Pullout behavior of the steel-FRP composite bar with the anchor head made of the grout-filled steel tube

•The anchor head, made of the grout-filled steel tube, of the SFCB was proposed.•Pullout behavior of the SFCB with the anchor head in concrete was studied.•The force transferring mechanism of pullout specimens was revealed.•A prediction method of failure modes for pullout specimens was developed. Steel-fiber reinforced polymer composite bars (SFCBs) offer a viable solution to replace steel bars in concrete structures and mitigate their corrosion issues. However, the inflexibility of SFCBs weakens their bond with concrete. This study addressed this gap by employing a steel tube connected to the end of SFCB using grout as its anchor head. Subsequent pullout tests were conducted on SFCBs with and without anchor heads, exploring variables such as SFCB diameter, anchorage length, anchor-head diameter, concrete-cover thickness, and spiral ratio. Various failure modes were observed, including SFCB rupture, and concrete cracking with and without stirrups. Anchor heads significantly enhanced the bearing capacity and bond stiffness of SFCB specimens, notably reducing splitting forces. Augmenting anchorage length and anchor-head diameter improved the bond stiffness of SFCBs in concrete. The anchor-head diameter should not be less than 2.4 times the SFCB diameter. Furthermore, an increase in concrete-cover thickness or spiral ratio notably heightened the concrete’s resistance to cracking. The contribution ratio of bond force increases with the anchorage length and decreases with the slip, SFCB diameter, and anchor-head diameter. A predictive method for determining concrete-cover thickness and spiral ratio was developed to ensure SFCB pullout specimens steer clear of concrete splitting.