BOND, DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER LENGTHS

9.1 Introduction

In pretensioned concrete systems, stresses are transferred by bond between the concrete and
the reinforcement, and, therefore, adequate transfer length and flexural bond length must be
provided. The mechanism of bond differs between FRP and steel strands due to the large
variation of FRP bars in term of shapes, surface treatments and elastic moduli. The transfer
and development lengths of a FRP tendon are a function of the perimeter configuration area
and surface condition of the FRP, the stress in the FRP, and the method used to transfer the
FRP force to the concrete. FRP manufacturers have tried to improve the mechanical bond
of their products by creating rods with deformed surfaces and/or coating rods with sand.
Adhesion, which is the chemical bond that is produced at the reinforcement/concrete
interface, is lost with increasing displacement. In the case of FRP materials, which usually
have a clean smooth surface, the chemical bond is particularly weak (Nanni et al., 1992b).
Lastly, as with mechanical interlock, friction is quite dependent on the surface characteristics
of a rod. The coefficient of friction at the reinforcement/concrete interface, transverse
elastic modulus and the Poissons ratio of the FRP are influential in determining the
frictional bond capacity (Lees, 1997).

The minimum development length should be calculated as the summation of the transfer
length and the flexural bond length, as follows:

Ld Lt  L fb
Equation 9.1

in which Lt is the transfer length, and Lfb is the flexural bond length. Both transfer length
and flexural bond length vary considerably among the different fibre and tendon
configurations. These variations are discussed in the following sections.

9.2 Transfer Length

The transfer length, Lt, in pretensioned concrete is defined as the length over which the
prestressing force is totally transferred to the concrete.

9.2.1 Aramid FRP

The transfer length of tendons comprising braided epoxy-impregnated aramid fibre

reinforced polymers, and having diameters ranging from eight to 16 mm were examined by
Nanni et al. (1992a) and were found to vary with the nominal diameter of the tendons.
Experimental transfer lengths ranged from 300 to 400 mm for low levels of prestress, and
from 250 to 550 mm for high levels of prestress. It was concluded that friction was the
predominant bonding mechanism in aramid fibres and that these fibres showed little tendon
slippage compared to steel.

A study carried out by Taerwe and Pallemans (1995) on Arapree aramid fibre rods having
diameters of 7.5 mm and 5.3 mm and different surface finishes suggested a transfer length of
16 times the nominal diameter for Arapree rods.

Tests conducted by Ehsani et al. (1997) on Arapree (10 mm), FiBRA (10.4 mm), and
Technora (7.4 mm) tendons indicated transfer lengths of 33 bar diameters for FiBRA, 43

9.1
bar diameters for Technora, and 50 bar diameters for Arapree. The transfer length for
Arapree tendons was affected significantly by the level of prestress.

9.2.2 Carbon FRP

Domenico (1995) investigated the transfer length of CFCC strands manufactured by Tokyo
Rope (1993) Japan. Variables in the study were the depth of the beams, diameter of the
CFCC tendons, concrete covers and strength, and prestressing level. The measured transfer
length was found to be proportional to the diameter of the strand and the prestress level,
and varied from 140 mm to 400 mm.

A study was carried out by Mahmoud and Rizkalla (1996) and Mahmoud et al. (1997) on the
bond characteristics of both LeadlineTM rods and CFCC strands. Measured transfer lengths
from 450 to 650 mm (or 56 to 81 bar diameters) for LeadlineTM rods, and from 300 to 425
mm for CFCC strands, were reported. Based on the measured data, the transfer length, Lt ,
was found to be related to the diameter of the tendon, d t , the initial prestressing level in the
FRP prestressing tendon, f pi , and the concrete strength at transfer, f cic . They
recommended the following equation for the transfer length of carbon CFRP reinforcement:

f pi d t
Lt mm
D t f cic 0.67 Equation 9.2

A regression analysis of the experimental data resulted in a value of D t of 1.9 for CFRP
Leadline bars and 4.8 for CFCC strands (using SI units). The average bond strength at
transfer was calculated to be 4.5 MPa for CFRP Leadline bars and 8.9 MPa for CFCC
strands.

Transfer lengths of 54 times the diameter for CFRP Leadline bars and 50 times the
diameter for CFCC strands were found by Ehsani et al. (1997). From tests on the transfer
length for Leadline CFRP rods in large-scale concrete T-beams Soudki et al. (1997) found
that the measured transfer length was about 80 times the rod diameter, and that existing
models for steel may give unconservative transfer lengths for the CFRP rod.

9.3 Flexural Bond Length

The flexural bond length, Lfb, is defined as the embedment length beyond the transfer length
which is required to develop the full tensile strength of the tendon in tension.

9.3.1 Aramid FRP

Nanni and Tanigaki (1992) examined the development and flexural bond lengths of AFRP
tendons. The unfactored development length of AFRP tendons in bonded pretensioned
prestressed concrete members was determined as 120, 100 and 80 times the nominal
diameter for type K64, K128, and K256 tendons, respectively.
 Bond, Development and Transfer Lengths

9.3.2 Carbon FRP

Two types of CFRP strands LeadlineTM and CFCC and three AFRP types Technora,
FiBRA, and Arapree were tested by Ehsani et al. (1997) for transfer and flexural bond
lengths. They concluded that the ACI 318-99 development length requirements for steel
strands are conservative for AFRP tendons but are not adequate for LeadlineTM tendons.

Mahmoud and Rizkalla (1996) and Mahmoud et al. (1997) developed an empirical equation
for the flexural bond length. The flexural bond length, L fb , was found to be directly related
to the same parameters as in the transfer length, with the exception of the maximum
concrete compressive strength, f cc , and the increase in stress from the effective prestress
level in the FRP prestressing tendon after allowance of all prestressing losses, f pe , to the
ultimate tensile strength of the FRP prestressing tendon, f frpu . The proposed equation is:

L fb
f frpu  f pe d t
mm
D f f cc 0.67 Equation 9.3

where D f is the coefficient determined from the regression analysis of the test results and
has a value of 1.0 for CFRP Leadline bars and 2.8 for CFCC strands (using SI units). The
average flexural bond strength was found to be 3 MPa for CFRP Leadline bars and 5 MPa
for CFCC strands.

9.4 Typical Transfer and Development Lengths

Typical values for transfer and development lengths of various FRP tendons are given in
Table 9.1 (ACI 440.4R, 2004) and Table 9.2 (CAN/CSA-S806-02).

Table 9.1: Typical Transfer and Development Lengths for Certain Types of FRP
(ACI 440.4R, 2004)
Diameter Youngs Tensile
Material Type fpe/ffrpu Lt/dt Ld/dt
mm modulus MPa strength MPa

Arapree 9.9 127,600 2450 0.5 to 0.7 16 to 50 100
Aramid FiBRA 10.4 48,270 1430 0.4 to 0.6 20 to 50 90
Technora 7.4 68,600 1720 0.6 50 140
Leadline 7.9 149,600 1980 0.5 to 0.7 50 to 80 175
Carbon
CFCC 8.3 137,200 2220 0.5 to 0.7 50 n.a.

Table 9.2 - Typical Transfer and Development Lengths for Certain Types of FRP
(CAN/CSA-S806-02)
FRP tendon type Diameter, mm Development length Transfer length
CFRP strand N/A 50dt 20dt
CFRP rebar N/A 180dt 60dt
AFRP dt 120dt 50dt
8 12

AFRP dt 100dt 40dt
12 16
<
AFRP 16 dt 80dt 35dt

9.3