Reinforcing bar system for reinforcing a concrete structure

Abstract

Reinforcing bar system for reinforcing a concrete structure comprising a first concrete structure part and a second concrete structure part, comprising: a first reinforcing bar to be substantially embedded in the first concrete structure part; and a second reinforcing bar to be substantially embedded in the second concrete structure part, wherein the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar are coupled together by a coupling member, comprising a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion configured to receive the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar, wherein the first coupling portion is configured to receive the first reinforcing bar through the first coupling portion, wherein the second coupling portion is configured to receive the second reinforcing bar such that longitudinal axes of the first reinforcing bar and second reinforcing bar intersect in the coupling member in a mutually perpendicular arrangement.

Description

[0001] Reinforcing bar system for reinforcing a concrete structure

[0002] The present invention relates to a reinforcing bar system for reinforcing a concrete structure comprising a first concrete structure part and a second concrete structure part arranged perpendicularly to the first concrete structure part.

[0003] Reinforcing bar systems are necessary in concrete structures to provide tensile strength to the concrete structure, as concrete in itself has a mediocre performance under tensile loading. The reinforcing bar system further provides additional resistance to compressional loading which could eventually lead to buckling. In concrete structures it is common to have perpendicularly arranged structure parts, such as, for example, foundations, walls, columns, floors, and ceilings in buildings. For a strong concrete structure, it is beneficial to interconnect the reinforcing bars of abutting, perpendicularly arranged, concrete structure parts to provide an overall stronger concrete structure. Typically, one of the two perpendicularly arranged reinforcing bars is bent thereto, to provide a reinforcing bar end which is arranged parallel with the other reinforcing bar of the two reinforcing bars to be connected. After parallel arrangement of the reinforcing bars a connection therebetween is made, by, for example, welding the two reinforcing bars together, preferably with sufficient overlap length between the respective reinforcing bar ends to be welded together.

[0004] However, in modern structures thinner concrete elements are required, while the load applied on these concrete elements is increased. To withstand such an additional load, reinforcing bars must be stronger. As a result, the reinforcing bars are thicker than reinforcing bars that are normally used. With an increased thickness of the reinforcing bar, an increase of the bending stiffness and consequently the bending radius of the reinforcing bar occurs. The larger bending radius of the thicker reinforcing bar leads to difficulties with placing the reinforcing bar properly inside the thin concrete structure. The thicker reinforcing bar does in this case not fit inside the thickness of the concrete structure or is not fully covered by the poured concrete. If the reinforcing bar is arranged too close to the outer surface of the concrete structure, the reinforcing bar is susceptible to corrosion. Eventually, corrosion leads to concrete degradation and failure of the concrete structure.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a reinforcing bar system which at least partially alleviates the abovementioned problems.

