Pull-out behavior of galvanized steel strip in foam concrete

Abstract

The interface and bond between concrete and reinforcing steel are the most fundamental problems of reinforced concrete structures. In this paper, the pull-out strength of galvanized steel strips with different geometries and hole patterns in foam concrete blocks are investigated experimentally and numerically. Foam concrete mixtures of 1,200-kg/m3 density were obtained by mixing cement and water in a mortar mixer together with ultrafoam as the foaming agent and Quick-Gel as the viscosifier. A theoretical model is developed to predict the bond-slip relationship between the strip and the concrete. This model is further implemented in a finite element simulation of the pull-out tests through the ABAQUS user subroutine. The results show good correlation between experimental, theoretical, and finite element simulation analyses. The influence of the steel strip geometries on the maximum pull-out force is also studied, and it was found that the strips with the greatest hole area, hole diameter, and circumference areas have higher pull-out forces and the increase is nearly linear.