Designation: A944 − 10

Standard Test Method for

Comparing Bond Strength of Steel Reinforcing Bars to
Concrete Using Beam-End Specimens1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A944; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope* E575 Practice for Reporting Data from Structural Tests of

1.1 This test method describes procedures to establish the Building Constructions, Elements, Connections, and As-
relative bond strength of steel reinforcing bars in concrete. semblies
1.2 This test method is intended to determine the effects of 3. Terminology
surface preparation or condition (such as bar coatings) on the 3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
bond strength of deformed steel reinforcing bars (of sizes 3.1.1 bond strength, n—maximum measured load in a ten-
ranging from No. 10 to No. 36 [No. 3 to No. 11]) to concrete. sile bond test of a steel reinforcing bar.
1.3 The bond strengths obtained using this test method are 3.1.2 bonded length, n—the length of the test bar that is in
not directly applicable to the design of reinforced concrete contact with concrete.
members.
3.1.3 concrete cover, n—minimum distance between the
NOTE 1—The bond strengths obtained using this test method are surface of the test bar and the top or bottom of the test
generally higher than obtained in development or splice tests using beams specimen.
with the same embedment lengths. The results obtained using this test
method should only be used for comparisons with results for other 3.1.4 embedment length, n—the distance from the surface of
reinforcing bars tested using this method. the concrete test specimen to the installed end of the steel
1.4 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded reinforcing bar. This equals the sum of the lead length and the
as standard. The values given in brackets are mathematical bonded length.
conversions to SI units that are provided for information only 3.1.5 lead length, n—the length of the test bar that is not in
and are not considered standard. contact with concrete but is between the surface of the concrete
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the test specimen and the bonded length.
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the 3.1.6 relative rib area, n—ratio of the projected rib area
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- normal to bar axis to the product of the nominal bar perimeter
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- and the center-to-center rib spacing.
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. 3.2 Symbols:
2. Referenced Documents Cb = Concrete cover, mm [in.].
db = Nominal diameter of reinforcing bar, mm [in.].
2.1 ASTM Standards:2 le = Embedment length, mm [in.].
A775/A775M Specification for Epoxy-Coated Steel Rein-
forcing Bars 4. Apparatus
C192/C192M Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test 4.1 Equipment—A schematic of a suitable testing system is
Specimens in the Laboratory shown in Fig. 1. The loading system shall be capable of
E4 Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines measuring the forces to an accuracy within 62 % of the
applied load, when calibrated in accordance with Practices E4.
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee A01 on Steel, The test system shall have sufficient capacity to prevent
Stainless Steel and Related Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee yielding of its various components and shall ensure that the
A01.05 on Steel Reinforcement. applied tensile load remains parallel to the axis of the steel
Current edition approved Nov. 1, 2010. Published December 2010. Originally
approved in 1995. Last previous edition approved in 2005 as A944 – 05. DOI:
reinforcing bar during testing.
10.1520/A0944-10.
2
4.2 Compression Reaction Plate—The compression reac-
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
tion plate shall be placed a minimum clear distance equal to 0.9
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on le measured from the center of the test bar to the edge of the
the ASTM website. reaction plate.

*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard

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 A944 − 10

FIG. 1 Schematic of Test Apparatus

4.3 Bar Displacement Measurements—Displacements of the reinforcing bars parallel to the test bar, as shown in Fig. 2.
loaded and free ends of the steel reinforcing bar shall be Transverse steel reinforcing bars similar to those illustrated in
measured with respect to the loaded and free surfaces, respec- Fig. 2 may be used to aid in fabrication and testing. The test bar
tively, of the concrete using suitable measurement devices. shall extend from the front surface a distance that is compatible
Dial gages having the smallest division of not more than 25 µm with the test system. Two polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes shall
[0.001 in.] or linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs) be used as bond breakers to control the bonded length of the
with equal or superior accuracy are examples of satisfactory bar and to avoid a localized cone-type failure of the concrete at
devices. the loaded end of the specimen. The free end of the test bar
shall butt against a hollow steel conduit or other device to
5. Test Specimen provide access to the free end for measuring slip during the
5.1 Beam-End Specimen—The test specimen shall consist of test; alternatively, access to the free end of the test bar shall be
the test bar cast in a block of reinforced concrete 600 6 25 mm provided without the hollow steel conduit by extending the
[24 6 1 in.] long by db + 200 6 13 mm [db + 8 6 1⁄2 in.] wide interior PVC pipe to the end of the specimen. All specimens in
by a minimum of db + Cb + le + 60 mm [db + Cb + le + 21⁄2 in.] a test series shall use the same method to provide access to the
high. A typical test specimen is illustrated in Fig. 2. The free end of the bar. The closed stirrups shall be fabricated from
specimen shall be reinforced by four closed stirrups oriented Grade 420 [Grade 60] No. 10 [No. 3] bars for test bars up to
parallel to the sides of the specimen and two flexural steel and including No. 25 [No. 8] and No. 13 [No. 4] bars for test

