THINGS TO STUDY BEFORE BUYING STEEL BARS
In the contemporary construction industry, Steel bars play a crucial role in multistoried structures, bridges, buildings, houses, etc. Usually, when we think of constructing a building, we typically think of concrete structures only but the whole story does not end there. There’s steel within that concrete that provides tensile strength, which concrete generally lacks, while concrete offers compressive strength. This combination between steel and concrete extends the life of the structure.
In the context of steel, there are various types of steel such as alloy steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, and tool steel. They all are used for different purposes. Now, if we talk about alloy steel then it’s generally made of iron, carbon, and other elements such as vanadium, silicon, nickel, manganese, copper, and chromium. All these mentioned elements are adding extra flavor to constructing projects in terms of solidity, corrosion resistance, overall strength, ductility, and weldability of steel.
Whereas, carbon steel is a type of steel that is superlative for heavy construction and is mostly produced around the world. Because it aids in providing extra strength. In carbon steel, there are different variants like low carbon steel which support earthquake-prone areas. Medium-carbon steel is more used in the heat-treated part of machines, vehicle axles, and screws besides that, high-carbon steel is more utilized in manufacturing tools like hammers, screwdrivers, rope wires, edge tools, etc. On the other hand, stainless steel is a type with increased corrosion and weather resistance compared to alloy or carbon steel. It is mostly used in common household items. Lastly, tool steel is mostly utilized in tool manufacturing where its unique capacity is to retain shape at high temperatures, and hardness.
No matter the scale of the project, selecting high-quality steel bars is essential to its success. So, let's examine the crucial elements you should take into account when purchasing high-quality steel bars for ideal projects.
RAW MATERIALS
A billet is a form of material that does indicate the quality of the final product. The strength and flexibility of a billet are determined by how properly it is cast. Several tests are conducted on billets before they are sold. Between the heating and cooling phases, billets that form voids and fractures are discarded because they make the product useless. Steel billets are also noted for their malleability and ductility, particularly when subjected to temperature variations during shaping and molding.
GRADES
In Pakistan’s steel industry, steel bars come in several grades. It starts with grades 40, 60, 72, 80, etc. Though, grade 40 is not considered anymore because Pakistan is among the most seismically active countries where the minimum grade of 60 or above is the way to go to mitigate the risk of earthquake casualties and provide additional strength. The higher-grade steel bars are the right choice for the higher earthquake-prone zone. There are different chemical compositions in various grades which lead to differences in their tensile strength which is the maximum stress that a material can handle before breaking. Then there is yield strength which is the ability of steel to endure pressure to a point where the steel is permanently deformed. And lastly, durability is considered. From a mostly civil construction point of view, grade 60 and above is more to be considered for construction.
CORROSION RESISTANCE
The quality of steel bars is critical, especially because corrosion in bars can lead to major structural issues. If the structure is to be built in a flood-prone or heavily rain-prone environment, the anti-corrosive steel bars will give great damage resistance. Choosing the right steel bar with anti-corrosive qualities might help the structure tremendously in terms of longevity.
FLEXIBILITY
Concrete construction will always have cracks, but large cracks can compromise the building's safety. Choosing the right quality steel bar with maximum flexibility can reduce breakages caused by seismic tensions. Embedded reinforced concrete can significantly improve the resilience of buildings and make them more adaptable.
CERTIFICATION
Mostly, the right quality steel bars will be certified by ISO standards. When it comes to choosing the right quality steel bars go for well-known brands in the steel industry to mitigate fraud. Meeting international standards will increase the chances of getting the right product that offers high quality and durability.
TESTING FACILITY
Lastly, looking for a steel company in Pakistan that works on the testing facility of a product to check the quality before delivery would be a challenging task. There are steel companies in Pakistan that claim that their product quality is checked every 10 minutes. In addition, uses Spectrometer technology to ensure material composition standards are up to the mark and Universal Testing Machine (UTM) technology to test the tensile and ultimate strength of steel bars.