High-resolution finite element modeling for bond in high-strength concrete beam

• Published in: Engineering structures 2018-10, Vol.173, p.918-932
• Main Authors: Seok, Seungwook, Haikal, Ghadir, Ramirez, Julio A., Lowes, Laura N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bond behavior of bar splices; Bonding strength; Calibration; Computer simulation; Concrete construction; Deformation; Finite element analysis; Finite element method; Finite element simulation; High resolution; High strength concretes; Iron; Joint strength; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Modeling strategy; Reinforced concrete; Reinforcing steels; Rib-scale; Steel; Steel structures
• ISSN: 0141-0296; 1873-7323
• DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.06.068

•Physics-based computational modeling for bond in high-strength concrete beam splices.•Explicit modeling of bar geometry including ribs using contact models available in ABAQUS.•Calibration of the material parameters in the developed finite element model.•Simulation of eight different beam splice tests with different bond conditions.•Good agreement between experiments and FE simulations for all the test specimens. This study presents a physics-based rib-scale finite element (FE) model to study bond-zone behavior for spliced longitudinal bars in reinforced concrete beams subjected to monotonically increasing loading. In this model, a high-resolution mesh is used in the vicinity of the bar-concrete interface to capture the geometry of the ribs on the reinforcing steel. At the concrete-bar interface, a contact formulation that properly represents normal and frictional force transfer is used; adhesion between concrete and steel is ignored. The FE model is calibrated using data from beam splice tests performed by Ramirez and Russell [1]. It is observed that concrete tensile strength and tangential friction at the concrete-steel interface determine simulated response; these quantities are calibrated to provide accurate simulation of experimental results. The calibrated model provides results in good agreement with test data. Load-displacement response as well as concrete crack patterns are accurately simulated, and the proposed model can distinguish between the behavior of uncoated and epoxy-coated deformed bars as well as simulate the impact on bond strength of confinement provided by transverse steel.