Rebar

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebar

This article is about the reinforcement bar. For the company, see Rebar (Taiwan). For the art group, see Rebar art
and design studio.

Rebar (short for reinforcing bar), also known as reinforcing steel and
reinforcement steel,[1] is a steel bar or mesh of steel wires used as a
tension device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures
to strengthen and hold the concrete in tension. Rebar's surface is often
patterned to form a better bond with the concrete.

Contents
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History[edit]
Originally, concrete structures were unreinforced. Rebar has been used
in construction since at least the 15th century; for example, 2500 m of
rebars were used in the Chteau de Vincennes.[2]
A tied rebar beam cage. This will be embedded
inside cast concrete to increase its tensile
strength.

More recently, during the 18th century, rebar was used to form the carcass of the Leaning Tower of Nevyansk in
Russia, built on the orders of the industrialist Akinfiy Demidov. The cast iron[citation needed] used for the rebar was of
high quality, and there is no corrosion on them to this day. The carcass of the tower was connected to its cast iron
tented roof, crowned with one of the first known lightning rods.[3] More recently these techniques have been refined
by embedding the steel bars in the concrete, and by the introduction of deformed bars to improve bonding, thus
producing modern reinforced concrete.

Use in concrete and masonry[edit]

"Primary reinforcement" and "Secondary reinforcement" redirect here. For primary reinforcement and secondary
reinforcement in psychology (operant conditioning), see Reinforcement Primary reinforcers and Reinforcement
Secondary reinforcers.

Concrete is a material that is very strong in compression, but relatively weak in tension. To compensate for this
imbalance in concrete's behavior, rebar is cast into it to carry the tensile loads. Most steel reinforcement is divided
into primary and secondary reinforcement, but there are other minor uses:

Primary reinforcement refers to the steel which is employed to guarantee the resistance needed by the
structure as a whole to support the design loads.
Secondary reinforcement, also known as distribution or thermal reinforcement, is employed for durability and
aesthetic reasons, by providing enough localized resistance to limit cracking and resist stresses caused by
effects such as temperature changes and shrinkage.
Rebar is also employed to confer resistance to concentrated loads by providing enough localized resistance
and stiffness for a load to spread through a wider area.
Rebar may also be used to hold other steel bars in the correct position to accommodate their loads.

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 External steel tie bars can constrain and reinforce masonry structures, as illustrated by the Nevyansk Tower
or ancient structures in Rome and the Vatican.

Masonry structures and the mortar holding them together have similar properties to concrete and also have a limited
ability to carry tensile loads. Some standard masonry units like blocks and bricks are made with voids to
accommodate rebar, which is then secured in place with grout. This combination is known as reinforced masonry.

While any material with sufficient tensile strength could potentially be used to reinforce concrete ( glass and basalt
fibers are also common), steel and concrete have similar coefficients of thermal expansion:[4] a concrete structural
member reinforced with steel will experience minimal stress as a result of similar expansions of the two
interconnected materials caused by temperature changes.

Physical characteristics[edit]
Steel has a thermal expansion coefficient nearly equal to that of modern concrete. If this were not so, it would cause
problems through additional longitudinal and perpendicular stresses at temperatures different from the temperature
of the setting.[5] Although rebar has ribs that bind it mechanically to the concrete, it can still be pulled out of the
concrete under high stresses, an occurrence that often accompanies a larger-scale collapse of the structure. To
prevent such a failure, rebar is either deeply embedded into adjacent structural members (4060 times the
diameter), or bent and hooked at the ends to lock it around the concrete and other rebar. This first approach
increases the friction locking the bar into place, while the second makes use of the high compressive strength of
concrete.

