Don't break the REO quality chain

A builder sent an email to a steel reinforcement processor informing them that prior to purchase they would require the following information:

The processor sent three certificates to the builder. One was an ACRS Certificate for steel coil supplied from an Italian steel mill. Another was an ACRS Certificate for steel bars supplied from a steel mill in Turkey. And the third certificate was an ISO 9001 Quality Management System accreditation for the processor’s operations.

Yes.

The processor is going to bend the Turkish bars and straighten and bend the Italian coils. These processes change the mechanical properties of steel. If this processing is not done in accordance with AS/NZS 4671 Steel reinforcing materials, and the requirements of other design Standards such as AS 3600 Concrete structures, then the safety performance and robustness of the structure is at risk.

Non-conformance with AS/NZS 4671 and the design Standards impacts the ability of the material to deliver building structure safety factors required in the Australian loading and design Standards. The pin diameters for bending reinforcement effects bar development strength as defined in Section 17 of AS 3600 Concrete structures. Even items such as the correct reinforcement rib geometry effects the mechanical bond assumed in AS 3600. Additionally, non-compliant chemistry of reinforcing products effects the weldability to AS/NZS 1554.3 Welding of steel reinforcing materials.

Compliant manufacture AND processing of steel reinforcement is crucial to the overall system performance.

In the above example, the processor did not have 3^rd party processor certification. They tried to get around it with 3^rd party mill certificates and ISO 9001 certification.  Fortunately, the builder did not accept these certificates, knowing that doing so would put his business at risk of non-conforming steel reinforcement.

This is why we are educating the building industry to ask for an ACRS or equivalent 3^rd party processor certificate. It’s the only way to guarantee that the processed bar and welded mesh supplied on your project conforms to Australian Standards.

Don’t let a processor break the REO quality chain.