Rock bolts under cyclic loading: Mechanical performance and damage assessment by acoustic emissions

Rock bolt support is one of the key methods to maintain the stability of underground space. The durability of the rock bolt can be weakened by cyclic loading, resulting in premature failure of the underground structures. A comprehensive understanding of the performance of the bolting system under cyclic loading is essential to assess the safety of the bolting system and underground structures. In this context, this study investigated the mechanical performance of rock bolts installed in simulated soft and medium hard rock and subjected to cyclic loading. The Acoustic Emission (AE) technique was used to monitor internal damage to the bolt system under different loading conditions. A cumulative AE energy slope method has been proposed to determine the onset of the macro crack formation stage. The rock bolt demonstrated an extended fatigue life in soft rock, but its condition worsened when implanted in medium hard rock. The cyclic loading resulted in a slight improvement in the load bearing capacity of the soft rock bolt system and a significant deterioration in the medium hard rock bolt counterpart. The main fatigue failure modes of the rock bolt systems were splitting and shear failure of the surrounding rock, and debonding of the interface. Increasing the amplitude of the cyclic loading reduced the macro crack initiation cycle for both rock bolt systems, whereas increasing the frequency had different effects. The damage variable increased with frequency and amplitude for both rock bolt systems. The toughness of the soft rock bolt degraded during cyclic loading, while the high frequency cyclic loading did not modify the toughness of the medium hard rock bolt.