Experiment on mechanical properties of steel fiber reinforced concrete and application in deep underground engineering

Specimens of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) in volume ratios of 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% were prepared to study the supporting effect of SFRC at these different volume ratios in a deep soft rock tunnel. Experiments with mechanical properties of compressive strength in cubic specimens, cleave strength in cylindrical specimens and four-point flexure strength of sheet metal specimens were carried out. The experimental results indicate that SFRC in a volume ratio of 1% is superior in ranking to other volume ratios in terms of technique and economics. By means of a numerical simulation, given the characteristics of soft rock deformation and damage at great depth, a new support substitution scheme of SFRC to replace plain concrete is proposed. The results of an industrial trial show that the support provided by SFRC can withstand large deformations of the surrounding rock. Good results have been obtained in a practical application.