Wedge-type expansion anchors in high-performance concrete

Experiments were performed to evaluate the mechanical response of torque-controlled expansion anchors embedded in highperformance concrete (HPC), subjected to tensile loads. The variables include compressive strength of the concrete, addition of steel fibers, and embedment length of the anchors. The embedment length influences the results in terms of both strength and ductility, whereas fibers strongly affect only the post-peak behavior and the failure pattern. The comparison between the results of HPC and normal-strength concrete and the pullout load given by the manufacturer shows that HPC leads to an increase of the strength. The influence of the selected factors on results, in terms of strength, stiffness, failure mode, and failure pattern, is also discussed. Finally, a comparison between standard design equations and experimental results is provided to suggest some proposals for the extension of the model prediction on normal-strength concrete to HPC.