Professional Documents
Culture Documents
3R-91
(Reapproved 1999)
439.3R-1
439.3R-2 MANUAL OF CONCRETE PRACTICE
quired. The importance and necessity of clearly pre- possibly additional intervening material or other com-
scribing splice requirements is evident in two sections of ponents to accomplish the connection of reinforcing
ACI 318. Section 1.2.1 describes nine specific items to bars.
be included on the design drawings, details, and speci- It is beyond the scope of this report to cover welded
fications. These items include Section 1.2.1.h, which splices or other currently available special proprietary
requires that location and length of lap splices and re- splicing systems. Engineers are referred to the AWS
inforcement anchorage lengths be shown. Section code for welding reinforcing steel (ANSI/AWS D1.4)
1.2.1.i requires showing the type and location of welded and the ASTM specifications for reinforcing bars, such
splices and mechanical connections of reinforcement. as ASTM A 706 and ASTM A 615. Further discussion
Section 12.14.1 of ACI 318 also addresses this subject, of the AWS code and welded splices is given in Refer-
and states: Splices of reinforcement shall be made ence 1.
only as required or permitted on design drawings, or in
specifications, or as authorized by the engineer. 1.2-Usage
In the design of beams, columns, and slabs, lap There are numerous situations that require or make
splices are usually permitted. When lap splices of the use of mechanical connections feasible or more
straight bar extensions cannot be used, or when their practical. Some of the most common conditions are:
use causes congestion, field placing problems, or de- 1. Where #14 and #18 bars are used. This occurs
tailing or design problems, then mechanical connec- most often in columns, raft mat foundations, and other
tions, welded joints, or lap splice connections involving heavily reinforced structures. Codes do not permit #14
field bending and subsequent bar straightening may be and #18 bars to be lap spliced, except in compression
used, as appropriate. only with #11 and smaller bars.
This report provides basic information about propri- 2. Where spacing of the reinforcing bars is insuffi-
etary mechanical connections generally available in cient to permit lapping of the bars. This generally oc-
North America and known to the committee at the time curs in situations requiring large amounts of reinforce-
the report was submitted for publication.* Design re- ment and the use of larger bars, as in heavily loaded
quirements and usage of mechanical connections, as columns.
well as capabilities and features of selected mechanical 3. When requirements in current codes and specifi-
connection devices, are described. cations for tension lap splices result in long lap splice
Three basic types of mechanical connections are con- lengths, especially for bar sizes such as #9, #l0, and #ll
sidered in this report. They are: (1) the compression- in Grade 60 steel or in epoxy-coated reinforcing bars.
only mechanical connection, which is also known as Lap splices may thus be less practical than mechanical
the end-bearing mechanical connection, (2) the connections.
tension-only mechanical connection, and (3) the 4. Where tension tie members are used. Tension
tension-compression mechanical connection. The lap splices of reinforcing bars in tie members are not
tension-compression mechanical connection can re- permitted.
sist both tensile and compressive forces. Dowel bar me- 5. When the location of construction joints and pro-
chanical connections are included in this category. vision for future construction dictates use of mechani-
In this report, pertinent terms are defined as follows: cal connections to provide tensile continuity. Mechani-
Bar-end check-Check of the ends of reinforcing cal connections are often preferable to having long bar
bars to determine whether they fit the devices intended lengths projecting from existing concrete construction.
for connecting the bars. A minimum of a 12 in. (305 mm) bar extension pro-
Coupler-Threaded device for joining reinforcing vides sufficient length for application of most mechan-
bars for the purpose of providing transfer of either ax- ical connections without damaging the existing con-
ial compression or axial tension or both from one bar crete during installation. If mechanical connections
to the other. must be staggered, the projecting bar extension should
Coupling sleeve-Nonthreadeddevice fitting over the be greater than 12 in. (305 mm).
ends of two reinforcing bars for the eventual purpose
of providing transfer of either axial compression or ax- 1.3-General considerations
ial tension or both from one bar to the other. Available proprietary mechanical devices have par-
End-bearing sleeve-Devicefitting over the abutting ticular physical features, both in the splice device itself
ends of two reinforcing bars for the purpose of assur- and in the required installation equipment or procedure
ing transfer of only axial compression from one bar to that can influence design and construction methods.
