GEOCONNECT® SHEAR LOAD CONNECTORS FOR STRUCTURAL JOINTS

Our shear load connectors (both for diaphragm wall and slab-slab joints) have a DAU, Document of Assessment for fitness of Use, that is the statement of a favorable opinion on the performances of an innovative product and its intended uses within the field of building and civil engineering construction.

DAU certificates are done and granted by ITeC (the Catalonian Institute of Construction Technology) which, according to the Resolution of Spanish Ministry of Housing from 3 September 2010, is included in the General Register of CTE (Spanish Technical Building Code) Authorized Organisms as an approved body for the granting of DAU as technical assessment for innovative products and systems.

FISUFOR® PLUG - Masonry reinforcement with overlap without manipulation

fisufor® plug has an innovative design that makes it possible to achieve the overlap between reinforcement without the need for manipulation, keeping the area of the overlap the same nominal width of the reinforcement.

The ends of the fisufor® plug pieces have a special geometric configuration in the form of a plug that allows the overlap of 250mm without having to cut any wire.

Also, the transverse wire in this area is flattened in order to guarantee the minimum coating of mortar.

ADVANTAGES

• Increases resistance to bending in the wall.
• Guarantees the correct transmission of forces.
• Overlap without any manipulation.

 

WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM COVERINGS OF THE REINFORCEMENT?

The upper and lower mortar coverings should be no less than 5mm.

It is very important to comply with the Eurocode, this is the constant coating over the reinforcement.

Lateral mortar coatings should not be less than 15mm, in this case also be constant all along the reinforcement, including the area of overlap.

AREN’T DIFFERENT REINFORCEMENTS REALLY EQUIVALENT?

As a general example to meet the minimum amounts required in the Eurocode to achieve a masonry assembled for the purpose of reducing cracking, it is sufficient to place masonry reinforcement of 3mm Ø ev ery 60cm.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT WIDTH OF THE REINFORCEMENT?

The coating with mortar of the masonry reinforcement is a fundamental requirement to ensure the protection of the steel from corrosion. 

Therefore, when it comes to getting this benefit, the conditions of coating have different importance according to the finishing of the masonry reinforcement. However, the coating is also an essential requirement for the proper transmission of forces of adhesion in the overlap areas and this is common for all the masonry reinforcements with structural use, independently of the type of finish. 

In order to achieve this provision, you must respect the minimum thickness of coating, both upper and lower, as well as lateral. Side coating in the areas of overlap is essential so that there is the transmission of efforts between the piece of reinforcement and the adjoining one, this circumstance must be taken into account when choosing the width of the reinforcement so that it is appropriate to the thickness of the wall. 

If the reinforcement does not have a specific design for the overlap, you must limit your width to allow the correct covering along the reinforcement longitudinally.

I WANT TO BUILD MY WALLS TO PREVENT CRACKING, HOW MUCH REINFORCEMENT SHOULD I PUT?

The Eurocode explicitly defines the minimum amount of reinforcement needed to give ductility to the masonry and prevent cracking. In this sense, it determines the vertical separation between reinforced rows will not surpass 60cm and the area of steel will not be less than 0.03% of the area of the wall. The measure is preventative, and given that it is explicitly stated in the Eurocode it can help deal with the civil responsibility derived from pathological processes produced by cracking in the walls. However this measure by itself does not guarantee 100% of the absence of fissures. What is really effective to avoid cracking is a good constructive design solution to avoid risk situations.

HOW TO EXECUTE A CORRECT OVERLAP?

1. Cut one of the longitudinal wires.

2. The length of overlap for masonry reinforcement should be at least 250 mm and the separation between longitudinal wires ≥ 20 mm

In accordance with the specifications of the current standards, a correct overlap between truss type masonry reinforcement should meet the following requirements: Length of overlap: 250 mm (0,6 the distance of the pitch of the cross-wires). Horizontal distance between overlapped wires: 20 mm.

Lateral coating of the wires that have been cut: 30 mm (except stainless steel wires).

The “plug structure” of the geofor® reinforcement ensures all these requirements without any need for manipulation by the operator.

 

 

IMPORTANT: At the ends of the reinforcement for structural use it must meet the tree requirements: ADHESION, MORTAR COATING and OVERLAP.

 

WHY IS IT IMPERATIVE TO HAVE THE CE MARKING?

Firstly because it is compulsory for the products that are incorporated in the construction of a building. Secondly because the CE marking, carried out within the existing legal framework along with the implementation of the Eurocode are the only quality assurance (of the State not the supplier). It is also the only way of checking that incorporated products in walls have the same benefits stated in calculations. There is no point calculating if there is no comparison value for gauging.

TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF MY WALL IN SEISMIC EVENTS,WILL I NEED TO PUT ALOT OF BED JOINT REINFORCEMENT?

For seismic events, the reinforcement itself will improve the mechanical behaviour of the wall because of its ductile properties. However for the same reasons given previously, this cannot be assigned stability of the wall to the reinforcement itself.

 

For the reinforcement to be calculated into seismic effects, it should be accompanied by other elements of retention, such as anchors to the pillars.

corner execution

DOES THE WIDTH OF THE REINFORCEMENT BENEFICIALLY AFFECT THE STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE?

Reinforcement used in crack control does not require a specific width, since the only thing that counts in this case is the area of steel section.

By contrast, the width of the reinforcement has a role to play when it has a structural function, and that by increasing the mechanical arm, you increase at the same proportion the horizontal bending strength of the walls in the masonry.

DOES CORRUGATED WIRE IMPROVE THE ADHESION?

The reinforcement does not improve at all by the fact the wire is corrugated. The conditions for grip relating to transferring forces evenly through-out small-diameter bars, such as the type of masonry reinforcement depend more on the measure of mortar and not the masonry reinforcement.

Grip provided by corrugated bars is only needed when the forces you may have are very large, this only occurs within very thick bars. In the case of the reinforcement a number is worth a thousand words, two bars of 4mm in diameter can transfer securely 10kN, following the required regulations.

This value has been tested on smooth bars of reinforcement. Furthermore the calculation shows the real value of the force that is transferred across the reinforcement (that is met by the minimum quantity requirements) in worst case scenarios, is approximately half.

Consequently the corrugated reinforcement makes no extra benefits of reinforcement that weren’t in the traditional reinforcement. It is important that the technique of reinforced concrete, capable of transferring large forces, use normal plain bars when there is a small diameter. What really improves the transmission of forces is the existence of a suitable cover of reinforcement in the overlap areas.

 

 

 

 

IS THE ADHESION OF THE MASONRY REINFORCEMENT IMPORTANT?

The adhesion of the reinforcement, if you are using the truss-type, does not intervene with the transmission of
forces between the first and last node of the truss. The transmission of forces in these sections is performed
entirely through the diagonal wires, even without mortar, by virtue of their geometrical configuration, indeformable in their plane.

 

Where it is really essential for the adherence of transmission of forces between the ends of pieces of reinforcement where the truss ends. This is why the overlap needs, a length proportionate to the forces that are transmitted and adequate cover in the overlap area.
To transfer the maximum force that it can withstand equally in the reinforcement, a sufficient overlap length of 250mm is needed (this value must be verified by tests).
To achieve the adequate transfer of adhesion and forces in the overlap areas, the wires must be spaced  when overlapping to a distance equal to their diameter.