Hinojosa, M, Vallejos, JA, Marambio, E, Suzuki, K, Fischer, G & von Rickenbach, G 2023, 'A laboratory-scale dynamic test of load distribution elements at Rancagua testing facility', in J Wesseloo (ed.), Ground Support 2023: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Ground Support in Mining, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 411-424, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2325_27
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/2325_27_Marambio/)
Abstract: Ground support systems must provide safe and effective designs for underground excavations under highstress conditions. These systems must be capable of resisting dynamic impacts and yielding during the loading process. In this context, dynamic testing of the reinforcement and load distribution (retention) elements that compose the ground support system are required. In the last decade, Geobrugg has been working on the improvement of ground support systems, by testing them in a large-scale impact test facility located at Walenstadt, Switzerland. During the last years, this innovative facility has been used to test several configurations of ground support systems. The results of those tests have improved the understanding of the behaviour of ground support systems under dynamic loads. Inspired by those results, Geobrugg has built a new testing facility for load distribution elements (in its first stage of implementation: calibration) at Rancagua, Chile. The facility is composed of a loading mass that is released in freefall onto a test sample of a load distribution element (mesh). In this paper, the arrangement, measurement, result, and analysis of a preliminary laboratory-scale dynamic test for a load distribution element carried out in this new facility is presented.

Keywords: ground support capacity, high-stress conditions, rockburst, dynamic testing, underground excavations