Common rebar is made of unfinished tempered steel, making it susceptible to rusting. Normally the concrete cover
is able to provide a pH value higher than 12 avoiding the corrosion reaction. Too little concrete cover can
compromise this guard through carbonation from the surface, and salt penetration. Too much concrete cover can
cause bigger crack widths which also compromises the local guard. As rust takes up greater volume than the steel
from which it was formed, it causes severe internal pressure on the surrounding concrete, leading to cracking,
spalling, and ultimately, structural failure. This phenomenon is known as oxide jacking. This is a particular problem
where the concrete is exposed to salt water, as in bridges where salt is applied to roadways in winter, or in marine
applications. Uncoated, corrosion-resistant low carbon/chromium (microcomposite), epoxy-coated, galvanized or
stainless steel rebars may be employed in these situations at greater initial expense, but significantly lower expense
over the service life of the project. Extra care is taken during the transport, fabrication, handling, installation, and
concrete placement process when working with epoxy-coated rebar, because damage will reduce the long-term
corrosion resistance of these bars.[6] Even damaged bars have shown better performance than uncoated reinforcing
bars, though issues from debonding of the epoxy coating from the bars and corrosion under the epoxy film have
been reported.[7] These bars are used in over 70,000 bridge decks in the USA. [8]

Fiber-reinforced polymer rebar is also used in high-corrosion environments. It is available in many forms, such as
spirals for reinforcing columns, common rods, and meshes. Most commercially available rebar is made from
unidirectional glass fibre reinforced thermoset resins.

Reinforcing steel can also be displaced by impacts such as earthquakes, resulting in structural failure. The prime
example of this is the collapse of the Cypress Street Viaduct in Oakland, California as a result of the 1989 Loma
Prieta earthquake, causing 42 fatalities. The shaking of the earthquake caused rebars to burst from the concrete and
buckle. Updated building designs, including more circumferential rebar, can address this type of failure.

Sizes and grades[edit]

US sizes[edit]

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Imperial bar sizes give the diameter in units of inch, so that #8 = 88 inch = 1 inch diameter. The cross-sectional
area, as given by r, works out to (bar size/9.027), which is approximated as (bar size/9) square inches. For
example, the area of #8 bar is (8/9) = 0.79 square inches.

Larger bar sizes are based on the cross-sectional area of square bars that were formerly used. The diameter of the
equivalent round shapes is rounded to the nearest inch to provide the bar size. For example, #9 bar has a cross
section of 1.00 square inches, and therefore a diameter of 1.128 inches. #10, #11, #14, and #18 sizes correspond to
118 inch, 114, 112, and 2 inch square bars, respectively. [9] #14 rebar is particularly affected by this approximation;
by diameter it would be #13.5.

The tower and sign industries commonly use slightly larger "jumbo" bars #14J and #18J as anchor rods for large
structures.[10] The bars are fabricated from slightly oversized blanks such that threads can be cut at the ends to
accept standard 1.75" (#14J) and 2.25" (#18J) anchor nuts.

Steel reinforcement bars with color codes

indicating the grade

U.S. rebar size chart

Linear Mass Density Nominal diameter Nominal area
Imperial

bar size Metric size lbft (kg/m) (in) (mm) (in) (mm)

#2 #6 0.167 0.249 0.250 = 14 6.35 0.05 32

#3 #10 0.376 0.561 0.375 = 38 9.525 0.11 71

#4 #13 0.668 0.996 0.500 = 12 12.7 0.20 129

#5 #16 1.043 1.556 0.625 = 58 15.875 0.31 200

#6 #19 1.502 2.24 0.750 = 34 19.05 0.44 284

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 #7 #22 2.044 3.049 0.875 = 78 22.225 0.60 387

#8 #25 2.670 3.982 1.000 25.4 0.79 509

#9 #29 3.400 5.071 1.128 28.65 1.00 645

#10 #32 4.303 6.418 1.270 32.26 1.27 819

#11 #36 5.313 7.924 1.410 35.81 1.56 1006

#14 #43 7.650 11.41 1.693 43 2.25 1452

#18 #57 13.60 20.284 2.257 57.3 4.00 2581

#18J 14.60 21.775 2.337 59.4 4.29 2678

Canadian sizes[edit]

Metric bar designations represent the nominal bar diameter in millimeters, rounded to the nearest 5 mm.

