ABSTRACT

Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) of cable bolts is an unresolved global issue in underground mines, which not only reduce operational efficiency at the mines but also compromise the safety of the working environments. SCC can result in catastrophic consequences without readily visible sign of damage. To understand this failure phenomenon, a new laboratory-based testing program for investigating the SCC of cable bolts is developed. A new load frame capable of inducing tensile loads on full-size cable bolt specimens is designed and constructed. To simulate the loading experienced by cable bolts in service, specimens are loaded under Periodically Increasing Strain Rate (PISR) conditions in simulated underground environments. The proposed testing program provides a platform for investigating SCC using full-size cable bolts and proved to be an appropriate and reliable technique.