the other. 1.3.1 Spacing and cover requirements-Minimum
Mechanical connection-Complete assembly of an clear distances between adjacent reinforcing bars are
end-bearing sleeve, a coupler, or a coupling sleeve, and specified in codes and design specifications. For exam-
ple, ACI 318 Sections 7.6.2 and 7.6.3 set an absolute
minimum clear distance between parallel bars in a layer
*ANCON (MBT) mechanical connectors, which involve a clamping device of not less than the nominal diameter of the bar or 1 in.
generically different from devices described in the present report, are not in- (25 mm), except that for columns the minimum clear
cluded in this report because they were unknown to the committee at the time
of final committee ballot on the report. distance is not less than 11/2 times the nominal bar di-
REINFORCING BARS 439.3R-3
ameter or 1% in. (38 mm). Section 7.6.4 of ACI 318 cal connections, it is important to have the mechanical
indicates that the clear distance limits shall also apply connection device in good alignment with the longitu-
adjacent to lapped splices, but Section 7.6.4 does not dinal bar axis so that the bar is not prone to wide
address clearance limits for mechanical connections. swings when being rotated in a field assembly.
Appropriate clearance limits for mechanical connec- The reinforcing bar fabricator must be made aware
tions are listed in Tables 3.1 and 3.2. Clearance limits of any special end preparations or threads. Special re-
may be a factor in the selection and positioning of the quirements may entail the use of end-threading ma-
mechanical connection. The outside diameter of the chines or special tools and equipment at the construc-
mechanical connection device should be known. By tion site. Availability or delivery requirements for rein-
knowing the diameter of the mechanical connection de- forcing bars with the special deformation pattern, and
vice, a decision can be made whether the mechanical for required tools and equipment, should be deter-
connections have to be staggered on the basis of the mined for the specific project before final decisions are
clearance required. It has been the practice in the past made. Related to this, a bar-end check is sometimes
to stagger splices of any types whether lapped, welded, advisable before proceeding with certain mechanical
or mechanically connected, but there is currently some connections. The mechanical connection manufacturer
evidence documented by research that some mechanica can advise accordingly.
connections providing adequate longitudinal stiffness 1.3.3 Coated reinforcing bars-Reinforcing bars can
and adequate ductility for the reinforcement, as well as be epoxy coated or zinc coated (galvanized) for use as
the specified strength, need not be staggered. However, a corrosion-protection system. Mechanical connections
pending any future code revisions, the minimum stag- of coated reinforcing bars are made with proprietary
ger length should be specified by the engineer consis- mechanical connection devices in a similar way as for
tent with the requirements of the applicable code, e.g., uncoated bars. To properly install some types of cou-
Sections 12.15.4.1, 12.15.5, 12.17, and 21.3.2.4 of ACI pling sleeves on coated bars, the coating has to be com-
318. pletely removed from the ends of the bars over the
The size and operation of the equipment required for length of the sleeve and a short distance, perhaps 2 in.
making mechanical connections can also dictate a min- (50 mm) or so, beyond the ends of the sleeve. Infor-
imum spacing or a stagger pattern. Some information mation on preparation of bar ends for installation of
to evaluate these requirements is available in subse- proprietary mechanical connection devices, including
quent sections of this report. removal of epoxy or zinc coatings, is presented in Ta-
Several of the proprietary mechanical connection de- bles 3.1 and 3.2.
vices currently available have an outside diameter sub- After installation of mechanical connections on
stantially larger than the reinforcing bars. Special con- coated reinforcing bars, the sleeves and any damaged
sideration should be given to the minimum concrete coating on the bars adjacent to the sleeve should be
cover of the stirrups, ties, or spirals at these splice lo- touched up with appropriate compatible patching ma-
cations. In many cases, the stirrup or tie patterns adja- terial with anticorrosive quality equal to that of the
cent to the mechanical connections, or the location of original coating. Typically, there will be provisions in
the splice itself, can be adjusted to avoid a reduced the project specifications requiring such touch-up of the
concrete cover. However, where required close spacing sleeves and repair of damaged coating-for example,
of stirrups and ties necessitates their placement over the see Chapter 5 of ACI 301. Flame cutting of coated bars
coupling sleeves, it may be necessary to design greater in any location should be avoided when possible be-
cover over the longitudinal reinforcement so that stir- cause of damage to the epoxy coating. Where mechan-
rups and/or ties encompassing the mechanical connec- ical connections are used, flame-damaged epoxy coat-
tions have adequate cover. Ideally, the confinement re- ing may be more difficult to remove properly to obtain
inforcement would have greater dimensions at a con- an effective connection than undamaged epoxy coat-
nector, but that is not generally the practice. In dowel ing.
