Tension Stiffening and Cracking Behavior in High-Strength Concrete

This paper describes a theoretical and experimental analysis designed to characterize the initial branch of the bond-stress/slipping curves for normal-strength and high-strength concretes. The theoretical analysis is used to interpret the results of experimental trials on reinforced concrete ties prepared with class 50 and 100 MPa concrete mixtures and submitted to tensile forces without inducing any yield in the bar. The purpose of the investigation was to study any changes in bond behavior (over the limited range of slipping values considered) due to the better mechanical features of the 100 MPa concrete, and thus contribute to a better understanding of how high-strength reinforced concrete elements behave in a serviceability state.