Anchorage/lap strength of bars in RC structures in case of low concrete cover thickness

In recent years the assessment of existing structures has become a topic of huge interest all over the world due to environmental, economic and socio-political assets. However, the approach to the assessment of existing structures is in many aspects different from that used for the design of a new structure. This is why there is a necessity to develop new formulations for old materials and products that are consistent with the requirements and the reliability-based approach of current codes of practice. In this scenario, this article analyses a topic very common in existing RC structures, namely the effect of low concrete cover thickness on the anchorage/lap strength of bars. The main aim of the article is to give practical formulations that can be included in future codes of practice. To this aim a novel formulation recently proposed is firstly analysed and then validated against a database of tests taken from the literature.

This creative work is copyrighted material and may not be used without explicit approval by the author and/or copyright owner.