Welded Wire Fabric for Bridges. I: Ultimate Strength and Ductility

Abstract

The purpose of the present paper is to provide experimental data and analytical results for the tensile strength and ductility of welded wire fabric (WWF) so that engineers can confidently use WWF as structural reinforcement. The material for the tested specimens was provided by manufacturers in the United States, Germany, and Canada. The specimens included steel from rods (steel before the cold‐drawing process), plain wires, deformed wires, epoxy‐coated deformed wires, tempered and nontempered WWF, and nontempered wires without welds. The experiments conducted show that the WWF made in the United States can be considered a ductile steel based on the relevant ASTM specifications. In addition, the fatigue life of the epoxy‐coated WWF made in the United States exceeds those for reinforcement bars as tested by the Portland Cement Association. The results indicate that WWF is suitable as a structural reinforcement since it possesses sufficient ductility to meet ASTM specifications.