Evaluating stress-strain properties of reinforcing steel for reinforced concrete

The stress-strain properties of reinforcing steel for reinforced concrete are related to the design of reinforced concrete structures. In China Codes, steel bars for the prestressing of concrete (PCB) and hot-rolled ribbed bars in grade 600 (HRB600) were introduced to design concrete structures. However, the stress-strain properties of high-strength steel bars are not defined by the standard. In this paper, reinforcing steel for reinforced concrete in a China Code included hot-rolled plain bars (HPB), HRB, cold-rolled ribbed steel bars (CRB), PCB, hot-rolled wire rod for prestressed steel (PSW), and screw-thread steel bars for the prestressing of concrete (PSB), which were tested under axial tension. Results showed that the reinforcing steel was divided into two types: HPB, HRB, and CRB600H with yield plateau and PCB, PSW, PSB, and CRB550 without. Based on the experimental results, the tensile mechanical indicators of reinforcing steel were determined and the stress-strain curves prediction models of reinforcing steel were developed. The stress-strain curves prediction models of steel bars can predict the tensile properties of steel bars accurately, which can be used in finite element software to simulate the tensile properties of steel bars and explore the stress development of steel bars in concrete structures.