Bond of Reinforcement in Concrete Applied to Concrete Quality Control: The Bottle Bond Test

This paper presents the results of an experimental research dealing with bond strength as a parameter for concrete quality control. To this end, a low-cost testing technique has been developed: the Bottle Bond Test (BBT). Specimens for the BBT are produced by casting concrete into empty plastic bottles (used as moulds) with a reinforcing bar longitudinally centred. The result is a bottle-shaped concrete specimen with an embedded rebar, which is pulled out to determine bond strength. Different parameters related to this test setup modify bond strength: their effect has been analyzed. An equation to relate the obtained bond strength values to concrete compressive strength is presented. This equation has been validated with real production data from a readymix concrete plant. Its accuracy and therefore the feasibility of BBT for concrete quality control have been verified. Therefore, the BBT can be an alternative to conventional concrete quality based on uniaxial compression tests.