Influence of Reinforcing Rebar on Expansion due to Delayed Ettringite Formation along the Bonding Length – Part I: The Role of Bond on Expansive Behavior of Concrete

Abstract

This paper explores the effects of rebar as an internal restraint on the expansion of delayed ettringite formation (DEF) in concrete. Concrete specimens embedded with steel bars without end plates are subjected to heat treatment followed by immersion in water. The effect of stirrups on expansion is also investigated. The results show that the longitudinal expansion of specimens without stirrups differs depending on the longitudinal position, owing to the different degrees of restraint resulting from stress in the steel bar. The final transverse expansions of the specimens without stirrups are close to those measured for stress-free specimens. Conversely, longitudinal and transverse expansions are significantly reduced in the specimens with stirrups. This indicates that the combination of a longitudinal steel bar and stirrups induces three-dimensional confinement stresses that help to limit DEF expansion in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. Furthermore, possible debonding along the longitudinal bar is observed in specimens without stirrups when the transverse expansion of the prismatic specimens is 0.4 to 0.6%. This behavior is not observed in the specimens with stirrups, which demonstrates the effectiveness of three-dimensional restraints in significantly mitigating the risk of debonding, as well as DEF expansion.