Comparative analysis of anchor cables in pullout tests using distributed fiber optic sensors

Abstract

The interaction mechanism between grouted anchor cables and the surrounding rock mass or soil are complicated and difficult to investigate using conventional monitoring technologies. This study focuses on the in-situ pullout behavior of grouted anchor cables using Brillouin Optical Time-Domain Analysis technique. A series of pullout tests were conducted on anchor cables with five different anchor lengths and three grouting methods. Distributed fiber optic sensors were used to measure the strain distribution of cable bolts from tip to top. The in-situ pullout test results show that both ultimate pullout resistance and ultimate displacement at the ultimate pullout resistance increase with anchor length. The bond strength suffers a slight variation with an increase in anchor length. Both ultimate pullout resistance and the ultimate displacement for Type-B grouting (grouting with reaming) and Type-C grouting (secondary grouting) are larger than those for Type-A grouting (one-time grouting). The shear bond strength of Type-C grouting is greater than that of Type-A grouting. Results from Gaussian functions analysis show that it is feasible to use the function to characterize the axial stress of anchor cables. Furthermore, the overall mobilized percentage η was evaluated. The anchor cables with smaller anchor lengths will result in greater η. The η for the anchor cables of 6 m reaches 92% at the last load, whereas the anchor cables of 18 m were mobilized by only 29% at the last load. The grouting method has a negligible effect on the η, increasing from 22% to 29% in process of the pullout test.