Shear strength evaluation of reinforced rock discontinuities

The evaluation of the shaer strength of a rock discontinuity reinforced by passive bolts (dowels) is needed in order to determine the stability condition of a reinforced rock mass. The dowel contribution is strictly connetected to the rock mass deformation as the diffrent stiffness of s the dowel.teel and rock induces a stress state within the dowel. A specific laboratory device has been set up to measure the shear strength of rock discontinuities reinforced by dowels. Several laboratory tests have been perfromed by changing: steel type, bar diameter, reinforcement type (bars and pipes) and rock type.