Metric Linear Mass Density Nominal diameter Cross-sectional

bar size (kg/m) (mm) Area (mm)

10M 0.785 11.3 100

15M 1.570 16.0 200

20M 2.355 19.5 300

25M 3.925 25.2 500

30M 5.495 29.9 700

35M 7.850 35.7 1000

45M 11.775 43.7 1500

55M 19.625 56.4 2500

European sizes[edit]

Metric bar designations represent the nominal bar diameter in millimetres. Preferred bar sizes in Europe are
specified to comply with Table 6 of the standard EN 10080,[11] although various national standards still remain in
force (e.g. BS 4449 in the United Kingdom). In Switzerland some sizes are different from European standard.

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 Metric Linear Mass Nominal Cross-
Density diameter sectional
bar
size (kg/m) (mm) Area (mm)

6,0 0.222 6 28.3

8,0 0.395 8 50.3

10,0 0.617 10 78.5

Steel reinforcement in storage
12,0 0.888 12 113

14,0 1.21 14 154

16,0 1.58 16 201

20,0 2.47 20 314

25,0 3.85 25 491

28,0 4.83 28 616

32,0 6.31 32 804

40,0 9.86 40 1257

50,0 15.4 50 1963

Australian sizes[edit]

Reinforcement for use in concrete construction is subject to the requirements of Australian Standards AS3600-2009
(Concrete Structures) and AS/NZS4671-2001 (Steel Reinforcing for Concrete). There are other standards that apply
to testing, welding and galvanising. The designation of reinforcement is defined in AS/NZS4671-2001 using the
following formats:

Bars[edit]

Shape code Yield strength (MPa) Ductility class Nominal diameter (mm)

D - deformed bar - Grade 300 300 MPa N - normal 10

D - deformed bar - Grade 500 500 MPa N - normal 10

R - round bar 250 MPa L - low 12

16

20

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 24

28

32

36

40

Examples:
D500N12 is deformed bar, 500 MPa strength, normal ductility and 12 mm nominal diameter - also known as
"N12"
R250N20 is round bar, 250 MPa strength, normal ductility and 20 mm nominal diameter - also known as
"R20"

Bars are typically abbreviated to simply 'N' (hot-rolled deformed bar), 'R' (hot-rolled round bar), 'RW' (cold-drawn
ribbed wire) or 'W' (cold-drawn round wire), as the yield strength and ductility class can be implied from the shape.
For example, all commercially available wire has a yield strength of 500 MPa and low ductility, while round bars are
250 MPa and normal ductility.

India[edit]

Rebars are available in the following grades as per IS:1786-2008 FE 415/500/500D. Rebars are quenched with
water at a high level pressure so that the outer surface is hardened while the inner core remains soft. Rebars are
ribbed so that the concrete can have a better grip. Coastal regions use galvanized rebars to prolong their life.

Weight chart of Indians Rebars with tolerances and sizes. [12]

Mesh[edit]

Shape Ductility Nominal diameter Nominal spacing (long Nominal spacing (short
code class (mm) direction) direction)
(only required in
rectangular mesh)

S - square L - low 7 mm 1 100 mm 1 100 mm

ductility

R- 8 mm 2 200 mm 2 200 mm
rectangular

10 mm 8 80 mm 8 80 mm

12 mm

Grades[edit]

Rebar is available in grades and specifications that vary in yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, chemical
composition, and percentage of elongation.
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In US use, the grade designation is equal to the minimum yield strength of the bar in ksi (1000 psi) for example
grade 60 rebar has a minimum yield strength of 60 ksi. Rebar is typically manufactured in grades 40, 60, and 75.

In countries that use the metric system, the grade designation is typically the yield strength in megapascals MPa, for
example grade 400 (similar to US grade 60).

