Analytical model for the design of grouted rock bolts

An analytical model which represents the behaviour of a reinforced rock mass near a circular underground opening in a homogeneous, uniform stress field has been developed. The theory adopts the concepts of elastoplasticity and considers a proper interaction mechanism between the ground and the grouted (or friction) bolts. It highlights the influence of the bolt pattern on the extent of the yield zone and tunnel deformation. A dimensionless parameter is introduced as a design tool which relates the tunnel convergence to the bolt spacing for a given bolt length. This publication contains the derivation of the analytical model and an illustration of the effect of bolts on the stress and displacement field near an opening. Its application to tunnel design is discussed briefly. The verification of the theory by laboratory simulation and field measurements will be presented, in detail, in a future publication.