An experimental study of the validity of the round panel test method for shotcrete

Sammanfattning: Shotcrete (sprayed concrete) was used for the first time in 1914 and has become of  growing importance in stabilizing the excavated tunnel sections over the past century.  Even though the technology develops, there are some difficult tasks such as the design of a bolt anchored tunnel lining made of shotcrete. A proven and established design method does not exist today; instead the design of tunnel linings are based on trial and error or experience from similar projects. One method used today, to determine the actual structural behavior of fiber reinforced shotcrete, is the standard beam test method. Previous studies have shown that the beam method gives scattered results since the testing volume are relatively small and the fibers might be unevenly distributed.  In 1998, an alternative to determine the actual structural behavior of reinforced shotcrete was proposed, based on using round determinate panels. In 2004 this method became a part of the American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM, standards. The method has the potential of becoming a major, reliable test procedure that better reproduce the behavior of reinforced shotcrete in situ, compared to test beams. An experimental test series was performed to compare the different testing methods in terms of data variability and validity, in the laboratory of Vattenfall in Älvkarleby. The experiment was performed on 30 specimens in total, with five different concrete recipes. The difference in the recipe was the fiber and cement content. The round panels are designed according to ASTM C-1550 and the beams according to SS-EN14488-3. The results from the experiment is here presented and evaluated, and also including the data variability and validity for the proposed method. The two basic testing methods of using beams and round panels are investigated, compared and evaluated, and their advantages and disadvantages discussed.