An Experimental Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Bonded Concrete

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study to measure mechanical properties of bonded concrete specimens. The bond between freshly mixed and hardened concrete has been a concern in repair and retrofit projects as well as staged construction of concrete members. This concern has roots in the time-dependent behavior of concrete, beginning with early-age concrete and continuing with long-term performance and durability of concrete. Moreover, environmental conditions generally complicate the behavior of concrete and resulted deformations such as shrinkage and creep. Application of chemical adhesives and epoxies is a common technique to enhance the bond at the interface of old and new concrete elements. The presented methodology includes preparation of bonded specimens with application of grout and adhesive agents. Mechanical strengths of specimens have been reported based on compressive, tensile, flexural, and shear testing. Results indicate that bonding agents are more effective in tensile and shear behavior of bonded samples.