Adherence between steel bars and lightweight concrete with EPS beads

Abstract This paper describes the adherence behavior of a structural lightweight concrete with EPS beads (SLCEB) in a monotonic loading, based in a bibliographic review and in pull-out tests. The results of these SLCEB tests were compared with those of an ordinary concrete (OC) and with the values based in indications of the Brazilian code ABNT NBR 6118:2014 - Design of concrete structures. The pull-out tests of two batches of SLCEB and one of OC were analyzed, in a total of 60 tests. Mechanical characteristics were determined too, such as: compressive strength and tensile strength in split cylinder test. The calculated results according to the above mentioned standard were very different from those obtained in the tests, indicating that the theoretical values are more conservative than the experimental ones. It was also verified that it is possible to use SLCEB in structures with respect to the adequate adherence of reinforcement in the concrete.