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Rust on Concrete Anchors

It is common to have rust develop on the studs that have been welded to structural steel prior to pouring of the concrete. Rust
will quickly form on steel that is exposed to weather and the elements. Although the rust is unsettling to the eye, it does not
pose a problem to the bond between the stud and faying concrete layer. In fact tests have shown that rust decreases the slip
between the steel and concrete.

The heads of Nelson headed anchors and shear connectors act as a mechanical anchor when they are embedded in concrete.
The underside of the heads works against the cone of concrete that is trapped under the heads. The cone of concrete can
withstand a considerable amount of force. The headed anchor studs do function the same as deformed bars. Headed studs do
not rely on the shank of the stud to provide slip resistance in the concrete.

Headed anchor forms cone in concrete Deformations in anchors prevent slip

The American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) has conducted a series of tests where deformed bar anchors were
coated with form-release agents, bond breakers and cement splattered. The bar specimens were then cast in concrete, allowed to
cure and then they were subjected to tension tests. Based on the results of these tests in September 2003 the ASCC issued their
Position Statement #3, Coatings That Affect Bond to Reinforcing. This statement concluded that cleaning of standard
reinforcing bars prior to pouring the concrete did not improve the resistance to slip between the concrete and steel and that
cleaning provided no additional benefit to the structural performance. They felt that cleaning was a step that was not needed
prior to pouring of the concrete. This conclusion can be verified by calling the ASCC hotline at Ph# 800-331-0668.

Tests were also done in 1968 on the welded wire fabric used in highway and airport pavements. The conclusion of that test was
that the free end slip of the wire decreased as the amount of rust on the steel increased. The rusted wire fabric developed its full
strength in the concrete when tensile tested.

Based on this information it is the opinion of Nelson Stud Welding that rust on headed studs will not lower the bond between
the steel and concrete and that stud do not need to be cleaned prior to being embedded in concrete. However, heavy rust on
the studs before welding can affect consistently reliable arc initiation and electrical contact with the chuck resulting in
inconsistent weld quality

References
“Coatings that Affect Bond to Reinforcement” Position Statement #3-Industry Issues”, American Society of Concrete Contractors, Concrete
Construction, September 2003.

“How Clean Must Rebar Be?” Concrete Construction, June, 1998.

“Effect of Reinforcing Bar Contamination on Steel-Concrete Bond During Concrete Construction” ACI SP-209, ACI Fifth International
Conference, December 2002, American Concrete Institute.
Nelson Stud Welding, Inc. Phone: 1-800-NEL-WELD E-mail: Nelson.sales@NelsonStud.com
7900 West Ridge Road 1-800-635-9353 Website: www.NelsonStudWelding.com
Elyria, Ohio 44036-2019 Page 1 of 1 AI #1068 10/10/07