You are on page 1of 13

Development of Yield-Lok* Yielding Rock Bolts

Rocky Y. Wu, Vice-President of Engineering, Jennmar of Canada, Sudbury, ONT


John Oldsen, Vice-President, Research & Development, KMS, Jennmar Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
Rob Gagnon, Technical Sale Representative, Jennmar of Canada, Sudbury, ONT



ABSTRACT

A rock burst is one of the greatest challenges to ground control in the mining industry. There are
more and more industry requirements on yielding rock support. Since 2008, J ennmar
Corporation has been conducting large scale research and development work to develop a
technically reliable and cost effective yielding rock bolt. This paper introduces a new yielding
rock bolt --- Yield-Lok
*
. The bolt is characterized by the designed yielding ability to produce
150 ~200mm of deflection at 8 ~10 tons loads for every 16.4kJ energy input. Its performance
characteristics are consistent through multiple and varying amplitude of impacts. In this paper,
the design criteria of the bolt and the principle of performance are described; the dynamic testing
results are discussed; and the features and application of the bolt are presented.



INTRODUCTION

Rock burst is a dynamic failure of rock mass accompanied with seismic and collapse of stopes
and drifts, which can result in injury to workers and damage to equipment and infrastructure.
Rock burst is one of the greatest challenges to ground control in Canada and around the world.
This is because:

The occurrence of a rock burst is unpredictable in its time, location, magnitude, and the
scale of damage.
All of the mining countries in the world have experienced rock bursts in mining and civil
engineering projects.
With the increasing mining depths and mining scale, there will be more and more mines
facing rock burst hazards

Since 1980, extensive research and development on yielding rock bolts has been conducted. A
few kinds of yielding bolts have been successively developed and some have been applied in
mines. The typical products are the cone bolt developed by COMRO, South Africa (J ager 1992),
the modified cone bolt developed by Noranda, Canada (Simser, J oughin and Ortlepp 2001), the
Dynamic Solid Bolt produced by Garford in 2008 (http://www.garfordcablebolts.com.au/), and
the Roofex yielding rock bolt produced by Atlas Copco (Harven and Ozbay 2009).


*Yield-Lok, Patent Pending
Basically, the yielding mechanism of these bolts can be classified into two categories. The
yielding of the cone bolt (or modified cone bolt) results from pulling the cone though grouting
agents, such as resin or cement, when a rockburst event occurs. Its performance, therefore,
significantly depends on the properties of the grout, the diameter of drill hole, mixing efficiency
and encapsulation condition. Since in most cases these factors are not completely under control,
the performance of a cone bolt may be less consistent and repeatable. The yielding of Dynamic
Solid Bolt and Roofex is produced by pulling the bolt through a dynamic device. The dynamic
device is manufactured in a workshop, enabling the bolt to perform consistently, but is inherently
costly.

There are more and more industry requirements on developing a performance-reliable and cost-
effective yielding rock support.

Since 2008, J ennmar has been conducting research and testing to develop a new yielding rock
bolt. Its trade name is Yield-Lok
*
. In this paper, the design and components of the Yield-Lok
*

bolt are introduced, the dynamic testing results are presented, the mechanism of yielding is
discussed, and the feature and application of this bolt is summarized.


DESIGN CRITERIA OF YIELD-LOK
*
BOLT

The general principle of ground control in rock burst prone conditions is to transfer the dynamic
energy of a rockburst event to the yielding support system to facilitate absorption and controlled
deformation of rock mass while providing containment of materials, or simply helping the rock
mass to support itself (Hoek, 1980).

When subjected to dynamic loading from a rockburst event, the rock mass will experience shear
and dilatory displacement and fracture as illustrated in Figure 1 (Ortlepp 1992). Therefore, in
addition to the specified axial yielding performance, the yielding bolt should be able to provide
high and stiff shearing reinforcement to prevent the rockmass from shearing displacement and
fracture.




Figure 1 Inferred fracture of rockmass resulting from a rockburst, after Ortlepp (1992)
According to J ager (1992) and rockbursting ground support practices in Canadian hard rock
mines, the design criteria of Yield-Lok
*
bolts are specified as below:

1. The total energy absorption capacity >25kJ
2. Static yield load >10 ton
3. Average dynamic yield of 8 ~10 ton at 150 ~250mm displacement per input of 16.4kJ
energy at 5.4 m/s loading speed.
4. Be able to withstand multiple and varying amplitude of impacts and performance
characteristics must be reliable and repeatable
5. High shear stiffness and strength




DESIGN AND COMPONENTS OF YIELD-LOK
*
BOLT

The design and components of Yield-Lok
*
bolts are illustrated in Figure 2. The bolt is made of
, grade 75 round bar with the minimum yield and ultimate tensile load of 12.5 ton and 16.7
ton, respectively. The bar is upset to specified dimensions at one end and partially or fully
encapsulated in an engineered polymer coating to achieve designed yielding performance under
dynamic loading. The end profile of the polymer coating is configured to aid insertion of the
bolt and, along with mixing/centering paddles longitudinally spaced over the length of the
coating, provides shredding of resin cartridge packaging. The other end of the bar is threaded for
tensioning with a nut. A dome plate and spherical washer are used for angle compensation and
to load the bolt axially.
















