ABSTRACT
Fully grouted, untensioned bolts have been commonly used in rock mechanics (mines, rock fall stability, underground works) for many years. The experience accumulated on this subject gives the know-how for the bolt reinforcement calculation and execution, but it does not explain the mechanical behaviour of the bolted rock joint. The Rock Mechanics Laboratory of EPFL, Switzerland, has accumulated extensive experience over the years with experimental and numerical research on bolted rock joints. The object of this paper is to discuss and compare the results of large scale (1:1) laboratory tests of bolt-reinforced rock with those obtained by 3D FEM calculations, looking for the global behaviour of jointed rock, reinforced by bolts.
