391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-016-0926-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Aritan AE, Can MF (2019) The corrosion effect on supports used in underground mining operations generated by low-rank salt bearing coals: the Central Anatolia case. ArabianJournal of Geosciences 12(200):1–5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-019-4349-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Shutter DM, Geary W, Heyes PF Engineering performance of mining rock bolts. In: 29th international conference on safety in mines research institutes, Szczyrk, Poland, 2001 2001

  8. Hebblewhite BK, Fabjanczyk M, Gray P, Crosky A (2004) Premature bolt failures in Australian coal mines due to stress corrosion cracking. In: Proceedings of International Ground Support Conference, Perth, pp 509–520

    Google Scholar 

  9. Chen H, Ramandi HL, Walker J, Crosky A, Saydam S (2018) Failure of the threaded region of rock bolts in underground coal mines. Transactions of the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Section A: Mining Technology 127(3):146–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/14749009.2018.1428060

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Bylapudi G, Spearing AJS, Mondal K, Bhagwat A (2015) Stress corrosion cracking - hypothetically a major threat to underground mine roof support systems and rock anchors. Transactions of The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 338:510–517

    Google Scholar 

  11. Vandermaat DP, Elias E, Crosky A, Tang Z, Craig P, Saydam S, Hebblewhite B (2012) Coupon testing for field assessment of stress corrosion cracking of rock bolts. Paper presented at the international conference on ground control in. Mining, Morgantown, WV

    Google Scholar 

  12. Elias E, Vandermaat D, Craig P, Chen H, Crosky A, Saydam S, Hagan P, Hebblewhite B (2013) Metallurgical examination of rock bolts failed in service due to stress corrosion cracking. In: Ground Support 2013, Perth, Australia, 2013. Australian Centre for Geomechanics, pp 473–484

  13. Kang H, Wu Y, Gao F, Lin J, Jiang P (2013) Fracture characteristics in rock bolts in underground coal mine roadways. International Journal of Rock Mechanics & Mining Sciences 62(1):105–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Craig PH, Saydam S, Hagan P, Vandermaat DP, Elias E, Crosky A (2015) Investigations into the corrosive environments contributing to premature failures of Australian coal mine rock bolts. Paper presented at the 34th international conference on ground control in mining, Morgantown, WV,

  15. Villalba E, Atrens A (2008) Metallurgical aspects of rock bolt stress corrosion cracking. Materials Sci Eng (a 491):8–18

  16. Guo Q, Pan J, Wang M, Cai M (2019) Xi X (2019) corrosive environment assessment and corrosion-induced rock-bolt failure analysis in a costal underground mine. International Journal of Corrosion. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2105842

  17. Bylapudi G, Spearing AJS, Mondal K, Bhagwat A (2019) Stress corrosion testing of roof bolt grade 60 steel in simulated underground coal mine atmosphere. Mining Technology:1–10. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/25726668.2019.1616951

  18. Wu S, Chen H, Craig P, Ramandi HL, Hagan WTPC, Crosky A, Hebblewhite B, Saydam S (2018) An experimental framework for simulating stress corrosion cracking in cable bolts. Tunneling and Underground Space Technology 76:121–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2018.03.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Michael Baker Jr. I (2004) Stress corrosion cracking study (trans: safety OoP). Department of Transportation Research and Special Programs Administration,

  20. Jones RH, Ricker RE (1992) Mechanisms of stress-corrosion cracking. In: Jones RH (ed) Stress-corrosion cracking materials performance and evaluation, 1st edn. ASM International, Materials Park, OH, pp 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1361/sccmpae1992p001

  21. Latypova R, Kauppi T, Mehtonen S, Hanninen H, Porter D, Komi J (2019) Novel stress corrosion testing method for high-strength steels. Mater Corros 70(3):521–528. https://doi.org/10.1002/maco.201810462

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Seifert HP, Hickling J, Lister D (2012) Corrosion and environmentally assisted cracking of carbon and low-alloy steels. Comprehensive Nuclear Materials:107–140

  23. ASTM (2016) ASTM A615 standard specification for deformed and plain carbon-steel bars for concrete reinforcement. ASTM International, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA. https://doi.org/10.1520/A0615_A0615M-16

    Book  Google Scholar 

  24. Vandermaat DP, Elias E, Craig P, Saydam S, Crosky A, Hagan P, Hebblewhite B (2012) Experimental protocol for stress corrosion cracking of rock bolts. Paper presented at the Coal Operators' Conference, NSW

    Google Scholar 

  25. Aziz N, Craig P, Nemcik J, Hai FI (2013) Rock bolt corrosion - an experimental study. Paper presented at the 13th coal operators' conference, Australia,

  26. Bylapudi G (2014) Stress corrosion cracking of rebar roof bolts in U.S. underground coal mines - a preliminary study. Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL

  27. Weber J (2013) Corrosion of rock anchors in Illinois Coal Basin mines. Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA, M.S.

    Google Scholar 

  28. ASTM (1997 (2009)) ASTM G59 standard test method for conducting Potentiostatic and Potentiodynamic anodic polarization measurements. ASTM international. ASTM international, west Conshohocken, PA. doi:https://doi.org/10.1520/G0059-97R09

  29. ASTM (1994 (2004)) ASTM G5 standard reference test method for making Potentiostatic and Potentiodynamic anodic polarization measurements. ASTM international. ASTM international, west Conshohocken, PA. doi:https://doi.org/10.1520/G0005-94R04

  30. ASTM (1989 (2004)) ASTM G102 standard practice for calculation of corrosion rates and related information from electrochemical measurements. ASTM international. ASTM international, west Conshohocken. PA. https://doi.org/10.1520/G0102-89R04E01

  31. ASTM (2004 (2013)) ASTM F432 standard specification for roof and rock bolts and accessories. ASTM international. ASTM international, west Conshohocken. PA. https://doi.org/10.1520/F0432

  32. Bhagwat AW, Tadolini SC (2018) Sacrificial anode technology for corrosion protection of mine roof bolts. Paper presented at the SME annual meeting. Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Google Scholar 

  33. Ma K, Stankus J, Faulkner D, Ma L (2017) Development and evaluation of the inflatable PythonM3 bolt and innovative PyFlexU2 coating against highly-corrosive ground conditions. Tunnels and Shafts. SME Annual Conference and Expo, Denver, Colorado, Underground Construction Association of SME

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Minova USA management for their support for this project by supplying roof bolts and access to the Marion, Illinois facility to perform tensile tests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Engineering, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL-62901, USA

    Gopi Bylapudi & Kanchan Mondal

  2. China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China

    A. J. S. (Sam) Spearing

  3. Minova USA Inc., Georgetown, KY, USA

    Anand Bhagwat

Authors
  1. Gopi Bylapudi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. J. S. (Sam) Spearing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kanchan Mondal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Anand Bhagwat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gopi Bylapudi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict(s) of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bylapudi, G., Spearing, A.J.S., Mondal, K. et al. Design and Evaluation of the Roof Bolt Corrosion Test System in a Simulated Underground Coal Mine Environment. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 37, 593–604 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-019-00164-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-019-00164-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation