Design bond stress parameters for rock anchors in Brisbane

Little published information is available on bond stress parameters at the grout-ground interface for the design of ground anchors within Brisbane rocks. In the absence of data, a designer will typically fall back to ‘universal’ correlations with measurable parameters such as Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) or descriptions of rock type to nominate design bond stress values. In doing so, there is often little understanding of the limitations of such correlations or how applicable those correlations are for the rocks encountered within the local region. A study of Proof Test data from testing of sacrificial ground anchors constructed within materials from the Brisbane Tuff and Neranleigh Fernvale Beds Stratigraphic Units for an infrastructure project in Brisbane has been carried out to consider bond stress values at the grout-ground interface. Materials within the bond zone of ground anchors constructed in Brisbane Tuff and Neranleigh Fernvale Beds units have been classified into different rock units based on rock substance strength and Geological Strength Index. Details of anchor construction and testing procedures are presented, together with the adopted approach to test interpretation. Data from Proof Testing of ground anchors bonded into these materials is then interpreted and evaluated for each unit, with relationships developed for each rock type for ultimate and yield bond stress values at the grout-ground interface as a function of rock substance strength (UCS) and rock mass strength (based on Hoek and Brown,2018). For both rock types, grout-ground interface bond stresses increase with rock strength and quality, with better correlations evident based on rock mass strength than for UCS data. Comparisons of the interpreted bond stress relationships based on UCS are made for both rock types to published information for ground anchors and shaft adhesion parameters for cast-in-situ piles. Suggestions are made for amendments to the Proof Anchor test method to reduce the potential for premature termination of the test and consequent underestimation of the bond stress, and to obtain consistency between Proof and Production test methods.