Plastic bending of reinforcement bars against mandrels is the usual procedure to provide bends and hooks for steel reinforcement bars. Minimum mandrel diameters are usually given in to codes of practice, depending on the type of detail and diameter of the bar. These recommendations for the bend diameter ensure a safe transfer of forces, avoiding splitting failures that may potentially limit the resistance of the detail. In most cases, these recommendations are largely based on a number of experimental works performed several decades ago. At that time, these investigations were performed on reinforcement and concrete with lower strengths than currently used. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive research programme on bend detailing and required mandrel diameter to avoid local concrete failures leading to spalling of the concrete cover. The results of an experimental programme are presented, showing the influence of different parameters such as the mandrel diameter, the bending angle and the concrete cover. The tests were instrumented with advanced measurement techniques (fibre-optic measurements and digital image correlation), showing that consistent modelling of the transfer of forces can be performed on the basis of the geometrical and mechanical parameters of the details.