ABSTRACT
This chapter covers the present design philosophy of support and reinforcement for rock engineering structures. A description of available design approaches is given and discussed.
In the empirical methods, rock mass classification systems are extensively used for feasibility and pre-design studies, and often also for the final design. Nevertheless, considerations of global and local instability modes are essential for the design of rock support and rock reinforcement. Several modern rock classification systems have been explained, and quantitative assessments have been done based on RMQR. An overview of the kinds of rock loads and the procedures to determine their magnitude, empirical, analytical, and numerical techniques has been provided and discussed, with the objective of unifying the present methods of design.
Presently available support members and their functions are described and discussed, with an emphasis on rockbolts and rockbolting. Although various reinforcement effects of rockbolts are generally classified as internal pressure effect, improving the physical properties of ground, suspension effect, shear reinforcement, beam building effect, arch formation effect, it is shown that they are, in a real sense, associated with their axial and shear responses and the interaction taking place between themselves and the surrounding medium under given loading and boundary conditions.
