Tensile failure of high-tensile steel re-bar

FACT FILE

RE-BAR TYPE
High tensile steel reinforcement bar
SPECIMEN SIZE
12 mm diameter x 460 mm length
ULTIMATE LOAD
79 kN
MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENT
23 mm

Produced with funding from CONSTRUCT and filmed at Imperial College London.

This film shows the behaviour of a high-tensile steel reinforcing bar in tension. This sample is typical of the steel reinforcement found in reinforced concrete elements (beams, columns, slabs, etc.)

The sample in this test is held between two jaws. The testing apparatus pulls the upper jaw upwards, causing the sample to stretch until it breaks.

Reinforcing steel is included in reinforced concrete elements to give these elements tensile strength.

At the end of the video a graph of vertical load versus vertical deflection shows how high-tensile steel behaves under tension.

The tensile behaviour of a high-tensile steel bar should be compared with the the tensile behaviour of a mild steel bar (see the video ‘Reinforcement (mild steel) – tensile failure’.

The tensile behaviour of steel should ales be compared with the tensile strength of concrete (see the video ‘Brazilian test – tensile failure of concrete’).

Reinforcing steel helps reinforced concrete elements, such as beams, resist forces that cause these elements to bend. To find out more see the series of videos in this section about simply supported beams.