Mapa Institute of Technology

School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

ME136P A1
Experiment no. 3
BEND TEST OF REINFORCING STEEL BARS

Name: Maago, Jaya Mae T.

Date Performed: 10/26/2015

Student no.: 2012107107

Date Submitted: 11/02/2015

Engr. Jerome Lopena

Instructor

OBJECTIVES:
a. To determine the ultimate strength of the reinforcing steel bars when subjected to bending
load.
b. To examine the reinforcing steel bars physical conditions.

INTRODUCTION:
Bend testing is a method done using the Universal Testing Machine to test one specimens
ductility [1]. Bend testing gives a review of the specimens modulus of elasticity and its flexural
or bending strength [2]. This is done by placing the specimen on top of the fulcrum rollers,
while the flexure bending punch slowly pushes down the midline of the specimen at a certain
radius. In this experiment, we used one plain steel bar and one deformed steel bar for bend
testing. The specimens under this test have their own neutral axis where the amount of stress or
strain is equivalent to zero. Above this neutral axis, where the side of the specimen has direct
contact with the bending punch has compression forces, going to the center of the specimen.
Below the neutral axis, comes the tension force, going outward, stretching the specimen, with the
help of the fulcrum rollers. After the bend test, using the maximum force in the printed results,
and some physical information of the specimen, we are able to compute for the flexural strength
of the steel bars. We are then able to classify them to their physical conditions.
LIST OF APPARATUS:

Shimadzu Universal Testing Machine UH-A-C Series

Flexure-bending table apparatus
Flexure-bending punch
Speed Cutter
Steel tapes and Caliper
Weighing Scale
Marking Device (Center punch or drawn with ink)

PROCEDURES:

1. Prepare one plain steel bar and one deformed steel bar specimen. See Fig.[1]. Determine the
length of these specimens. See Fig.[2].
Figure 1

2.
Determine the weight

of each

Figure 2

specimen. Shown in Fig.[3].

Figure 3

3. Measure the nominal diameter of each specimen. See Fig.[4]. This will be used for the
computation of the actual cross-sectional area of both steel bars. Using the formula:

Figure 4

Crosssectional Area=

4.
space of

d2
4

Determine

the

average
lugs, the average
height of lugs, and the summation of gaps, for the
deformed steel bar specimen. See Fig.[5].

Figure 5
5. Perform bend test using the Universal Testing Machine. Wait until the flexure bending punch
push down the steel bar through the fulcrum rollers. See Fig.[6].

Figure 6

6.

Examine the bent specimen, and

check for cracks along the steel bar. Classify
its physical condition, whether it has cracks or none.
Add remarks, whether the steel bar specimen is good or bad.

7. Complete the other necessary information in the data sheet. Determine the diameter of the
flexure bending punch. See Fig.[7].

8. The values for the bending load can be gathered at the printed results of the UTM.

9. Compute for the bending stress or the flexural strength of the steel bar. Using the formula:
F max x L D
x
4
2
Sf =
4
D
64

10. Determine the degree of bend of the steel bar.

DISCUSSION:
In this experiment, we are focused on determining the ultimate strength or the flexural strength
of the reinforcing steel bars when subjected to bending load. This is done using one plain steel
bar and one deformed steel bar. Theses specimens are placed on the fulcrum rollers of the UTM.
The flexure bending punch slowly pushes down the midline of the steel bars, to an extent that it
passes through the fulcrum rollers. The maximum force is then printed out, and the flexural
strength of each steel bar is computed. Each specimen after the bend test is also checked for
cracks, and the physical condition is recorded on the data sheet.

CONCLUSION:
The bend testing of both plain steel bar and deformed steel bar provided us with results that the
plain steel bar can be subjected into a higher bending load than deformed steel bar. The
computed flexural strength of the plain steel bar is also higher than of deformed. Although, both
specimens differ in the amount of bending load and bending stress they can be subjected to, they
both ended up without cracks along the bent portion, resulting to good remarks.