Pullout performance of steel bars partially bonded in concrete with epoxy resin

The installation of new reinforcing bars onto an existing structure is a common practice in civil construction both for old and new structures. The use of anchors has been extensively studied and normalized. The placement of steel reinforcement bars in holes filled with epoxy resin, despite their wide use, still lacks a satisfactory methodology for the design of such systems. In this context, the aim of this paper is to present the results of an experimental programme for confined pullout tests, comparing the performance of cast steel reinforcement bars to that of bars bonded to concrete with epoxy resin. The investigated test parameters included the bar diameter, the embedment length and the resin thickness. Tests results showed a significant efficiency of epoxy resin as structural bonding agent and allowed the verification of sizeable reduction in the anchorage lengths for bonded bars.