Experiment 1

Title: Tensile Test

Objectives:
1. To be able to identify the tensile strength of a certain reinforced steel.
2. To be familiarized with the different properties of reinforced steel.
3. To determine the possible factors why the failure of the steel occurred at the
certain length of the bar.
Introduction:
Reinforcing bar, or rebar, is a common steel bar that is hot rolled and is used
widely in the construction industry, especially for concrete reinforcement. Steel rebar is
most commonly used as a tensioning device to reinforce concrete and other masonry
structures to help hold the concrete in a compressed state. Concrete is a material that
is very strong in compression, but virtually without strength in tension. To compensate
for this imbalance in a concrete slab's behavior, reinforcement bar is cast into it to carry
the tensile loads. Most steel reinforcement is divided into primary and secondary
reinforcement, but there are other minor uses:

Primary reinforcement refers to the steel which is employed to guarantee the

resistance needed by the structure as a whole to support the design loads.

Secondary reinforcement, also known as distribution or thermal reinforcement, is

employed for durability and aesthetic reasons, by providing enough localized
resistance to limit cracking and resist stresses caused by effects such as
temperature changes and shrinkage.

Rebar is also employed to confer resistance to concentrated loads by providing

enough localized resistance and stiffness for a load to spread through a wider
area.

Rebar may also be used to hold other steel bars in the correct position to
accommodate their loads.

External steel tie bars can constrain and reinforce masonry structures, as
illustrated by the Nevyansk Tower or ancient structures in Rome and the Vatican.

Physical Properties and Characteristics of a Reinforced Steel

Steel has a thermal expansion coefficient nearly equal to that of modern
concrete. If this were not so, it would cause problems through additional longitudinal
and perpendicular stresses at temperatures different from the temperature of the
setting. Although rebar has ribs that bind it mechanically to the concrete, it can still be
pulled out of the concrete under high stresses, an occurrence that often accompanies a

larger-scale collapse of the structure. To prevent such a failure, rebar is either deeply
embedded into adjacent structural members (40-60 times the diameter), or bent and
hooked at the ends to lock it around the concrete and other rebar. This first approach
increases the friction locking the bar into place, while the second makes use of the high
compressive strength of concrete.
Common rebar is made of unfinished tempered steel, making it susceptible to
rusting. Normally the concrete cover is able to provide a pH value higher than 12
avoiding the corrosion reaction. Too little concrete cover can compromise this guard
through carbonation from the surface, and salt penetration. Too much concrete cover
can cause bigger crack widths which also compromises the local guard. As rust takes
up greater volume than the steel from which it was formed, it causes severe internal
pressure on the surrounding concrete, leading to cracking, spalling, and ultimately,
structural failure. This phenomenon is known as oxide jacking.

Rebar Markings

Equipment and Apparatus Used

Caliper

UTM (Universal Testing Machine)

Procedure

Reinforced Steel Bar (16mm)

1. Find a reinforced bar that is approximately 1 meter long with the size that is
designated to the group.
2. Ask for assistance from the tool keeper for the assistance with the operation of
the Universal Testing Machine (UTM).
3. Measure the initial dimensions of the steel before testing.
4. Put the reinforced steel on the machine and start the experiment.
5. Wait until such time that the reinforced steel reached its failure then record the
results.
6. Measure the final dimensions of the steel after the testing and record the results.

Data

Condition of the steel before the tenslie strength testing

Initial length= 355mm
D=17mm
d=15mm

Condition of the after the tensile strength testing

Unit per length of steel
(cm)
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
39

D
(cm)
17
16
16
15
14.5
15
15.2
16

D
(cm)
15
14
14
13.5
13
13.8
14
14.5

Tensile Strength of 16mm Reinforced Steel= 12000 KGf or 14.22 psi

Computations