Common US specifications, published by ACI and ASTM, are:

American Concrete Institute: "ACI 318-14 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and
Commentary", ISBN 978-0-87031-930-3 (2014)
ASTM A82: Specification for Plain Steel Wire for Concrete Reinforcement
ASTM A184/A184M: Specification for Fabricated Deformed Steel Bar Mats for Concrete Reinforcement
ASTM A185: Specification for Welded Plain Steel Wire Fabric for Concrete Reinforcement
ASTM A496: Specification for Deformed Steel Wire for Concrete Reinforcement
ASTM A497: Specification for Welded Deformed Steel Wire Fabric for Concrete Reinforcement
ASTM A615/A615M: Deformed and plain carbon-steel bars for concrete reinforcement
ASTM A616/A616M: Specification for Rail-Steel Deformed and Plain Bars for Concrete Reinforcement
ASTM A617/A617M: Specification for Axle-Steel Deformed and Plain Bars for Concrete Reinforcement
ASTM A706/A706M: Low-alloy steel deformed and plain bars for concrete reinforcement
ASTM A767/A767M: Specification for Zinc-Coated(Galvanized) Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement
ASTM A775/A775M: Specification for Epoxy-Coated Reinforcing Steel Bars
ASTM A934/A934M: Specification for Epoxy-Coated Prefabricated Steel Reinforcing Bars
ASTM A955: Deformed and plain stainless-steel bars for concrete reinforcement
ASTM A996: Rail-steel and axle-steel deformed bars for concrete reinforcement
ASTM A1035: Standard Specification for Deformed and Plain, Low-carbon, Chromium, Steel Bars for
Concrete Reinforcement

ASTM marking designations are:

Historically in Europe, rebar is composed of mild steel material with a yield strength of approximately 250 MPa (36
ksi). Modern rebar is composed of high-yield steel, with a yield strength more typically 500 MPa (72.5 ksi). Rebar
can be supplied with various grades of ductility. The more ductile steel is capable of absorbing considerably more
energy when deformed - a behavior that resists earthquake forces and is used in design. These high yield strength
ductile steels are usually produced using the TEMPCORE process,[13] a method of thermomechanical processing.
The manufacture of reinforcing steel by re-rolling finished products (e.g. sheets or rails) is not allowed.[14] In contrast
to structural steel, rebar steel grades are not harmonized yet across Europe, each country having their own national
standards. However some standardization of specification and testing methods exist under EN 10080 and EN ISO
15630:

BS EN 10080: Steel for the reinforcement of concrete. Weldable reinforcing steel. General. (2005)
BS 4449: Steel for the reinforcement of concrete. Weldable reinforcing steel. Bar, coil and decoiled product.
Specification. (2005/2009)
BS 4482: Steel wire for the reinforcement of concrete products. Specification (2005)
BS 4483: Steel fabric for the reinforcement of concrete. Specification (2005)

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 BS 6744: Stainless steel bars for the reinforcement of and use in concrete. Requirements and test methods.
(2001/2009)
DIN 488-1: Reinforcing steels - Part 1: Grades, properties, marking (2009)
DIN 488-2: Reinforcing steels - Part 2: Reinforcing steel bars (2009)
DIN 488-3: Reinforcing steels - Part 3: Reinforcing steel in coils, steel wire (2009)
DIN 488-4: Reinforcing steels - Part 4: Welded fabric (2009)
DIN 488-5: Reinforcing steels - Part 5: Lattice girders (2009)
DIN 488-6: Reinforcing steel - Part 6: Assessment of conformity (2010)
BS EN ISO 15630-1: Steel for the reinforcement and prestressing of concrete. Test methods. Reinforcing
bars, wire rod and wire. (2010)
BS EN ISO 15630-2: Steel for the reinforcement and prestressing of concrete. Test methods. Welded fabric.
(2010)