[0006] Hereto, the present invention provides a reinforcing bar system for reinforcing a concrete structure comprising a first concrete structure part and a second concrete structure part to be arranged perpendicularly to the first concrete structure part, comprising: a first reinforcing bar to be substantially embedded in the first concrete structure part, and a second reinforcing bar to be substantially embedded in the second concrete structure part, so that the first reinforcing bar and thesecond reinforcing bar are to be arranged perpendicular to each other, wherein the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar are coupled together by a coupling member, comprising a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion configured to receive the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar so as to couple the first reinforcing bar to the second reinforcing bar, wherein the first coupling portion is configured to receive the first reinforcing bar through the first coupling portion such that the first reinforcing bar extends on either side of longitudinal ends of the first coupling portion away from the first coupling portion, wherein the second coupling portion is configured to receive the second reinforcing bar such that longitudinal axes of the first reinforcing bar and second reinforcing bar intersect in the coupling member in a mutually perpendicular arrangement. By using a coupling member as described above, a first reinforcing bar and a second reinforcing bar are coupled together without the need for bending one of the reinforcing bars to be coupled. The coupling member according to the invention provides the advantage that the reinforcing bars are coupled in their perpendicular arrangement without any bending. This simplifies the construction of the reinforcing bar system. The thickness of the reinforcing bars needed to support a specific load can now be freely selected regardless of the thickness of the concrete structure. With the coupling member, coupling of perpendicular reinforcing bars is thus possible without requiring any additional thickness of the concrete structure parts to accommodate a bended reinforcing bar. In this manner, it is possible to use thicker, stronger, reinforcing bars while maintaining the desirable thinness of the concrete structure parts and implement the needed reinforcing bars in a practical manner. The first coupling portion being configured to receive the first reinforcing bar therethrough provides flexibility in using the coupling member according to the present invention. In this manner, the coupling member can be arranged anywhere along the length of the reinforcing bar which gives more flexibility in where the perpendicular reinforcing bars can be placed inside of the concrete structure. It enables placing the coupling member anywhere along the reinforcing instead of only on one of the outer ends of the other reinforcing bar. By being able to engage anywhere on a more central segment of the reinforcing bar, parallel reinforcing bars can be placed closer together, while being coupled to a singular perpendicular reinforcing bar to obtain a strong and stable concrete structure. Coupling the first reinforcing to the second reinforcing bar in such a manner that the longitudinal axes of the reinforcing bars intersect and therefore extend in a single common plane ensures that no moment arm is created when forces are transferred from the first reinforcing bar to the second reinforcing bar. Therefore, the coupling member is able to withstand greater loads and correctly transfer loads from one reinforcing bar to the other reinforcing bar without being damaged. In this manner, a stronger reinforcing bar system is obtained that can withstand greater loads. In a preferred embodiment, the first coupling portion comprises an elongated slot, wherein the slot extends from a first surface of the coupling member towards a second surface of the coupling member, wherein the first surface and the second surface are arranged opposite each other, wherein the slot extends in a direction of the first reinforcing bar and is configured to accommodate the first reinforcing bar therein, wherein aninsertion opening of the slot, configured to receive the first reinforcing bar therethrough, extends from the first surface to the second surface and is arranged such that the inserting opening faces a direction perpendicular to the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar. Installation of the coupling member is simplified by allowing the reinforcing bar to slide into the slot. With the slot in a coupling portion of the coupling member, it is possible to connect the coupling member to an already installed reinforcing bar that is embedded in a cured concrete structure. Arranging the insertion opening of the slot such that insertion opening faces in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first and second reinforcing bars, ensures that any forces on the coupling member originating from the second reinforcing bar are absorbed by the sides of the slot in the coupling member.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the second coupling portion comprises a through hole through the coupling member to accommodate the second reinforcing bar therein. Due to the fact that the coupling portion with the through hole fully encloses the second reinforcing bar, a proper connection between the reinforcing bar along with the concrete structure part connected thereto and the coupling member is ensured. The coupling member is thus able to absorb any force that is orientated perpendicularly to the second reinforcing bar.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the coupling member supports at least one other reinforcing bar, which is arranged perpendicular to both the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar, in an inside comer of the coupling member between the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion. Supporting the coupling member on at least one other reinforcing bar in an inside comer of the coupling member provides additional stability for the reinforcing bar system. The additional stability is in particular useful before any concrete is poured around the reinforcing bar system. In this manner, the other reinforcing bar ensures that the reinforcing bar system remains in the intended orientation. The other reinforcing bar further aides in directing the force into the concrete structure after construction.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the coupling member comprises a third coupling portion configured to receive a third reinforcing bar, embedded in the concrete structure, so as to couple the third reinforcing bar to the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar. Coupling a third reinforcing bar to the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar, provides extra strength to the reinforcing bar system. Furthermore, a third coupling portion facilitates a strong connection between different configurations of concrete structure parts, while maintaining a small footprint inside of the concrete structure. An example application of a reinforcing bar system according to the preferred embodiment is in a concrete structure comprising multiple walls, ceilings, and / or floors in a building.

[0010] Preferably, the third reinforcing bar is arranged concentrically with the first reinforcing bar or the second reinforcing bar.