bar mechanical connections that have flanged sleeves, 1.3.4 Field erection-In many applications, mechan-
all portions of the mechanical connection should meet ical connections may be staggered for clearance, ac-
appropriate cover requirements. cess, and some code requirements. If staggered me-
1.3.2 Matching of end alignments, end preparation chanical connections are used in columns, for example,
of bars, special bar deformations, and equip- free-standing erection and assembly of the reinforce-
ment-The engineer/specifier should be aware of any ment may be required rather than preassembled cages.
special end preparations of bars required for a method There is a considerable difference in the time and
of mechanical connection or for certain couplers. For equipment required to install different mechanical con-
example, Section 12.16.4.2 of ACI 318 requires for nections. Therefore, it is imperative to coordinate the
end-bearing splices that the ends of the bars be cut to field erection procedure and schedule with the selection
within 1 l/z deg of square with respect to the longitudi- and installation procedure of the mechanical connec-
nal axis. By definition, couplers are threaded, and some tions.
require matching threads on the bar ends. One me- For some projects, the engineer may find it appro-
chanical connection device requires reinforcing bars priate to control the types of mechanical connection
with special thread-like deformations. In all mechani- devices to be utilized. Also, the method of construction
439.3R-4 MANUAL OF CONCRETE PRACTICE
may determine the types of mechanical connection de- facturers information, as well as that in the literature,
vices that can be most readily utilized. It is important should be reviewed by the engineer when evaluating a
that the unique requirements of any selected mechani- mechanical connector for service where large load re-
cal connection device be considered by all parties prior versals are possible.
to beginning construction. Study of the subsequent de-
scriptions will assist in determining these requirements. CHAPTER 3-MECHANICAL CONNECTION
DEVICES AND INSTALLATION DESCRIPTIONS
CHAPTER 2-DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR 3.1-General
MECHANICAL CONNECTIONS A variety of proprietary mechanical connection de-
2.1-Codes and specifications vices are currently available. In this part of the report,
Design requirements of the applicable code (ACI 318, the physical features, mechanical characteristics, and
349, or 359) or specification (AASHTO Standard Spec- installation procedure of various available mechanical
ifications for Highway Bridges) for reinforcing bar me- connection devices are described. The mechanical con-
chanical connections are not reproduced or discussed nection devices are divided into three basic categories:
herein in detail. Codes generally specify a minimum compression-only mechanical connections, tension-only
connection strength. For example, ACI 318, Section mechanical connections, and tension-compression me-
12.14.3.4, states, A full mechanical connection shall chanical connections, all meeting Section 12.14.3.4 of
develop in tension or compression, as required, at least ACI 318.
125 percent of specified yield strengthf, of the bar, so To assist the reader, a list of characteristics summa-
that yielding will tend to occur in the reinforcing bar rizing the detailed descriptions is included in Tables 3.1
adjacent to the mechanical connection before failure in and 3.2 for compression-only and tension-compression
the mechanical connection. For further background in- mechanical connections, respectively. These tables
formation and some of the considerations made in de- should be helpful in determining which mechanical
veloping the ACI 318 provisions, the reader is encour- connection devices may be utilized for specific design
aged to review ACI 318R. applications.
Due to the minimum connection strength required, it Descriptions of the mechanical connection devices
is generally assumed in design that the occurrence of a are presented in the following sections in alphabetical
mechanical connection of two reinforcing bars does not order by generic name. Similarly, the locations of the
result in a reduction of the anticipated structural devices in Tables 3.1 and 3.2 are by alphabetical order.
strength, as well as the longitudinal stiffness and lon- The committee does not endorse, or rate a particular
gitudinal ductility, of the reinforcing steel, which the mechanical connection device over another. An at-
reinforced concrete member would have had with a tempt was made to include all devices generally com-
continuous unspliced bar. That is, it is assumed that the mercially available in North America in the following
use of a mechanical connection does not introduce a section. These descriptions of the mechanical connec-
structural weakness that could jeopardize the overall tion devices are based on information furnished by the
structural performance. Design codes cover basic manufacturers. When no information could be secured
strength requirements for splices and mechanical con- from a manufacturer, no description of their products
nections, but generally do not specify how to avoid could be included in this report. At the time that this
other potential weaknesses that may be directly attrib- report was submitted for publication, the committee
uted to the specific details and/or materials of a me- was not aware of mechanical connection devices cur-
chanical connection, as follows: rently manufactured in North America that were not
