Reactive reinforcement bar

Abstract

A composite rebar, which may include a reactive surface coating for improvement of the performance of buildings, freeways, and other concrete structures or other structures using rebar, where increasing the life and safety as well as improving the lifetime cost of the structure is important. Leveraging manufacturing opportunities of composite materials with an understanding of the mechanical properties of geometric shapes improves the system strength and reliability at minimal extra cost.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A section of reinforcement bar, comprising:
 an elongate member including a first rectangular face extending along a length of the elongate member and a second rectangular face opposite of the first rectangular face so that the first rectangular face and the second rectangular face are separated by an edge, the second rectangular face extending along the length of the elongate member.   
     
     
         2 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of openings distributed along the length of the elongate member. 
     
     
         3 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 2 , wherein each opening of the plurality of openings is configured to receive a second elongate member. 
     
     
         4 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate member comprises a fiber reinforced polymer. 
     
     
         5 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 4 , wherein the elongate member comprises basalt reinforced fiber. 
     
     
         6 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate member comprises steel. 
     
     
         7 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate member is wrapped around a spool. 
     
     
         8 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 1 , further comprising a reactive powder coating fixedly attached to the elongate member. 
     
     
         9 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 8 , wherein the reactive powder coating comprises a pozzolan. 
     
     
         10 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 9 , wherein the reactive powder coating comprises at least one of clinker, cement, clay, and volcanic rock. 
     
     
         11 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 9 , wherein the reactive powder coating comprises at least one of fly ash, silica fume, rice husk ash, slag cement, and metakaolin. 
     
     
         12 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 9 , wherein the reactive powder coating is bound to the elongate member with a bonding agent. 
     
     
         13 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 12 , wherein the bonding agent is dicyclopentadiene. 
     
     
         14 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 12 , wherein the bonding agent is vitreous enamel coating. 
     
     
         15 . The section of reinforcement bar of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate member defines a preferred bending direction. 
     
     
         16 . A fastener, comprising:
 a first wing portion and a second wing portion connected to the first wing portion with a bridge portion;   wherein a length of the bridge portion defines a first gap between the first wing portion and the second wing portion.   
     
     
         17 . The fastener of  claim 16 , wherein the length of the bridge portion further defines a second gap between the first wing portion and the second wing portion opposite the first gap. 
     
     
         18 . The fastener of  claim 16 , wherein the fastener is symmetrical across a midpoint of the bridge portion in either the lateral direction or the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         19 . The fastener of  claim 18 , wherein the fastener is symmetrical across a midpoint of the bridge portion in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         20 . The fastener of  claim 16 , wherein the fastener is H-shaped. 
     
     
         21 . The fastener of  claim 16 , wherein a plurality of corners of the fastener is rounded. 
     
     
         22 . The fastener of  claim 16 , wherein the first gap is configured to receive a section of rebar. 
     
     
         23 . The fastener of  claim 22 , wherein the first gap is configured to receive a plurality of sections of rebar. 
     
     
         24 . The fastener of  claim 16 , wherein the first gap is tapered in width between the bridge portion and a first end of the fastener. 
     
     
         25 . A reinforcement bar structure, comprising:
 a first elongate section of reinforcement bar defining a first opening;   a second elongate section of reinforcement bar defining a second opening aligned with the first opening; and   a fastener positioned within the first opening and the second opening to couple the first elongate section with the second elongate section, the fastener comprising:
 a first wing portion and a second wing portion connected to the first wing portion with a bridge portion, a gap defined between the first wing portion and the second wing portion; 
   the bridge portion positioned within the first opening and the second opening so that the first wing is positioned on a first side of the first elongate section and the second elongate section and the second wing is positioned on a second side of the first elongate section and the second elongate section; and   a portion of the first elongate section and a portion of the second elongate section are positioned within the gap of the fastener.   
     
     
         26 . The reinforcement bar structure of  claim 25 , wherein the first elongate section and the second elongate section are each sections of a common reinforcement bar. 
     
     
         27 . The reinforcement bar structure of  claim 25 , wherein the first elongate section is a section of a first reinforcement bar and the second elongate section is a section of a second reinforcement bar different than the first reinforcement bar. 
     
     
         28 . The reinforcement bar structure of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the first elongate section and the second elongate section includes a reactive powder coating. 
     
     
         29 . The reinforcement bar structure of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the first elongate section and the second elongate section is rectangular in shape. 
     
     
         30 . The reinforcement bar structure of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one of the first elongate section and the second elongate section is ribbon-shaped. 
     
     
         31 . The reinforcement bar structure of  claim 25 , wherein the reinforcement bar structure is a cage. 
     
     
         32 . The reinforcement bar structure of  claim 25 , wherein the reinforcement bar structure is a grid. 
     
     
         33 . A method of manufacturing a reinforcement bar, comprising:
 binding fibers together with a binding agent to form an elongate member;   distributing a polymer binder on an exterior surface of the elongate member;   dusting a reactive powder over the polymer binder and the elongate member; and   rolling or compressing the reactive powder into the surface of the elongate member.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the reactive powder comprises a pozzolan. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the elongate member is rectangular. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising winding the elongate member onto a spool.