[0011] Preferably, the third reinforcing bar is arranged perpendicular to the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar.In a preferred embodiment, the coupling member further comprises a fourth coupling portion configured to be coupled to a fourth reinforcing bar, embedded in the concrete structure, so as to couple the fourth reinforcing bar to the first reinforcing bar, the second reinforcing bar, and the third reinforcing bar. Connecting a fourth reinforcing bar to the same coupling member already coupling the first, second, and third reinforcing bar together, provides a stable coupling of four reinforcing bars. In this manner, a stable concrete structure is obtained.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the coupling member comprises a coupling portion configured to receive a reinforcing bar not being the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar, so as to couple the reinforcing bar not being the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar to at least the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar, wherein the reinforcing bar not being the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar is arranged parallel to the first reinforcing bar or the second reinforcing bar. A stable reinforcing bar system is provided by arranging one of the reinforcing bars parallel to another reinforcing bar and connecting the two parallel arranged reinforcing bars with a single coupling member.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the coupling member comprises at least two coupling member parts, wherein at least one reinforcing bar of the reinforcing bars being coupled to the coupling member is clamped between the at least two coupling member parts by clamping means. Clamping of the at least one reinforcing bar, provides a good fixation of the coupling member on the at least one reinforcing bar. Especially during construction of the concrete structure, a good, stiff, connection between the at least one reinforcing bar and the coupling member is beneficial for gaining a sturdy concrete structure.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the coupling portions of the coupling member comprises threading. Threading provides a dependable and easy-installable connection between the coupling member and the reinforcing bar.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the coupling member comprises locking means configured to fixate at least one reinforcing bar of the reinforcing bars being coupled to the coupling member relative to the coupling member. Locking means establish a rigid connection between the at least one reinforcing bar and the coupling member to provide a stiff coupling between the reinforcing bars. The stiff coupling results in concrete structures that are constructed as designed.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the at least one reinforcing bar comprises the first reinforcing bar, wherein the locking means are configured to lock the first reinforcing bar in the slot. Locking the first reinforcing bar in the slot provides additional assurance that the first reinforcing bar remains in the slot of the coupling member in use.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the locking means comprise a bolt arranged at an open end of the slot and configured to lock the first reinforcing bar in the slot. A bolt is an easily applicable and readily available connection method. The bolt provides a blockage across the insertion opening of theslot in the first coupling portion. In this manner, the first reinforcing bar cannot be removed from the first coupling portion of the coupling member through the insertion opening anymore.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the locking means comprise a tie wire configured to be at least tied around the at least one reinforcing bar, and the coupling member. The tie wire acts as an additional safety measure to ensure that the reinforcing bars remain coupled before any concrete is poured, as well as during the concrete pouring itself. The tie wire also helps by stopping movement in a longitudinal direction of a reinforcing bar that is passed through, for example, a slot or through hole comprised in any of the coupling portions of the coupling member.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the system further comprises at least one bar anchor, wherein the at least one bar anchor connects at least one reinforcing bar of the reinforcing bars being coupled to the coupling member to at least one of the coupling portions of the coupling member. The use of a bar anchor is particularly useful when prefabricated concrete structure parts have to be incorporated into the concrete structure. In such a case, the reinforcing bars are already embedded in the prefabricated concrete structure part. To couple these already embedded reinforcing bars to other reinforcing bars of another concrete structure part, the bar anchor is used to connect the embedded reinforcing bars to the coupling member. Prefabricated concrete structure parts are in this manner easily coupled to other concrete structure parts.

[0020] The present invention is further illustrated by the following figures, which show a preferred embodiment of the reinforcing bar system according to the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way, wherein:

[0021] figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of a concrete structure with a reinforcing bar system according to the prior art and reinforcing bar system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] figure 2 shows a perspective view of a reinforcing bar system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] figure 3 shows a top view of a reinforcing bar system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] figure 4 shows perspective view of a coupling member according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] figure 5 shows a top view of the coupling member shown in figure 4;

[0026] figure 6 shows a perspective view of a coupling member according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] figure 7 shows a top view of the coupling member shown in figure 6;

[0028] figure 8 shows a top view of a reinforcing bar system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;figure 9 shows a side view of the reinforcing bar system shown in figure 8;