1. In a flexural member, the mechanical connection included in the report.
should not result in a low effective longitudinal stiff-
ness of the reinforcement that violates the strain con- 3.2-Compression-only mechanical connections
ditions assumed in the member design. In most compression-only mechanical connections,
2. Where inelastic straining must be anticipated, as in compressive stress is transferred by concentric bearing
yielding zones of seismic structures, the mechanical from one bar to the other bar. Except for a steel-filled
connection device must not introduce notch effects that coupling sleeve, the ends of the bars must be saw cut,
would cause the bar to rupture at the mechanical con- or cut by some other means, within 11/2 deg of square
nection device before the required yielding can occur in to the bar axis. Square cutting generally will increase
the adjoining bar stock. the cost over conventionally sheared bars. An end-
3. The selection of appropriate mechanical connec- bearing splice device must be capable of holding the
tions must consider that notch effects, if present, are bars in concentric contact.
more severe with dynamic loadings, fatigue loadings, Four commercially available compression-only me-
and cold temperatures. chanical connection devices are described in terms of
4. Where potential inelastic straining may occur dur- the following:
ing seismic excitation, the assembly consisting of the 1. Configuration.
connector and the reinforcing bars connected must 2. Bar sizes which can be spliced.
possess adequate ductility so that failure initiates in the 3. Capability of splicing bars of different sizes.
concrete rather than in the steel reinforcement. Manu- 4. Installation procedure.
REINFORCING BARS 439.3R-5
3.2.1 Bolted steel coupling sleeves--There are two 3.2.1.1 Solid-type steel coupling sleeve-These
types of bolted steel coupling sleeves, as shown in Fig. coupling sleeves are cylindrical shells with split flanges
3.2.1.1 and 3.2.1.2. Lateral clamping action produced at one side. Bolts are inserted through holes in the
by the bolt-tightened coupling sleeves assures concen- flange and drawn up, pulling the coupling sleeve tightly
tric bearing of the mechanical-connected bars. The only around the square cut bars (Fig. 3.2.1.1).
tool needed to install these coupling sleeves is a wrench. In the installation procedure, the coupling sleeve is
placed on the lower bar and the lower bolt drawn up to
lock the coupling sleeve on the bar. The upper bar is
lowered into the coupling sleeve and the bar is seated.
Inspection is through center holes in the side of the
coupling sleeve from where both the centering of the
sleeve and the seating of the bars can be observed. The
remaining bolts are then drawn up tightly. Bolting may
be done with either a hand wrench or a power tool.
Coupling sleeve lengths range from 8 in. (203 mm) to
12 in. (305 mm), depending on the bar sizes to be
spliced. Special transition wedges are available for in-
sertion into the sleeve to allow for splicing bars of dif-
ferent sizes, even for bars which differ by two sizes,
e.g., #11 to #18. The flange section of the mechanical
connection device should be arranged at the back of the
bar to maintain concrete cover at the form line and
clear spacing between the bars. There must be suffi-
cient space to work on the side where the mechanical
Fig. 3.2.1.1-Solid-type steel coupling sleeve connection flange is located or to allow for the inser-
t
Table 3.2 - Tension-compression mechanical connections .a
%
Three-piece Q
Cold-swaged Integrally- coupler with Steel
Cold-swaned coupling sleeve with Extruded steel thread-deformed forged coupler NC thread coupling
steel coupling threaded ends acting coupling Hot-forged steel Grout-filled Taper-threaded with upset NC (FF4 32.i.9, sleeve with
sleeve (Fig. as a coupler (Fig. sleeve coupling sleeve coupling sleeve steel coupler thread wedge
I
3.3.1*) I
3.3.2 and 3.4.4) (Fig. 3.3.3)
I
(Fig. 3.3.4) (Fig. 3.3.5) (Fig. 3.3.8) (Fig 3.4.1) and 3.4.2.2) (Fig. 3.5.1)
Bar size range #3-#18 #3-#18 #5-#18 #5-#18 #5-#18 #4-#18 #4-#11 #4-#18f #3-#7
Coupling sleeve/
coupler Connects different
bar sizes I Yes I Yes I Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
#18 2% in. 1% in. 5% in. 11/2 db 4.72 in. 11/2 db 11/2 db 1% in. NA 1% in. NA
Clear spacing
required between #14 2% in. 1 in. 41/2 in. 11/2db 3.90 in. 1% db 11/2 in. 1% in. NA 1 in. NA
adjacent connections
#11 2 in. 1 in. 4 1/ 2 in. I/ db 3.50 in. 1% db 11/2 db 11/2 in. 11/2 in. 1 in. NA
Minimum dowel (V)-18 in.
projection 12 in. None 213/4 in. (H)-20 in. 18 in. 4 and 71/ in.$ 37/8 in. 3% in. NA 4 in. NA
Coupling sleeve/
coupler length 12 in. 14 in. 12% in. 9 in. 36% in. 8 and 15 in.$ 7 in. 6% in. NA 6 in.
