12.

ROCK BOLTS

12.1 GENERAL

Read the concrete and prestressing clauses for additional (and the majority of) clauses covering
 grout,
 grouting,
 safety.
Comply with this section for the drilling and waterproofing of holes, the manufacture, installation, grouting
and testing of all rock bolts.
Comply with the concrete, rock anchor, and prestressing sections of this Specification except where this
section has different requirements.
Tender on the rock bolt system shown on the Drawings.
No alternative system will be considered unless:
 its tender is also accompanied by a tender based on the system shown on the Drawings,
 all details of the alternative system are fully documented and submitted with the tender (complete with
design calculations and working drawings (at the same scale as the original drawings) including
all modifications necessary to any reinforcement.
Do not make, install, or grout any bolts except under the direct supervision of persons experienced in
those activities.
Supply the following with the tender:
 Drawings giving full details of the proposed bolts. (Schematic drawings are not acceptable).
 Method statement, including arrangement of equipment and materials and step by step details of the
fabrication process.
Rock bolts may be used for supporting the cliff-face, sway cable, anchor block formwork if the
Superintendent is satisfied that the details are such that the rock bolt and its grout will not be
overstressed and the bolt will not be a corrosion problem in the future.
Provide the Superintendent with complete and adequate details of:
 the proposed rock bolts and method of attaching the formwork,
 construction sequence and timings,
 details of the long term corrosion protection of the ends of the rock bolts (if left exposed),
Standard cogged ends of reinforcing bars may be used in lieu of the threaded terminal shown on the
drawings. The latter was intended to facilitate the support of the anchor block formwork.

12.2 ROCK BOLT COMPONENTS

12.2.1 General

Use grade D500 reinforcing bar.

Galvanise the bars after fabrication.
Comply with the grouting clauses of the rock anchor section.
Galvanise nuts and plates that do not have the specified clear cover of concrete.
12.2.2 Bond Length

The bond length shown on the Drawings is predicated on an assumed rock bond strength of 700 kPa, a
required length to distribute forces into a particular volume of rock, and to knit the volume of rock
together at a certain spacing.
Obtain the Superintendent's confirmation of this bond length for each rock bolt location after drilling the
hole.
Confirmation (or otherwise) will be given within 2 days of the Superintendent's receipt of a written request
and borehole information.
Provide additional bolts if directed by the Superintendent.
Locate the bolts where directed by the Superintendent.
Remove all contaminants and materials deleterious to bond with concrete from the bolt.

12.3 BOREHOLES

12.3.1 Drilling

Drill holes for the rock bolts of diameters to suit the bolts proposed.
Drill holes to at least to the depths indicated on the Drawings.
Drill an extra length of 200 mm below the bond length to leave a space for the deposition of cuttings that
cannot be flushed out of the drill hole.
Do not deviate from the specified alignment by more than 150 mm in any 3m length of drillhole.
Do not deviate from the specified borehole position at the anchorage by more than 200 mm (in a
direction perpendicular to the hole's axis).
Grout-up out of tolerance boreholes. Redrill them at a position and orientation specified by the
Superintendent:
Flush drillholes clean on completion of drilling unless otherwise approved by the Superintendent.
Protect or seal the borehole's opening to prevent the entry of foreign matter.
Record the details of drilling every borehole.
Use forms provided by the Superintendent for those records.
Submit completed records within a day of completing the water testing.

12.3.2 Water Testing

Water test every drillhole to determine the likelihood of grout loss.

Fill the drillhole with water to provide the required net test pressure.
Alternatively, undertake the test using a drillhole packer to seal off the section under test.
Place the packer 500 mm below the entrance to the hole.
Waterproof grout and redrill the bond length prior to water testing if approved by the Superintendent.
Apply a water pressure at the nearest end of the bond length equal to one tenth of an atmosphere (10
kPa).
Carry out waterproof grouting if the water loss in this period exceeds the volume of 200 mm length of
borehole.
Record full details of all water tests.
Use the recording forms provided by the Superintendent and submit them within a day of completion.
12.3.3 Waterproof Grouting

Comply with the procedures for final grouting.

Use a pressure not exceeding that agreed by the Superintendent.
Flush or drill out the borehole after waterproofing grouting.
Re-apply the water test.
Continually monitor grout volumes during injection.
Cease grouting if:
 the injected volume exceeds 3 times the expected grout take,
 grout begins issuing into nearby caves, or,
 grout begins issuing from the adjacent cliffs or terrain.
Agree a subsequent course of action for waterproof grouting before recommencing the grouting
operations.
Immediately wash away any overspill of grout and clean the surrounding terrain to its pre-existing
condition.

