Parametric studies of total load-bearing capacity of steel arch supports

Abstract

The supports in roadways are dimensioned to the amount of the load applied during the roadway's life. Roadways are exposed to the effect of rock pressure associated with the roadway drivage and with subsequent operations that extract coal, which significantly affect the original stability of rock mass. This induced secondary stress leads to the disturbance of sedimentary rocks, which are mostly of slight and medium strength, and to the significant deformations in roadways. The gate-roads are mainly supported with yielding steel arch support (TH profiles). The load-bearing capacity of the steel arch supports is a key parameter in the design of roadways support. Determination of this parameter can be done using large testing frames in experimental laboratories. Another essentially cheaper way is to create a computer model which exhibits a good correlation with respect to the existing data from equivalent laboratory conditions. In this paper, we present the validated computer model of the steel arch supports through which the influences of important factors, namely different materials, number of the clamps in the yielding friction joints, and different values of tightening torque on the total load-bearing capacity, were determined. This parametrical study was created based on the practical requirements from industry, and the obtained results will be reflected in the design of new types of steel arch supports.