• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2020

The excavation broken zones (EBZ) of gateways is a significant factor in determining the stability of man-made opening. The EBZ of 55 gateways with variety geological conditions were measured using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). The results found that the greatly depth of EBZ, the smallest is 1.5 m and the deepest is 3.5 m. Experimental investigations were carried out in the laboratory and in the coal mine fields for applying the combined arch support theory to large EBZ. The studies found that resin bolts with high tensile strength and good bond force could provide high pretension force with bolt extensible anchorage method in the field. Furthermore, the recently invented torque amplifier could greatly improve the bolt pretension force in poor lithology. The FLAC3D numerical simulation found that the main diffusion sphere of pretension force was only in the free segment zone of the surrounding rock. Further analysis found that the initial load-bearing zone thickness of the combined arch structure in large EBZ could be expressed by the free segment length of bolt. The using of high mechanical property bolts and steel with high pretension force will clearly putting forward the bolt length selection rule based on the combined arch support theory.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.29-42
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• 2022

In mountainous areas of China, concrete poles with connectors are widely employed in power transmission due to its convenience of manufacture and transportation. The bearing capacity of the poles must have degenerated over time, and most of the steel connectors have been corroded. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) offers a durable, light-weight alternative in strengthening those poles that have served for many years. In this paper, the bearing capacity and failure mechanism of CFRP sheet strengthened existing reinforced concrete poles with corrosion steel connectors were investigated. Four poles were selected to conduct flexural capacity test. Two poles were strengthened by single-layer longitudinal CFRP sheet, one pole was strengthened by double-layer longitudinal CFRP sheets and the last specimen was not strengthened. Results indicate that the failure is mainly bond failure between concrete and the external CFRP sheet, and the specimens fail in a brittle pattern. The cross-sectional strains of specimens approximately follow the plane section assumption in the early stage of loading, but the strain in the tensile zone no longer conforms to this assumption when the load approaches the failure load. Also, bearing capacity and stiffness of the strengthened specimens are much larger than those without CFRP sheet. The bearing capacity, initial stiffness and elastic-plastic stiffness of specimen strengthened by double-layer CFRP are larger than those strengthened by single-layer CFRP. Weighting the cost-effective effect, it is more economical and reasonable to strengthen with single-layer CFRP sheet. The results can provide a reference to the same type of poles for strengthening design.