ABSTRACT
Cable bolting is a support method for the pre-reinforcement of rock masses. It has the potential to strengthen rock masses and make them more ductile, thus decreasing the number of rock anchors which need to be installed after the excavation. Cable bolting may also be able to upgrade the construction efficiency and the stability of underground caverns, such as underground hydropower stations. Nevertheless, cable bolting has not been used much yet in Japan. In this research, field experiments are planned and carried out in order to investigate the applicability of cable bolting to the construction of an underground powerhouse. Numerical simulations are also conducted to better understand the mechanism of the effects of cable bolting from the viewpoint of the path of the rock stress.