Upset
Polymer Coating



Figure 2 Design and components of Yield-Lok
*
bolt
PRINCIPLE AND FUNCTION OF YIELD-LOK
*
BOLT

The Yield-Lok
*
bolt is fully or partially resin grouted. The principle of yielding performance is
based on the inter-action between the upset, polymer coating, and resin. The function of each
element is illustrated in Figure 3.


Resin
Drill holein rock
Polymer encapsulation
Upset and bolt
Plowing marks left in
Polymer after pulling
the upset through it


















Figure 3 Interactions between the upset, polymer and resin


The angled segments of the polymer coating aids to shred the resin cartridge packing during
insertion of the bolt into resin and enhances anchorage. Resin mixing is facilitated by
deformations on the polymer coating similar to rebar. The bolt is tensioned and provides
immediate primary support on installation. In static loading conditions, the Yield-Lok
*
bolt
performs completely similar to a rebar bolt, providing stiff reinforcement and detainment of the
rock mass. In dynamic loading conditions, the upset transfers the impacts on the surrounding
polymer coating, resulting in confined compression, thermal softening and flow of the polymer
around the upset, and creates a plowing effect. The dynamic energy is therefore absorbed by
pulling the upset through the polymer. A part of dynamic energy is consumed in the friction
between the smooth bar and the polymer coating.



Since the yielding elements (upset and polymer coating) are controlled in engineering design and
manufacturing, the product quality is reproducible. Therefore, the performance of the Yield-
Lok
*
bolt is constant throughout the full length of polymer encapsulation.

The function of the resin with Yield-Lok
*
bolt is only to provide confinement to the polymer as
opposed to a yielding element with the cone bolt. Hence, if it is fully grouted and solidly
confined, the performance of the Yield-Lok
*
bolt is basically independent of the type of grouting
media, mixing status, and drill hole diameter. Since the displacement mechanism is contained
within the polymer, debonding agents, such as grease, are not required to achieve the specified
plow effect and consistent performance.


DROP TESTS WITH YIELD-LOK
*
BOLT

Large scale drop tests were conducted at the CANMET testing facility in Ottawa to optimize the
polymer coating material and the geometry and size of the upset to achieve the specified
performance. As many as 50 bolt samples were tested and in total more than 100 drops were
conducted.

Boreholes were simulated by 12 mm-thick steel tubes with the internal diameter of 34.5mm. The
steel tube preparation included a slight roughening of the inside surface over approximately the
last meter. This roughened section is referred to as the top of the tube where the bolt is grouted
with resin.



Figure 4 Drop test equipment and configuration at CANMET, Ottawa


Similar to rebar installation on site, the tube was first loaded with resin cartridges. A bolt was
then slowly spun into the tube at a steady advancement rate. Once the bolt reached the bottom,
the advancement was stopped and the bolt was rotated at a full speed of 220 ~350 rpm for an
extra 5 seconds to fully mix the resin.

Drop tests were conducted in a test rig with a capacity of 3 tons from a height of 2m (Figure 4).
For comparison with the existing yielding bolts, a drop weight of 1115kg and drop height of
1.5m were used for all tests. This corresponds to a loading speed of 5.4m/s and an input energy
of 16.4kJ .

The bolt sample was placed in the test rig by inserting it through the center of a magnet and
weight. The weight was lifted by the magnet to 1.5m above the plate and then the magnetic
force was de-energized to drop the weight on the plate.

Instrumentation consisted of plate and bolt end displacement monitors, and frame and plate load
cells. The instrumentation was connected to the data acquisition system which collected the data,
sampling at the rate of 10000 per second.

Table 4 Average values of displacements and loads obtained for each drop
Drop
No.
Plate
displ.
(m)
End
displ.
(m)
Steel
stretch
plastic (m)
Steel
elong
%
strain
End
displ.
%
total
Peak
load
(kN)
Avg
load
(kN)
Peak
plate
load
(kN)
Avg
plate
load
(kN)
1 0.207 0.198 0.008 0.48 96.0 129 99 114 93
2 0.218 0.211 0.007 0.42 96.7 187 87 159 81
3 0.239 0.230 0.009 0.53 96.3 167 81 142 73


J
e
n
-
4
3
J
e
n
-
4
5
J
e
n
-
4
6
J
e
n
-
4
8
J
e
n
-
4
9
A
v
e
r
a
g
e
Drop 1
Drop 2
Drop 3
0
40
80
120
160
200
240
280
E
n
d

d
i
s
p
l
.

(
m
m
)
Sample Series
No. of Impact



Figure 5 Summery of displacement obtained from tests with prototype bolts

The test results from 6 prototype Yield-Lok
*
bolts are summarised in Table 4 and Figure 5. As
indicated, all samples can withstand 3 impacts with minimal elongation of the steel. All samples
performed consistently as designed at a displacement of 170-230mm and average load of 8 10
tons (73 - 93 kN). The average displacement from plowing the upset through the polymer
coating accounts for 96% of the total displacements, while the steel elongation accounts for 4%
of the total displacement, or only 0.48% steel strain.