12.4 INSERTION OF BOLTS – HOLD POINT

Do not install any bolts in boreholes until the hole has been water tested and the water loss deemed to
be acceptable.
Hold Point - Do not install any bolts in boreholes before the Superintendent:
 has inspected and approved the bolts,
 has received the drilling and water test records, and,
 has inspected and approved the borehole.
Assist the Superintendent in his inspection of the drillhole.
Insert the bolts into grout filled holes using a rotary motion to ensure full contact and bond between the
grout and bolt.
Insert the bolt to its full depth in the hole.
Cut off and replace the bolt with additional, adjacent bolts if the bolt does not penetrate the full depth.
Replace the bolt with additional, adjacent bolts if the bolts are not placed in their final position within 15
minutes of grouting the hole.
These additional bolts (and all costs and delays associated with them) will not be measured and paid for.

12.5 GROUTING

12.5.1 General

Comply with the concrete, rock anchor, and prestressing sections of this Specification except as varied
below.

12.5.2 Strength

Take one sample for each fresh grout batch.

Take the samples less than one hour after the grout was mixed.
Divide each sample of grout into three specimens.
Test each specimen to determine the amount of bleeding.
Prepare three grout cubes for cube strength determination from each sample.
Attain a grout cube strength of at least 40 MPa at 28 days.
Use 100 mm cubes.

12.5.3 Grouting Procedure

Grout from the bottom of the hole.

Grout at a slow, steady rate.
Continue grouting until emerging grout has the same composition and consistency as the mixed grout.

12.5.4 Grouting Records

Record the full details of the grouting operation for each bolt, on a form provided by the Superintendent.
Submit the completed record to the Superintendent.

12.6 REQUIRED STRENGTH AND AGE OF GROUT FOR LOADING

Do not load the anchors until the grout has achieved a compressive strength of 30 MPa and is more than
seven days old.

12.7 TEST BOLTS AND LOAD TEST

12.7.1 General

Install and test to failure 3 rock bolts to verify the strength of the assumed rock to grout bond strengths.
Complete the tests prior to installing and grouting any production bolts (the details of the production bolts
may be adjusted if design parameters have to be modified in the light of the test results).
Locate the bolts:
 in material similar to that in which the production bolts will be founded,
 at a position agreed with the Superintendent,
 within 20 metres of one of the abutments.
Demolish and remove all visible traces of the bolts after the tests if the bolts are located in positions
accessible to the public (unless otherwise agreed with the Superintendent).

12.7.2 Bolt Configuration and Design

Construct, fabricate and install the bolts in exactly the same way as the proposed production bolts except
as modified below.
Incorporate the following features into the test bolts:
 bond length of 1.0m,
 free length 1.5m,
 approved slip layer or void former wrapped continuously around the outer circumference of the free
length,
 a void provided between the top of the grout column and the underside of the anchorage and jacking
plate (to prevent the jacking force being applied directly to the grout column in compression).
Design and detail the test bolts and a suitable reaction (or anchor) block.
Submit full working drawings, proposed construction and testing sequence to the Superintendent for
approval.
Do not commence fabrication of any portion of the test bolts until approval of the details have been
received.
Do not commence designing the test bolts until all details of the production bolts have been approved.

12.7.3 Testing and Measuring

Supply full details of the proposed loading and measuring equipment, and its setup and its intended
mode of usage, to the Superintendent for approval.
Comply with the rock anchor section for calibration and relative accuracy requirements of loading and
measuring equipment.
Measure the deflection of the reaction block to an accuracy of 0.5mm.
Measure the extension of the bolts relative to the reaction block to an accuracy of 0.1mm.
Monitor and record the extension of the bolts and the deflection of the reaction block at the following
intervals each time an increment of load is applied:
 immediately
 1 minute
 5 minutes
 5 minute intervals until 30 minutes after application of the load increment.
Load the anchor in increments of 5 per cent of the bolt's breaking load.
Continue loading the bolt until:
 reaching (but do not exceed) 80 percent of the bolt breaking load, or,
 the bolt fails in either rock or grout bond failure.
Bond failure is deemed to have occurred when the total calculated movement of the bolt within its bond
length exceeds 10mm.
Make allowance for the theoretical elastic extension of the bolts and the deflection of the reaction block
when calculating the movement in the bond region.

12.7.4 Removal and Clearing Up

Demolish and remove all above ground evidence of the test bolts after completion of the test unless
otherwise agreed by the Superintendent.
Reinstate the terrain to the pre-existing condition to the satisfaction of the Superintendent.
ROCK BOLTS