Bond in concrete - bond, anchorage, detailing : 5th International Conference : Stuttgart, Germany, 25th - 27th July 2022 : proceedings

Abstract

Although concrete and reinforced concrete structures are not considered particularly sustainable, concrete is one of the most important and widely used building material in the world. Structures such as bridges, power plants or tunnels would be inconceivable without reinforced concrete as a building material. The bond between reinforcement and concrete is an essential factor for achieving the desired response from these different reinforced concrete structures. Moreover, bond plays an important role not only in reinforced concrete structures, but also for strengthening and rehabilitation of structures. Due to the necessity of sustainable building methods and need to reduce the spending of resources, the rehabilitation of structures will play an important role in shaping the sustainable future. In addition, our building materials are changing quite rapidly. This applies not only to concrete, but also to reinforcement. Carbon concrete, extreme lightweight or printed concrete, glass fibre or textile reinforcement are just a few examples. Their properties are significantly different from the previously known materials. In combination this can lead to a completely changed bond behavior, which can no longer be described using the existing models. Consequently, this becomes a challenge for all of us working in this field since results and solutions are expected faster than in the past. Therefore, it is important to have a platform that enables exchange of information on the latest results and future development and is also essential to publish and share the findings with the research community. However, this is not the only motivation for organising the Bond in Concrete Conference. The personal exchange and the development of a social network is an additional motivation, which is becoming more and more essential for both work and successful research. The previous conferences in Paisley (1982), Riga (1992), Budapest (2002) and Brescia (2012) are excellent examples for personal and professional networking. This tradition is something we want to continue in Stuttgart (2022) and use this opportunity to enable, encourage and support interdisciplinary research on “bond”. Looking at the recent developments, the description of the bond models and the underlying theories have been further improved and refined in the last few years. As a result, a larger number of influencing factors and loading conditions are considered for describing and quantifying “bond”. Today we know much more about bond than we did 50 years before. But we still don´t know enough about “bond”, it is important to continue and intensive research in the future. Despite all the adversities, uncertainties, injustices and challenges that our society will have to handle in the upcoming years and decades, I am convinced that each one of us is doing their best to make our future worth living. The 5th Conference on “Bond in Concrete" may contribute to this objective.