[0029] figure 10 shows a side view of a reinforcing bar system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] figure 11 shows a side view of a reinforcing bar system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[0031] figure 12 shows a side view of a reinforcing bar system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 1 shows a side-to-side comparison of a reinforcing bar system 70 according to the state of the art, on the left, and a reinforcing bar system 100 according to the present invention, on the right. Reinforcing bars 50, 110, 120, 130 are placed inside concrete structures 200 to provide tensile strength to the concrete structure 200, because concrete structures 200 on their own only have meaningful strength under compression. As can be seen on the left side of figure 1, the state-of-the-art reinforcing bar system 70 necessitates bending of one of the two reinforcing bars 50 to couple the two reinforcing bars 70. The design of a building might dictate the use of thin concrete structure 200 for aesthetic wishes. The demand for a thin concrete structure 200 in combination with a high load thereon introduces problems with a state-of-the-art reinforcing bar system 70. The increased load necessitates the use of reinforcing bars 51 with a higher tensile strength. Therefore, the thickness of the reinforcing bars 50 has to increase. An additional risk with a thin reinforcing bar 50 lies with buckling of the reinforcing bar 50 if the compressional loading becomes too big. A thicker reinforcing bar 51 has a higher bending stiffness. Regulations like EN-NEN or ISO will prescribe a bigger bending radius for thicker reinforcing bars due to the higher bending stiffness. With the bigger bending radius, it is difficult to bend the reinforcing bar 51 embedded in the first concrete structure part 210 so much that it is able to connect to the reinforcing bar 50 in the perpendicularly arranged second concrete structure part 220 and is placed far enough from the outer surfaces of the concrete structure 200. In this manner, the reinforcing bar 51 will lay outside of the perpendicularly arranged second concrete structure part. If a reinforcing bar 50, 51 , 110, 120 is placed too close to the side of the concrete structure 200 or even outside thereof, as is visualised by reinforcing bar 51, as a result of the bigger bending radius of the thicker reinforcing bar, the metal reinforcing bar 51 will start to corrode due to the outside environment influencing the metal reinforcing bar 51. A reinforcing bar 50 that is placed close to the surface of the first concrete structure part 210, might also, over time, start to corrode if some slight crumbling of the concrete has occurred. The reinforcing bar system 100 on the right, according to het invention, couples the two reinforcing bars 110, 120 together with a perpendicular arrangement of the two reinforcing bars 110, 120. With the reinforcing bar system 100 according to the present invention, no problems with the bending of the reinforcing bars occur, as the reinforcing bars 110, 120 are embedded in perpendicularly arranged concrete structure parts 210, 220 and are coupled in their perpendicular arrangement by the coupling member 10. In this manner, thecoupling of the perpendicular reinforcing bars 110, 120 does not dictate a minimum thickness of the concrete structure 200 that is comprised of perpendicularly arranged concrete structure parts 210, 220. A bar anchor 30 is placed on the interface of the first concrete structure part 210 and the second concrete structure part 220 because perpendicularly arranged concrete structure parts are ordinarily cured one by one to eliminate comers in a curing part. It is therefore necessary to arrange a bar anchor 30 on the interface of the first and second concrete structure 210, 220, as the two concrete structure parts 210, 220 are poured and cured consecutively. The bar anchor 30 provides the possibility to connect the first reinforcing bar 110 to the second reinforcing bar 120.

[0033] One preferred embodiment of the reinforcing bar system 100 is shown in figures 2 and 3. In this embodiment, the coupling member 10A has a through hole 22 to accommodate a reinforcing bar 120 to be coupled within a coupling portion 20. The reinforcing bar 120 fits snugly through the hole 22. The longitudinal direction of the through hole 22 is orientated perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the other reinforcing bar 110. The coupling portion 20 for the other reinforcing bar 110 comprises external threading 21. With this threading 21, the coupling member 10A is connected to the external threading 102 of the other reinforcing bar 110 with a bar anchor 30 placed therebetween. The bar anchor 30 enables easy connection of the coupling member 10A to the reinforcing bar 110 in the case that the reinforcing bar 110 is embedded in a prefabricated concrete structure part 210, 220. As an additional safeguard a tie wire 24 is used to tie around the coupling member 10A and the reinforcing bar 120 that is accommodated in the through hole 22. The tie wire 24 engages with the ridges 101 of the reinforcing bar 120. In this manner, movement of that reinforcing bar 120 in the longitudinal direction of the through hole 22 is, at least up to a certain degree, limited. The limitation of this movement ensures that the orientation of the coupled reinforcing bars 110, 120 stays the same before and during concrete pouring. The ridges 101 are primarily provided on the reinforcing bars 110, 120 to provide sufficient anchoring in the concrete.

