EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE LOSS OF BOND BETWEEN REBARS AND CONCRETE EXPOSED TO HIGH TEMPERATURES

Abstract

Within the context of the most usual construction materials for building and civil infrastructures, concrete stands out because of its excellent behaviour when exposed to high temperatures and fire condition. The present study focuses on the residual bond strength between concrete and steel rebars after exposure to elevated temperatures and natural cooling to room temperature. Normal strength and high strength concretes have been tested, as well as polypropylene and steel fibre reinforced concretes. The bond strength has been measured using the pull-out test. Compressive and tensile strength have also been determined. Some specimens have been tested at an age of 28 days and at room temperature. At 60 days the tests have been repeated at room temperature and after heating up to three temperature ranges: 450°C, 650°C and 825°C. Before each of the three heating phases, the specimens were pre-heated during 3 hours at 120 °C. After these experiments it has been possible to assess the loss of steel-concrete bonding for higher temperatures. The addition of fibres has no clear influence on the bonding at ambient condition. However, an improvement on the residual bonding strength has been observed for steel fibre reinforced concrete under high temperatures.