# 18 coupling sleeve/
coupler installation Coupling sleeve/
requirements coupler maximum
(normal) diameter/across
corners 3% in. 35/8 in. 3% in. 4% in. 4% in. 31/2 in. 35/8 in. 3 in. NA 3 in.
I
Coupling sleeve/
coupler side wall Varies
thickness (nominal) s/s in. x6 in. 5% in. % in. l/2 in. s% in. l/2 in. Min. W in. NA NA
Cut square within
11/2 deg No No No No No No/Yes* No No No No
Remove
Cleaning-special
cleaning No No No
Remove loose
particles No No I concrete and
loose rust No No No
Thread cutting/
rolling I No I No I No No No Yes** No Yes
I I I
Special coating
removal (epoxy,
zinc) No No No No Yes No No No No
Hand-held tools Yes:<#11
adequate No Yes No No:>#ll No Yes Yes Yes No
Hydraulic
Special tools grout wedge
required Yes No Yes Yes pump Yes Yes No No No driver
Installation tools
Bars must
Weather restrictions No No No No be dry No No No No
Fire precaution No No No No Yes No No No No
Ventilation required No No No No Yes No No No No
*Reference Figure(s).
+Accepted for general use for tension-only, pending current experimental work in progress to evaluate the general applicability to connecting longitudinal reinforcement in compression.
#4-#14 meet ACI 318, Section 12.14.3.
#When jam nuts are used.
**Bar-end threading normally done by bar fabricator.
1 in. = 25.4 mm.
db = nominal diameter of bar.
REINFORCING BARS 439.3R-7
REDUCER INSERT -
(To be used when bars are
o f different diameters)
\
SLEEVE WEDGE
3.3-Tension-compression mechanical
connections
Nine types of commercially available couplers are
described in terms of the following: (b) Three-piece
1. Configuration.
2. Capability of connecting bars of different sizes.
3. Preparation of bar ends.
4. Positions of mechanical connections.
5. Equipment, tools, and materials required to make
mechanical connections.
6. Installation procedure. (c) Transition
All manufacturers claim full tension-compression ca-
pability per Section 12.14.3.4 of ACI 318. Dowel bar Fig. 3.3.2-Cold-swaged steel coupling sleeves with
mechanical connection systems are addressed in Sec- threaded ends acting as a coupler
tion 3.4.
3.3.1 Cold-swaged steel coupling sleeve--A cold- the end of a reinforcing bar prior to placing it onto the
swaged steel coupling sleeve consists of a seamless steel other. Adaptor kits allow the field presses just de-
tube which slips over the ends of two reinforcing bars scribed to be used in the same way.
and is deformed onto the reinforcing bar profile to No special bar end preparation is required, so ends
produce mechanical interlock (Fig. 3.3.1). Bar sizes #3 can be sheared, sawed, or flame cut; however, a bar-
through #18 can be connected together plus certain bars end check is recommended. Bars can be connected from
of different sizes. any orientation since special positioning of the press
A hydraulic press fitted with a removable two-piece around the bar is not required.
die set is used for field installation. The die set uni- For very closely spaced bars, access of the equipment
formly deforms the coupling sleeve onto the reinforc- to make the mechanical connections should be checked
ing bar in a series of overlapping pressings along its with the manufacturer.
length (Fig. 3.3.1). Field-type presses, including dies, 3.3.2 Cold-swaged steel coupling sleeve with threaded
weigh between 20 and 230 lb (9 and 105 kg). They come ends acting as a coupler-This type of coupler consists
with lifting handles or eyebolts as appropriate for sup- of two pieces, in addition to the bars connected, both
port in vertical, horizontal, and diagonal positions from of which are manufactured from a seamless steel tub-
formwork, scaffold, or the reinforcing bar itself. ing. Each piece meets the definitions of both a cou-
Larger bench-type presses with adjustable stops and pling sleeve (the unthreaded portion) and a coupler (the
insertion probes are available for fieId or shop use. threaded portion). The female coupler has a precut
These machines, which weigh approximately 1600 lb thread inside one half; a preformed male coupler has a
(726 kg), can be used to swage a coupling sleeve onto thread to match [Fig. 3.3.2(a)].