[0034] Other embodiments of the coupling member 10B, 10C, as shown in the figures 4 to 7, comprise double coupling portions 20 having external threading 21. Although not shown, the coupling portion 20 could also comprise internal threading. The choice between internal threading or external threading 21 depends on the chosen reinforcing bars 110, 120, whether a bar anchor 30 is used, and further characteristics of the concrete structure 200. Figures 4 and 5 show a coupling member 10B which has three coupling portions 20. Three reinforcing bars 110, 120, 130 are coupled in a perpendicular arrangement with such a coupling member 10B. The third reinforcing bar 130 is accommodated in the coupling portion 20 that comprises a through hole. In this manner, all forces perpendicular to the reinforcing bar 130 are absorbed through the coupling portion 20. Figures 6 and 7 show coupling member 10C which is intended to accommodate the third coupling member in its inside comer between the coupling portions 20 intended for connecting to the first reinforcing bar 110 and the second reinforcing bar 120. The third reinforcing bar 130 aids in guiding tensile forces through the reinforcing bars 110, 120 and adds support to the reinforcing bar system 100.Figures 8 and 9 show a reinforcing bar system 100 comprising a reinforcing bar 110 that is perpendicularly arranged to two parallel reinforcing bars 120, 130, wherein all three reinforcing bars 110, 120, 130 are coupled by a singular coupling member 10D. The coupling member 10D consists of two clamping halves 11, 12 that are clamped together with bolts 14 and nuts 13 on either side of the two parallel arranged reinforcing bars 120, 130. The bolts 14 and nuts 13 provide the coupling member 10D with enough clamping force to fixate itself on the two parallel reinforcing bars 120, 130. Connecting two parallel reinforcing bars 120, 130 with each other, provides the entire reinforcing bar system 100 with additional stability. The perpendicularly arranged reinforcing bar 110 is connected to the coupling member 10D with a bar anchor 30. Furthermore, smaller second and third reinforcing bars 120, 130 can be used than in a coupling member as shown in the other figures while maintaining an equal overall strength of the connection.

[0035] In figures 10 and 11 coupling members 10E, 10F are shown that comprise a slot 23 to accommodate a reinforcing bar 120. The slot 23 allows for easy insertion of a reinforcing bar 120 through the insertion opening 28 of the slot 23. The insertion opening 28 is orientated such that it faces in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing bar 110 connected to the coupling member 10E, 10F. A bar anchor 30 is used to connect this reinforcing bar 110 to the coupling member 10E, 10F. The other reinforcing bar 120 is locked in the slot 23 by locking means. The locking means could be a nut and bolt assembly 25, as shown in figure 10, or a tie wire 24, as shown in figure 11. The bolt 26 passes through two holes (not shown) in the sides of the slot 23. The holes are placed near the insertion opening 28 of slot 23. In this manner, the bolt 26 closes the insertion opening 28 off and locks the reinforcing bar 120 in the slot 23. The nut 27 assures that the bolt 26 remains in its place in the coupling member 10E. Alternatively, a tie wire 24 closes off the insertion opening 28 of the slot 23. The tie wire 24 passes through a slit (not shown) in the edges of the slot 23 at the insertion opening 28 of the coupling member 10F.

[0036] Figure 12 shows an embodiment of the reinforcing bar system 100 with a coupling member 10G. Coupling member 10G is configured to accommodate two parallelly arranged reinforcing bars 120, 130, similarly to coupling member 10D which is shown in figures 8 and 9. Coupling member 10G comprises two slots 23 that are arranged with their insertion openings 28 facing away from each other. A singular tie wire 28 is able to close off both insertion openings 23 of the coupling member 10G.

[0037] Important to note, with regard to all shown embodiments of the reinforcing bar system 100, is that the reinforcing bars 110, 120, 130 can also be coupled to the coupling member 10 directly, by using a coupling member 10 with internal threading in its coupling portions 20 instead of the shown external threading. The reinforcing bars 110, 120, 130 could also be configured as fully threaded bars.

