Version 1
: Received: 19 February 2024 / Approved: 19 February 2024 / Online: 20 February 2024 (06:00:11 CET)
How to cite:
Vahedi, M.; Ebrahimian, H.; Itani, A. Application of Cage Clamps in Rebar Cages to Enhance Stability and Safety: Experimental and Analytical Investigations. Preprints2024, 2024021057. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1057.v1
Vahedi, M.; Ebrahimian, H.; Itani, A. Application of Cage Clamps in Rebar Cages to Enhance Stability and Safety: Experimental and Analytical Investigations. Preprints 2024, 2024021057. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1057.v1
Vahedi, M.; Ebrahimian, H.; Itani, A. Application of Cage Clamps in Rebar Cages to Enhance Stability and Safety: Experimental and Analytical Investigations. Preprints2024, 2024021057. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1057.v1
APA Style
Vahedi, M., Ebrahimian, H., & Itani, A. (2024). Application of Cage Clamps in Rebar Cages to Enhance Stability and Safety: Experimental and Analytical Investigations. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1057.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Vahedi, M., Hamed Ebrahimian and Ahmad Itani. 2024 "Application of Cage Clamps in Rebar Cages to Enhance Stability and Safety: Experimental and Analytical Investigations" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1057.v1
Abstract
Rebar cages form the skeletal framework of reinforced concrete structural members. They comprise longitudinal and transverse reinforcing bars, usually connected by tie wires. Past studies have identified tie-wire connections as the "weak links" in large, prefabricated rebar cages, leading to their failure during site handling and construction stages. Recent research has explored the use of mechanical U-bolt connectors to bolster stability and safety of rebar cages while reducing their vulnerability and risk of failure. This paper presents a comprehensive experimental and numerical investigation of a new type of mechanical connector, referred to as "Cage Clamp", to enhance rebar cage stability and safety. Component-level experimental tests are conducted to determine the force-displacement response of Cage Clamp connectors for crossbar connections in different degrees of freedom. The results highlight the remarkable strength and stiffness of Cage Clamp connectors, significantly outperforming traditional tie-wire connections. Furthermore, full-scale experimental tests are performed on a circular underground pile-shaft rebar cage with Cage Clamp connectors to assess its behavior under various site handling conditions. The data obtained from these experiments are used to construct and refine detailed 3D finite element models of the rebar cages, capable of capturing the complex behavior of rebar cages with Cage Clamp connectors. Using the numerical model, a sensitivity analysis is performed to assess the effect of the number of Cage Clamps on the deflection and stability of the rebar cage. The findings show that using cage clamps to connect pick-up rebar with lateral reinforcement at every 8 to 10 feet is sufficient to ensure the stability of the cage during typical site handling conditions. The results of this study serve as a basis for establishing analysis, design, fabrication, and handling guidelines for rebar cages, contributing to safe and efficient construction practices.
Keywords
Rebar cage; Full-scale testing; Cage Clamp connector; Mechanical Connector; Finite Element Modeling; Nonlinear analysis; Digital image correlation
Subject
Engineering, Civil Engineering
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