REINFORCING BARS 439.3R-9
Fig. 3.3.7-Steel-filled coupling sleeve, tension-com- Fig. 3.3.8.2-Taper-threaded steel coupler for straight
pression bars
The bars are mechanically connected together using filler material. Ends of bars must be dry and cleaned of
one of two methods: any foreign matter or epoxy coating before being con-
1. In installations where one of the two bars can be nected.
turned, a coupler sleeve is engaged on the ends of the The installation procedure is to slide the coupling
two opposing bars, and the two bars are tightened sleeve over one bar, position the other bar, and then
against each other. For mechanical connections work- center the coupling sleeve over the bar ends. A pouring
ing in compression, the bar ends must be perpendicular basin and crucible are attached to the coupling sleeve
to within 155 deg and may be either saw cut or abra- and a filler material packet is placed in the crucible and
sion wheel cut. ignited. The exothermic reaction created produces a
2. In installations where neither of the bars to be molten metal that flows into the coupling sleeve, filling
connected can be turned, the coupler is engaged on the the void between the coupling sleeve and reinforcing
end of the two opposing bars and a jam nut is tight- bars and the bar ends.
ened against each end of the coupler as shown in Fig. Space required between bars is dependent on bar size.
3.3.6. In this case, bars may be cut by any available Minimum clear distance between exterior rows of ver-
means, including shear, torch, or abrasion cutoff tical bars to be mechanically connected varies from 2 to
wheel. 2% in. (51 to 64 mm). Because an exothermic reaction
In all mechanical connections described, the assem- is involved, consideration must be given to fire protec-
bly components are torqued together. Torque values tion in the work area. Adequate ventilation should be
range from 150 to 750 ft-lb (203 to 1016 Nm) for the #6 provided where natural air flow is not sufficient, or if
through #l 1 sizes, and are 1500 and 3000 ft-lb (2032 the new smoke eater is not being used to prevent
and 4065 Nm) for the #14 and #18 sizes, respectively. concentration of smoke. Because exothermic reactions
Hydraulic torque wrenches are available to achieve the can be somewhat violent, care must be taken by work-
larger torque values. Required torque values may be ers in the immediate area.
less, depending on specific project requirements. No 3.3.8 Taper-threaded steel coupler-Taper-threaded
special cleanliness requirements for the bar ends apply. steel couplers have internal tapered threads. They re-
Different size bars can be spliced. Bars should have a quire matching tapered threads on the ends of the re-
clear spacing of 1 l/r bar diameters to provide room for inforcing bars (Fig. 3.3.8.1). The tapered thread elimi-
tightening. nates possible thread damage or jamming before full
3.3.7 Steel-filled coupling sleeve-The steel-filled thread engagement is achieved. There are two manu-
coupling sleeve consists of a cylindrical steel shell with facturers of this coupler, called Manufacturer A and
machined interior grooves into which a molten steel Manufacturer B herein. The particular type of thread
filler material is introduced. Loads are transferred used by each manufacturer differs, so that their prod-
across the mechanical connection via the filler material ucts are not interchangeable.
to the coupling sleeve (Fig. 3.3.7). Coupling sleeves and Both manufacturers make a coupler intended to con-
prepackaged filler material packets are also available to nect straight bars where the ends of the bars are free to
provide mechanical connections that work in tension- turn (Fig. 3.3.8.1 and 3.3.8.2). Both manufacturers also
compression (or compression-only-see Section 3.2.2). make a coupler with a special integral collar. This cou-
Except for a bar-end check, no special bar-end prep- pler is used for mechanically connecting bent or curved
aration is required. Sheared or flame-cut bar ends are bars where the ends of the bars cannot be turned (Fig.
acceptable, since forces are transmitted through the 3.3.8.3). Both manufacturers also have couplers to
439.3R-12 MANUAL OF CONCRETE PRACTICE
5.2.Cited reference
1. Gustafson, D. P., Welded Splices of Reinforcing Bars, Con-
crete Construction,V. 26, No. 10, Oct. 1981, pp. 807, 809, 810, and This document was submitted to letter ballot of the committee and approved
812. according to the ACI standardization procedures.