Laboratory testing of fully resin grouted weldgrip fiberglass rockbolts

Composite bolts are the new generation of bolts offering advantages such as being cuttable and light weight as well as being non-corrosive. There is only limited independent information available regarding their mechanical properties, therefore, more than sixteen such elements were investigated to evaluate their support performance in the laboratory under controlled testing environment. Weldgrip composite bolt, a solid tendon, was among the few patented composite tendon which due to their performance was found to have significant potential to be used in underground mining environment. Weldgrip bolts load carrying capacity and ductility in the elastic range is similar to that of existing steel supports, however their post peak performance is different. During the pull out process of Weldgrip bolts, it was found that they have tensile load sustaining capacity of 300 kN. The shear capacity of fully grouted Weldgrip bolts was found to be in the range of 80- 100 kN.