EFFECT OF SILICA FUME ON THE SPLICE STRENGTH OF DEFORMED BARS OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE CONCRETE

The effect of silica fume on the splitting bond strength of deformed bars of high-performance concrete was investigated Static tests on eight beams with lap splices in a constant moment region are reported. Test variables included the water-cementitious ratio and amount of transverse reinforcement. The measured bond strengths of specimens with plain portland cement concrete were compared with those of counterparts with concrete using the same mixes, except for the replacement of 10 percent cement by an equal weight of silica fume. The comparison showed that the bond strength, normalized with respect to the square root of the concrete compressive strength, could be decreased by 15 percent due to the presence of silica fume.