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 A944 − 10

FIG. 2 Beam-End Test Specimens

bars larger than No. 25 [No. 8]. The two flexural steel NOTE 4—The properties of concrete tend to vary, even for concrete
reinforcing bars shall be selected so as to provide a total area from a single ready-mix truck. Therefore, the order of casting specimens
should be selected to limit differences in bond strength caused by
not less than that of the test bar. differences in concrete from different portions of the same batch. For
NOTE 2—The lead length, shown in Fig. 2, is typically between 13 and example, when this test is used to evaluate the effect of epoxy coatings on
100 mm [0.5 and 4 in.]. This unbonded region is used to prevent a bond strength, as required by Specification A775/A775M, specimens
cone-type pullout failure at the surface of the concrete. Increases in lead containing epoxy-coated bars and uncoated bars should be alternated
length generally result in an increase in bond strength. during casting.

5.2 Fabrication—The concrete block shall be fabricated

6. Conditioning
using concrete designed to produce a strength at the time of test
between 31 and 38 MPa [4500 and 5500 psi]. The specimen 6.1 Specimen Conditioning and Curing—The test specimen
shall be cast in approximately equal layers not exceeding 250 shall be cured in the forms using a curing compound or a
mm [9 in.] in depth. Each layer shall be adequately consoli- plastic membrane, or both, to prevent rapid evaporation of
dated with an internal vibrator to ensure removal of entrapped water until the concrete has attained a strength of at least 14
air. MPa [2000 psi]. Specimen conditioning and curing shall be
such that the concrete strength shall be between 31 and 38 MPa
NOTE 3—The nominal maximum size course aggregate should be less
than or equal to 3⁄4 of the minimum clear space between reinforcement or [4500 and 5500 psi] at the time of test, unless another concrete
between reinforcement and the concrete surface of the beam-end speci- strength is required. Standard concrete cylinders shall be
men. prepared in accordance with Practice C192/C192M using a

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 A944 − 10
representative sample of the concrete used to make the test 8.1.6 Description of the concrete used, including mix de-
specimen. The concrete cylinders shall be cured adjacent to and sign, aggregate type, compressive strength at the time of test
in the same manner as the test specimen. A minimum of two (average of a minimum of two cylinders), and age of the
test cylinders are required. concrete at the time of test,
8.1.7 Moisture condition of the concrete at the time of test:
7. Procedure
saturated surface dry, air dry,
7.1 A tensile load shall be applied to the test bar, as 8.1.8 Concrete cover, embedment length and lead length of
illustrated in Fig. 1. The loading rate shall be such that failure the installed reinforcement, in mm [in.],
will not occur prior to 3 min after starting to load the test 8.1.9 Description of the test method, loading procedure
specimens. Data recorded for a test shall include, as a mini- used, the displacements measured at each load step, and the
mum, the initial load and displacement readings and the actual rate of loading,
maximum load. 8.1.10 Individual maximum load value (bond strength), in N
NOTE 5—The load rate should be between 10 to 33 % of the bond [lb], for each test specimen,
strength per min. At least 10 intermediate displacement and load readings 8.1.11 Photographs, sketches, word descriptions, or combi-
should be taken. nations thereof, of the failure modes observed, and
8. Report 8.1.12 Summary of findings.

8.1 The report shall include the applicable information 9. Precision and Bias
listed in Practice E575, and shall specifically include the 9.1 No statement is made on the precision or bias of this test
following: method since the test results indicate only whether there is
8.1.1 Dates of test and report, conformance to given criteria and since no generally accepted
8.1.2 Test sponsor and agency, method for determining precision and bias of this test method
8.1.3 Identification of the bars tested: size, grade, mean is currently available. General guidelines provided herein for
deformation height, mean deformation spacing, and, if re- the specimens, instrumentation, and procedures make the
quired, the relative rib area, results intractable to calculation of meaningful values by
8.1.4 Description of the steel reinforcing bar surface condi- statistical analysis for precision and bias at this time.
tion and coating (if used): manufacturer, trade name, and
coating designation, 10. Keywords
8.1.5 Description of the fabrication and testing procedures, 10.1 beam-end test; coatings; concrete bond; steel reinforc-
if these deviated in any way from this test method, ing bars

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

Committee A01 has identified the location of selected changes to this standard since the last issue (A944 – 05)
that may impact the use of this standard. (Approved Nov. 1, 2010.)

(1) Modified 5.1 to add an alternate method to provide access

to the free end of the test bar.

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