Application of FRP Bolts in Monitoring the Internal Force of the Rocks Surrounding a Mine-Shield Tunnel

Monitoring the internal force of the rocks surrounding a mine-shield tunnel for the initial support of a mine-shield tunnel, in complex geological and hydrological environments, requires bolts with specific features such as high tensile strength, low shear strength, good insulation and resistance to corrosion. As such, internal force monitoring has become an important issue in safety monitoring for such tunneling projects. In this paper, the adaptability of a mine-shield tunnel project in a corrosive environment is investigated. A fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) bolt with high tensile strength, low shear strength, resistance to fatigue, non-conductivity and resistance to corrosion is used as a probe in tandem with an anchor-head dynamometer to monitor the internal force of the rocks surrounding a mine-shield tunnel for initial support. Additionally, solar energy collection technology is introduced to create a remote monitoring system. Using a 2.5 km long railway tunnel located in the northeast of the Pearl River Delta of China as a case study, the present study shows that, compared with a conventional steel bolt, the FRP bolt has advantages, such as avoidance of the risks associated with the shield machine, insulation and resistance to corrosion. As a probe, the response of the FRP bolt to events such as a blasting vibration and a construction disturbance that results in internal changes in the surrounding rock demonstrates a clear pattern that is appropriate for monitoring the internal force of the rocks surrounding a mine-shield tunnel in a corrosive environment. FRP bolt-based monitoring not only provides new technological support for controlling the risk involved in the initial support of a mine-shield tunnel but can also be widely deployed in projects with special requirements for disassembly, conductivity and corrosion.