[0038] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown but also extends to other embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims1. Reinforcing bar system for reinforcing a concrete structure comprising a first concrete structure part and a second concrete structure part to be arranged perpendicularly to the first concrete structure part, comprising:a first reinforcing bar to be substantially embedded in the first concrete structure part; and a second reinforcing bar to be substantially embedded in the second concrete structure part, so that the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar are to be arranged perpendicular to each other,wherein the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar are coupled together by a coupling member, comprising a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion configured to receive the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar so as to couple the first reinforcing bar to the second reinforcing bar,wherein the first coupling portion is configured to receive the first reinforcing bar through the first coupling portion such that the first reinforcing bar extends on either side of longitudinal ends of the first coupling portion away from the first coupling portion,wherein the second coupling portion is configured to receive the second reinforcing bar such that longitudinal axes of the first reinforcing bar and second reinforcing bar intersect in the coupling member in a mutually perpendicular arrangement.

2. Reinforcing bar system according to claim 1 , wherein the first coupling portion comprises an elongated slot, wherein the slot extends from a first surface of the coupling member towards a second surface of the coupling member, wherein the first surface and the second surface are arranged opposite each other, wherein the slot extends in a direction of the first reinforcing bar and is configured to accommodate the first reinforcing bar therein, wherein an insertion opening of the slot, configured to receive the first reinforcing bar therethrough, extends from the first surface to the second surface and is arranged such that the insertion opening faces a direction perpendicular to the second reinforcing bar.

3. Reinforcing bar system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second coupling portion comprises a through hole through the coupling member to accommodate the second reinforcing bar therein.

4. Reinforcing bar system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling member supports at least one other reinforcing bar, which is arranged perpendicular to both the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar, in an inside corner of the coupling member between the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion.

5. Reinforcing bar system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling member comprises a third coupling portion configured to receive a third reinforcing bar, embedded in the concrete structure, so as to couple the third reinforcing bar to the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar.

6. Reinforcing bar system according to claim 5, wherein the third reinforcing bar is arranged concentrically with the first reinforcing bar or the second reinforcing bar.

7. Reinforcing bar system according to claim 5, wherein the third reinforcing bar is arranged perpendicular to the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar.

8. Reinforcing bar system according to any one of the claims 5-7, wherein the coupling member further comprises a fourth coupling portion configured to be coupled to a fourth reinforcing bar, embedded in the concrete structure, so as to couple the fourth reinforcing bar to the first reinforcing bar, the second reinforcing bar, and the third reinforcing bar.

9. Reinforcing bar system according to any one of the preceding claims, the coupling member comprising a coupling portion configured to receive a reinforcing bar not being the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar, so as to couple the reinforcing bar not being the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar to at least the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing, wherein the reinforcing bar not being the first reinforcing bar and the second reinforcing bar is arranged parallel to the first reinforcing bar or the second reinforcing bar.

10. Reinforcing bar system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling member comprises at least two coupling member parts, wherein at least one reinforcing bar of the reinforcing bars being coupled to the coupling member is clamped between the at least two coupling member parts by clamping means.

11. Reinforcing bar system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the coupling portions of the coupling member comprises threading.

12. Reinforcing bar system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling member comprises locking means configured to fixate at least one reinforcing bar of the reinforcing bars being coupled to the coupling member relative to the coupling member.

13. Reinforcing bar system according to claim 12, when depending on at least claim 2, wherein the at least one reinforcing bar comprises the first reinforcing bar, wherein the locking means are configured to lock the first reinforcing bar in the slot.

14. Reinforcing bar system according to claim 13, wherein the locking means comprise a bolt arranged at an open end of the slot and configured to lock the first reinforcing bar in the slot.

15. Reinforcing bar system according to claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein the locking means comprise a tie wire configured to be at least tied around the at least one reinforcing bar, and the coupling member.

16. Reinforcing bar system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprises at least one bar anchor, wherein the at least one bar anchor connects at least one reinforcing bar of the reinforcing bars being coupled to the coupling member to at least one of the coupling portions of the coupling member.

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