Bond of reinforcement in polymer concrete

Polymer concrete, a composite material in which the binding material is some type of polymer, is being used more widely in the construction industry. Polymer concretes can also contain steel reinforcing rebars; therefore, the rate of adhesion between polymer concrete and reinforcing steel must be determined. Our study investigated the extent and behaviour of adhesion in the case of reinforcing steel with both smooth and ribbed surfaces. The results show that the bond strength of polymer concretes is much higher than those of traditional types of concrete. Therefore, structures will require a much smaller bond length than in the case of traditional concrete types. The calculated bond strength for smooth reinforcing steels is more than ten times the characteristic strength values of traditional concrete types. In the case of ribbed reinforcing steels, the bond strength is extremely high, and the required bond length does not exceed 40 mm.