Numerical Analysis of Wired Connections of the Reinforcement Bars of Steel Cages: the Slash-tying Technique

The steel reinforcement cages are the core of the reinforced concrete elements such as columns, walls, beams and slabs. They are comprised of the longitudinal and transverse reinforcement bars, as well as of the wires that hold them in position and secure the cage stability prior to concreting. The strength and the behaviour of the steel cages at their final condition is well understood. Nonetheless, their behaviour during assembly, handling and lifting operations has not been thoroughly studied yet despite the reports of severe failures in these structures. The aim of this paper is to present the results of a numerical study of one of the most conventional tying techniques in steel cages: the slash connection. Furthermore, this paper illustrates the difficulties in the numerical analyses of the connections using advance finite element models. The validation of the numerical results is attempted via load – displacement curves compared to existing experimental testing. This is the first step of an ongoing project in which the stability and strengthening of the steel reinforcement cages is studied.