Service-life-prediction and field application of glass fiber-reinforced polymer tubular and solid bolts based on laboratory physical and mechanical assessment
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online October, 2018
Service-life-prediction and field application of glass fiber-reinforced polymer tubular and solid bolts based on laboratory physical and mechanical assessment
This paper presents the physical, mechanical, and durability characterization of glass fiber-reinforced polymer solid and tubular bars. These bars were subsequently used as rock bolts for ground control of the Jurong Rock Caverns in Singapore. The long-term performance of these bars was assessed under harsh environmental exposure (saline solution) simulating the subsea cavern water. The test parameters were (1) type of bars (solid and tubular), (2) temperature (20, 40, and 50℃), and (3) conditioning time (1000, 3000, and 5000 h). The measured tensile strengths of the bars before and after exposure were considered as a measure of the durability performance of the specimens and were used for long-term properties prediction based on a theoretical model. Moreover, microstructural analyzes using scanning electronic microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry are also conducted to investigate the deterioration of fiber, matrix, and the fiber/matrix interface due to environmental conditioning. The results show the very high long-term durability of solid and tubular glass fiber-reinforced polymer rock bolts exposed to field conditions. The predicted tensile strength retention at a MAT of 32℃, with an RH of 100%, is 0.90 and 0.82 for a service life of 100 years for solid and tubular glass fiber-reinforced polymer bars, respectively. Based on the findings of this research, the tested glass fiber-reinforced polymer rock bolts were recommended as alternatives to stainless-steel rock bolts and successfully used as ground control in the Jurong Rock Caverns in Singapore.
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