ABSTRACT
Specifications for post-crack performance of Fibre Reinforced Shotcrete (FRS) intended for ground support are often based on minimum residual strengths obtained using beams. However, residual strengths obtained from beam tests display a very high level of within-batch variability that makes this parameter a poor basis for Quality Control (QC) of toughness. It is proposed to develop a theoretical relationship between the required performance of FRS as quantified using beams and equivalent parameters derived using the far more reliable ASTM C-1550 round panel test. Not only is the C-1550 panel test a more reliable measure of post-crack performance, each set of panels is typically cheaper to produce and test than a set of beams. The present analysis is based on a theoretical consideration of material behaviour in each specimen type and will be validated using correlations developed from experimental data generated with both types of test.
