Laboratory testing of shotcrete with fibres of steel, basalt or synthetic materials

Abstract: Shotcrete or sprayed concrete has become an inevitable material for stabilising and supporting hard rock tunnels. To prevent rock block fallouts in the excavated tunnel, shotcrete is pneumatically projected under high pressure on the rock surface. This method has proven to reduce the construction time drastically, and the addition of fibres in the shotcrete material results in Fibre Reinforced Shotcrete (FRS). The fibres increased the strength of the parent matrix and made the reinforcement bar (mesh) placing procedure with its heavy labour work unnecessary. Even though FRS have been in use for many years, to design FRS lining there are currently no complete, widely used guidelines. Traditionally, the most frequently used testing was a traditional beam testing method which helps to determine the FRS mechanical properties. Previous studies prove that the result from beams often show a high scatter in the results. Another proposed standard testing method is the Round Determinate Panel method to determine the energy absorption capacity. This method has the potential to be a reliable test procedure with a repeatable and predictable crack pattern.In this project, an experimental investigation was carried out to understand the behaviour of macro fibres of steel, basalt and synthetic materials in FRS. The specimens were sprayed in situ and cast in laboratory, of which the in situ samples were assigned to different curing conditions. The test standard ASTM C-1550 was used to design the round panels and SS-EN 14488-3 for the beams. Each type of FRS specimen’s compressive strength was tested, evaluated and compared. The single fibre pullout strength was tested to determine the bond strength between shotcrete and fibres.The calculated results showed the coefficient of variation (COV) of energy absorption capacity from panels varied within 3 % – 13 % and the residual strength of beams within 12 % – 35 %. Irrespective of testing method, the Dramix 3D steel fibre and Minibars basalt fibre for the tested cases showed the lowest dispersion of result. Minibars showed a significant increase in compressive strength compared to the other fibres. Single fibre pullout testing concluded that the steel fibre had superior load capacity at the first crack. Minibars showed a strength close to that of steel fibres and a failure mode similar to that with synthetic fibres.