A typical testing result is presented in Figure 6. The upper is the autopsy of polymer
encapsulation after testing, while the lower is the load versus displacement curve of the bolt from
each drop test. As can be seen, the vibration frequency of the curve is very consistent with the
plow marking left in the polymer during pulling the upset though it. This verifies the yielding
mechanism of the Yield-Lok
*
bolt as described in the sections above.





















































Jen-50 - Drop 1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
0 50 100 150
Displacement (mm)
L
o
a
d

(
x
1
0
0
0
k
g
)

Figure 6a Typical test results from sample J en-50 (Drop 1)

















Jen-50 - Drop 2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
0 50 100 150 200
Displacement (mm)
L
o
a
d

(
x
1
0
0
0
k
g
)




























Figure 6b Typical test results from sample J en-50 (Drop 2)








































Jen-50 - Drop 3
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
0 50 100 150 200 250
Displacement (mm)
L
o
a
d

(
x
1
0
0
0
k
g
)


Figure 6c Typical test results from sample J en-50 (Drop 3)

YIELD-LOK
*
CONVERGENCE ROCK BOLTS

Varying ground conditions and mineral deposits require ground control mechanisms that allow
convergence of the supported ground over time. Through modifications to the upset diameter of
the Yield-Lok
*
bolt, a bolt that responds to convergence over time can be designed. Figure 7 and
8 graphically depict such a bolt. As can be seen, a designed bolt yield can be engineered for
specific mine conditions. The performance mechanism is similar to the Yield-Lok
*
bolt in that
the upset is pulled through the polymer coating under confined compression. Softening and
flowing of the polymer coating is also accomplished. The desired length of convergence allowed
is directly correlated to the polymer coating encapsulated length. In comparison with the
traditional yielding bolts such as Friction-Lok Stabilizer and Expanbolt (Swellex), the Yield-
Lok
*
bolt can provide high pre-tension and stiff shear resistance to the ground in addition to
consistent axial yielding, which is greatly beneficial for consolidating and stabilizing the rock
mass.




0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
L
O
A
D
T
O
N
S
Displacement mm
CONVERGENCEBOLT STATICPULLTEST
UPSETDIAMETER"A"


Figure 7 YIELD-LOK
*
Convergence Bolt

0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
L
O
A
D
T
O
N
S
Displacement mm
CONVERGENCEBOLT STATICPULLTEST
UPSETDIAMETER"B"


Figure 8 YIELD-LOK
*
Convergence Bolt









STUDY OF POLYMER FOR LOW TEMPERATURE

Transportation and handling of ground support products can encounter harsh and demanding
environmental conditions. Besides rough handling, extremely low temperatures are routinely
encountered during delivery of ground control products in Canada. To insure product
performance would not be comprised, several engineered polymer coatings were evaluated for
low temperature sensitivity. The selected polymer coating, as tested, was cycled to minus 70
degree centigrade from typical ambient mine conditions. Impact from a hammer as well as
striking polymer coated elements together at this temperature, did not result in damage or
deterioration of the polymer coating or its performance.







CONCLUSIONS

The Yield-Lok
*
bolt is characterized by consistent performance, wide suitability and cost
effective installation and application. The features and benefits of Yield-Lok
*
bolt can be
summarized as following:

1. Yield-Lok
*
bolt is suitable in static and dynamic load conditions and applicable as
primary support.
2. The performance characteristics of Yield-Lok
*
bolt are consistent through multiple and
varying amplitude of impacts, and the performance is independent of bore hole diameter
and resin properties.
3. Yield-Lok
*
bolt is suitable for typical mechanized and/or hand-held installation practices.
4. Installation and application are cost effective.
5. Yield-Lok
*
bolt can be configured to provide constant yield in convergence conditions,
providing high pretension and shear resistance.
6. The engineered Polymer coating performs down to -70 degrees centigrade.








REFERENCES

J ager, A.J ., 1992, Two New Support Units for Control of Rockburst Damage, Proceedings of
the International Symposium on Rock Support, Rock Support in Mining and Underground
Construction, Sudbury, ONT.

Simser, B., J oughin, W. and Ortlepp, W.D., 2001. The Performance of Brunswick Mines
Rockburst Support System During a Severe Seismic Episode, The 5
th
International Symposium
on Rockburst and Seismicity in Mines, J ohannesburg, South Africa.

Haven, S. and Ozbay, U. 2009, In-Situ Testing of Roofex Yielding Rock Bolts in Coal Ribs,
28
th
International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, Morgantown, WV, USA.

Hoek, E. 1980, Underground Excavations inRrock, London, UK, Inst. of Min. & Metal.

Ortlepp, W.D. 1992, Invited Lecture: The Design of Support for the Containment of Rockburst
Damage in Tunnels An Engineering Approach, Proceedings of the International Symposium
on Rock Support, Rock Support in Mining and Underground Construction, Sudbury, ONT.

You might also like