Placing rebar[edit]
Rebar cages are fabricated either on or off the project site commonly
with the help of hydraulic benders and shears. However, for small or
custom work a tool known as a Hickey, or hand rebar bender, is
sufficient. The rebars are placed by steel fixers "rodbusters" or concrete
reinforcing iron workers, with bar supports and concrete or plastic rebar
spacers separating the rebar from the concrete formwork to establish
concrete cover and ensure that proper embedment is achieved. The
rebars in the cages are connected either by spot welding, tying steel
wire, sometimes using an electric rebar tier, or with mechanical
connections. For tying epoxy coated or galvanised rebars, epoxy coated
or galvanized wire is normally used.
Steel wire used to secure rebar before concrete is
poured over it
Stirrups[edit]

Stirrups form the outer part of a rebar cage. Stirrups are usually rectangular, and are placed at regular intervals
along a column or beam to prevent shear failure.[15]

Welding[edit]

The American Welding Society (AWS) D 1.4 sets out the practices for welding rebar in the U.S. Without special
consideration the only rebar that is ready to weld is W grade (Low-alloy A706). Rebar that is not produced to the
ASTM A706 specification is generally not suitable for welding without calculating the "carbon-equivalent". Material
with a carbon-equivalent of less than 0.55 can be welded. (AWS D1.4)

ASTM A 616 & ASTM A 617 (now replaced by the combined standard A996) reinforcing bars are re-rolled rail steel &
re-rolled rail axle steel with uncontrolled chemistry, phosphorus & carbon content. These materials are not common.

Rebar cages are normally tied together with wire, although spot welding of cages has been the norm in Europe for
many years, and is becoming more common in the US. High strength steels for prestressed concrete may
absolutely not be welded.[citation needed]

Mechanical connections[edit]

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Also known as "mechanical couplers" or "mechanical splices", mechanical connections are used to connect
reinforcing bars together. Mechanical couplers are an effective means to reduce rebar congestion in highly
reinforced areas for cast-in-place concrete construction. These couplers are also used in precast concrete
construction at the joints between members.

The structural performance criteria for mechanical connections varies between countries, codes, and industries. As
a minimum requirement, codes typically specify that the rebar to splice connection meets or exceeds 125% of the
specified yield strength of the rebar. More stringent criteria also requires the development of the specified ultimate
strength of the rebar. As an example, ACI 318 specifies either Type 1 (125% Fy) or Type 2 (125% Fy and 100% Fu)
performance criteria.[16]

For concrete structures designed with ductility in mind, it is

recommended that the mechanical connections are also capable of
failing in a ductile manner, typically known in the reinforcing steel
industry as achieving "bar-break". As an example, Caltrans specifies a
required mode of failure (i.e., "necking of the bar").[17]

Safety[edit]

To prevent injury, the protruding ends of steel rebar are often bent over or
covered with special steel-reinforced plastic "plate" caps. "Mushroom" Rebars with safety caps installed before being
caps may provide protection from scratches and other minor injuries, but covered in concrete.

provide little to no protection from impalement.[18]

Designations[edit]
Reinforcement is usually tabulated in a "reinforcement schedule" on construction drawings. This eliminates
ambiguity in the notations used around the world. The following list provides examples of the notations used in the
architectural, engineering, and construction industry.

New Zealand
Designation Explanation

HD-16-300, High strength (500 MPa) 16 mm diameter rebars spaced at 300 mm centers (center-to-center
T&B, EW distance) on both the top and bottom face and in each way as well (i.e., longitudinal and
transverse).

3-D12 Three mild strength (300 MPa) 12 mm diameter rebars

R8 Stirrups D grade (300 MPa) smooth bar stirrups, spaced at 225 mm centres. By default in New Zealand
@ 225 MAX practice all stirrups are normally interpreted as being full, closed, loops. This is a detailing
requirement for concrete ductility in seismic zones; If a single strand of stirrup with a hook at
each end was required, this would typically be both specified and illustrated.

United States
Designation Explanation

#4 @ 12 OC, Number 4 rebars spaced 12 inches on center (center-to-center distance) on both the top and
T&B, EW bottom faces and in each way as well, i.e. longitudinal and transverse.

