Profile of Sheared Cable Bolts Strand Wires

For the past several decades cable bolt technology has been used for ground reinforcement in civil, mining and other construction projects. The strength properties of these cables, used as cable bolts, have been evaluated mainly by their ultimate tensile strength as this kind of test could be carried out in the field as well as in the laboratory. Only recently there has been a growing interest in cable bolt failures in shear because of documented field failure evidence. A series of single and double shear tests were carried out to study the extent shear failure of cable bolts in concrete blocks. Tests were made using both single and double shear rigs at the University of Wollongong. Various types of marketed cable bolts were tested using both types of shearing equipment. Various pertinent parameters were examined with direct influence on the failure characteristics of cable bolts were examined. This paper illustrates the strand wires failure profiles in both test methods and with particular focus being directed to the shear failures of both plain and indented cable bolts currently used in Australian mines. The nature of cable failure and the extent of sheared cable displacement affecting the profile of broken strands wires are reported to indicate the way the cable bolt has failed and its failure load.