# An Experimental and FE Modeling Investigation of the Pull-Out Behavior of Anchoring Solutions in Concrete: A Comparative Study

## TL;DR

This study compares how well different anchoring methods hold steel bars in concrete, finding that double-ended adhesive anchoring provides better strength and flexibility.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a novel experimental and numerical investigation of double-embedded anchoring systems for seismic strengthening.

## Key findings

- Double-ended adhesive anchorage achieved a peak pull-out force of ~28.6 kN, 18% higher than mixed anchorage.
- Failure occurred due to concrete cracking and pull-out cone formation, not steel bar yielding.
- Finite element simulations validated experimental results and extended analysis to broader concrete strength ranges.

## Abstract

This article presents an original experimental and numerical approach to examining the pull-out behavior of fastening systems made of steel bars simultaneously embedded in both ends of concrete samples. This double-embedded configuration simulates a connection between the existing concrete structure and a new external exoskeleton, promoting seismic strengthening. Pull-out tests were performed across six specimen configurations combining different concrete strength classes in order to compare the adhesive solution against traditional monolithic cast-in rebar embedments. The adhesive-anchored bars achieved a peak pull-out force of ~28.6 kN, which is about 18% higher than with mixed anchorage (one end adhesive, one end cast-in). All specimens failed in concrete cracking and pull-out cone formation, with no steel bar yielding, indicating that failure was governed by concrete strength. Finite element simulations in ANSYS Explicit Dynamics were validated against these experiments, confirming the observed behavior and enabling the extension of our analysis to broader concrete strength ranges. Overall, the results demonstrate that double-ended adhesive anchorage significantly increases the connection’s load-bearing capacity and ductility compared to mixed configurations.