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 (3) #4 Three number 4 rebars (usually used when the rebar perpendicular to the detail)

#3 ties @ 9 Number 3 rebars used as stirrups, spaced at 9 inches on center. Each set consists of two ties,
OC, (2) per which is usually illustrated.
set

#7 @ 12" EW, Number 7 rebar spaced 12 inches apart, placed in each direction (each way) and on each face.
EF

Reuse and recycling[edit]

In China and many other countries, after the demolition of a building,
workers are called in to remove the rebar. They scour the site, extracting
the metal using bolt cutters, welding equipment, sledgehammers, and
other tools. The metal is partially straightened, bundled and sold. This
practice is extremely detrimental to the structural safety of subsequent
buildings as steel that has been in the plastic yield zone exhibits a less
ductile failure mechanism. This results in buildings that are much less
safe in earthquake or wind load situations - these buildings collapse
suddenly instead of using the steel reinforcing bar to absorb energy and
"sway", warning occupants of hazardous conditions and allowing them
time to escape. Workers extracting rebar from demolition rubble

Rebar, like almost all metal products, can be recycled as scrap. It is

usually combined with other steel products, melted down, and re-formed.

References[edit]
1. Jump up ^ Merritt, Frederic S., M. Kent Loftin and Jonathan T. Ricketts, Standard Handbook for Civil
Engineers, Fourth Edition, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1995, p. 8.17
2. Jump up ^ "Le donjon de Vincennes livre son histoire" .
3. Jump up ^ The office of the first Russian oligarch (Russian)
4. Jump up ^ "Coefficients of Linear Thermal Expansion". The Engineering ToolBox. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
5. Jump up ^ "GFRP Bar Transverse Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Effects on Concrete Cover" (PDF).
Retrieved 2012-08-24.
6. Jump up ^ Recommended Field Handling of Expoy-Coated Reinforcing Bars , Concrete Reinforcing Steel
Institute
7. Jump up ^ Ramniceanu, Andrei [1] Parameters Governing the Corrosion Protection Efficiency of Fusion-
Bonded Epoxy Coatings on Reinforcing Steel, Virginia Transportation Research Council, January 2008
8. Jump up ^ Epoxy Interest Group. "Epoxy Interest Group of CRSI". Epoxy Interest Group of CRSI. Retrieved
24 August 2012.
9. Jump up ^ Wang, Chu-Kia; Salmon, Charles; Pincheira, Jose (2007). Reinforced Concrete Design.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-471-26286-2.
10. Jump up ^ Threaded Rebar Bolts
11. Jump up ^ "BS EN 10080: Steel for the reinforcement of concrete. Weldable reinforcing steel. General.", pp.
19 (2005).

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12. Jump up ^ "Reinforcement Bars/Re-barsAs/TMT as Per IS.1786". Indana. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
13. Jump up ^ Noville, J.F. (June 2015). TEMPCORE, the most convenient process to produce low cost high
strength rebars from 8 to 75 mm (PDF). 2nd ESTAD - METEC. Dsseldorf.
14. Jump up ^ "BS EN 10080: Steel for the reinforcement of concrete. Weldable reinforcing steel. General.",
clause 6.4, pp. 13 (2005).
15. Jump up ^ Jesse (January 29, 2013). "Reinforced Concrete Beam Design: Concrete Beam Stirrups? What
are they and why are they important?". Retrieved 2015-02-04.
16. Jump up ^ ACI committee 318 (2014). ACI 318-14 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and
Commentary. American Concrete Institute (ACI). ISBN 978-0870319303.
17. Jump up ^ California Dept. of Transportation. "METHOD OF TESTS FOR MECHANICAL AND WELDED
REINFORCING STEEL SPLICES" (PDF). Caltrans. Retrieved Feb 2011.
18. Jump up ^ Occupational Safety and Health Administration. "Mushroom Style Plastic Rebar Covers Used For
Impalement Protection". OSHA. Retrieved Feb 2015.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rebar.

OSHA Rebar impalement protection measures

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