In the construction industry, the term “materials testing” can refer to the evaluation of

almost any kind of building material that impacts the project at hand. This includes
aspects of the local terrain, including soil quality and composition, as well as potential
impact on nearby structures. It also encompasses testing of concrete, steel, masonry
and woodwork elements throughout the structure.

The testing process is important because it allows inspectors and builders to identify
faults before an actual stress test, where personal and environmental safety is at risk.
Even detailed inspections aren’t completely fool proof, but they are still extremely
cost-effective and helpful throughout the construction process. As a future architect it
is necessary to be familiar with the all the testing method and requirements to be
conducted for both concrete and structural steel because it will help to avoid
expensive repair or renovation work to correct faults and mitigate risks to other people
and property. Testing of concrete and steel can reveal any number of issues
related to construction quality.  It can help classify a building site, and assist
with construction decisions. Without testing methods, architects and
engineers may not know if the quality of the construction meets the
requirements. Various inspections and proof of materials quality is also required by
law depending on the location and type of structure.
Bend tests deform the test material at the midpoint causing a concave surface or a bend to form
without the occurrence of fracture and are typically performed to determine the ductility or resistance
to fracture of that material. Unlike in a flexure test the goal is not to load the material until failure but
rather to deform the sample into a specific shape. The test sample is loaded in a way that creates a
concave surface at the midpoint with a specified radius of curvature according to the standard in
relation to which the test is performed. Bending tests are as popular as tensile test, compression
test, and fatigue tests. 

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Purpose of Bend Testing:

Bend testing a material allows for the determination of that materials ductility, bend strength, fracture
strength and resistance to fracture. These characteristics can be used to determine whether a
material will fail under pressure and are especially important in any construction process involving
ductile materials loaded with bending forces. If a material begins to fracture or completely fractures
during a three or four point bend test it is valid to assume that the material will fail under a similar in
any application, which may lead to catastrophic failure.

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Four Common Bend Tests:

There are four common types of bend tests. In a guided bend test, the sample is placed horizontally
across two supports and then a force applied to the top of the midpoint deforming the sample into a
“U” shape. In a semi-guided bend test, the specimen’s midpoint is bent to a specific angle or inside
radius. In a free bend test, the ends of the sample are pushed together, but no force is applied to the
bend itself. Finally, a common fracture toughness test (ASTM E399) consists of a sample with a
precracked starter crack on the bottom side of the midpoint which is loaded into a 3-point bend
fixture so that the midpoint force is applied on the opposite face from the fracture.

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Types of Materials Used in Bending Applications:

Generally a bending test is performed on metals or metallic materials but can also be applied to any
substance that can experience plastic deformation, such as polymers and plastics. These materials
can take any feasible shape but when used in a bend test most commonly appear in sheets, strips,
bars, shells, and pipes. Bend test machines are normally used on materials that have an acceptably
high ductility. 
The steel bars are bent to form a specific shape such as shear stirrups, L-bars, and
other shapes. therefore steel should have sufficient ductility to enable the bending of
reinforcement bars without affecting the steel strength The bending test of
reinforcement steel performed to verify that steel ductility and to ensure that no fracture
or cracks will occur during the bending. the reinforcing steel may fracture or crack due
to the following reasons:

 the ribs of steel are a location of concentrated stress, and it is considered as a

weak point. these locations may fracture if steel bends.
  The steel possesses high strength. Therefore a larger force is required to bend
steel, and this could cause steel to crack.
 Also, the radius of bending the reinforcement, smaller radius of bending will have
a greater adverse effect on reinforcement steel.
 The low temperature playing an important role in reducing the steel bar's
toughness, and this may result in bars cracking or fracture if bent.

After performing the bending test, the convex surface of the tested bar should be
checked by the unaided eye to identify any cracks or fractures. The test is performed by
the support of the specimen at two pin locations. The distance between supports equal
three times the bar diameter plus the plunger, then a force given to the plunger to bend
the bar specimen. The test will stop when the bar bends to an angle of 180, as shown in
figure 2.

A rebend test can be conducted to determine the effects of strain aging on steel. Strain
aging can cause embrittlement effects, which can occur after bending the cold
deformation by the diffusion of nitrogen in steel. Therefore some codes limit the content
of nitrogen to 0.012%. the rebending testing can be conducted by bending the
reinforcement bar at an angle of 45 degrees at 100 C for an hour and then bent it back
by 23 degrees.