Unveiling the effect of confinement on reinforcement-concrete bond behavior using discrete lattice model

Abstract

Understanding the bond behavior between reinforcement and concrete under varying confinement conditions is essential for the design and performance assessment of reinforced concrete structures. This study employs a discrete lattice model to investigate the reinforcement-concrete bond mechanism, focusing on crack propagation, fracture processes, and stress distribution. Experimental data involving lap-spliced reinforcement bond test under different confinement conditions serve as benchmarks. In the model, concrete, reinforcement, and their interface are discretized into beam elements, while the interface properties remain constant and independent of confinement conditions. A key finding is that generating the lattice mesh through the Delaunay triangulation scheme enables the model to reproduce realistic strut-cracking patterns and conical stress transfer phenomena, thereby capturing stirrup-induced passive confinement effects without modifying interface properties. The results clarify the role of stirrup confinement in restricting concrete dilatancy and bond splitting, while bond failure is shown to depend on concrete fracture under weak confinement and on interface failure only under strong confinement. Overall, this study not only validates the discrete lattice approach for reinforced concrete bond modeling but also provides deeper insights into lap-splice failure mechanisms, offering a robust framework for structural assessment and design.