Experimental investigation on bending behavior of ultra high performance concrete and reinforcement

In this thesis study, the main objective is to experimentally investigate the bond behavior between ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) and reinforcement. The study evaluates the effects of variables such as concrete cover thickness, anchorage length, and the presence of steel fibers on bond performance. Experimental procedures were conducted using a hinged beam test setup designed to analyze the load transfer mechanism at the concrete–reinforcement interface. Throughout the experimental process, a total of 12 beam-type specimens were prepared with a constant reinforcement diameter. The specimens were produced using two different UHPC mixtures: with and without steel fibers. The anchorage lengths were set as 5ϕ and 10ϕ, while the concrete cover thicknesses were varied as 14 mm, 28 mm, and 42 mm for each group. The influence of these parameters on bond strength at the steel–concrete interface was experimentally observed and evaluated. This study aims to contribute to the limited body of literature concerning the bond interaction between UHPC and reinforcement. The findings obtained provide valuable insight into the behavior of UHPC in structural elements requiring high strength and durability, and offer design-oriented data to support the safe and effective use of this material in engineering applications.