Experimental Study of Mechanical Connectors for Application in Rebar Cages

Large rebar cages are commonly used in building and bridge constructions, especially for cast-in-place concrete columns, bridge piers, and cast-in-drilled-hole piles. These temporary structures are made of longitudinal and transverse reinforcing bars connected by tie wires. The stability of large rebar cages is usually dominated by the stiffness and strength of the tie wire connections. To improve the stability of the rebar cages, mechanical connectors can replace tie wire connections at critical locations. This paper is focused on experimental testing of mechanical connectors to capture their force-deformation response in different degrees of freedom. The results show that mechanical connectors can provide stiffer and stronger cross-rebar connections as compared to tie wires. Therefore, they can be used to improve the stiffness and strength of rebar cages, and thus, the construction productivity and safety.