Rebar

 

Steel Reinforcement, or as it is commonly known Rebar is widely used within both the commercial and residential areas of the construction industry. Steel Reinforcement is put in the concrete slab and foundations of the building to improve its load bearing capabilities. Steel reinforcement is used in every type of concrete slab and ground beam that is laid on site.

 

There are two main types of Steel Reinforcement used within the construction industry – Rebar and Steel Reinforcement Fabric Mesh.

 

Rebar is the common name for Steel Reinforcement Bar and comes in 2 different types: Mild Steel (R) and High Tensile (T). Mild Steel Rebar comes in 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm, 25mm and 32mm diameter, while High Tensile Rebar comes in 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm, 25mm, 32mm and 40mm. Both types of Rebar can either come in straight lengths (shape code 00) up to 12000mm lengths or Cut & Bent to order in a variety of different Shape Codes. Reinforcement Shape Codes are all to British Standard BS8666:2005 as recognised by Building Regulations. Where Cut and Bent Rebar is required a bar bending schedule will need to be provided detailing the exact quantities and dimensions of each individual shape code that are required. Sounds complicated? Not at all. Just watch the video.

 

Steel Reinforcement Fabric, or Rebar Fabric is effectively steel reinforcement bar welded together in a mesh sheet to provide a 4800mm x 2400mm size sheet. Some fabric types are also available in a smaller sheet size, 3600 x 2000mm which are known as merchant sheets. This is used when reinforcement of a concrete slab is required and allows large areas of concrete to be reinforced quickly. All reinforcement fabrics supplied by www.buildingmaterials.co.uk are to BS8666:2005, electronically welded to BS4483:2005 and CARES Approved. There are a variety of different sizes and types of fabric reinforcement which provide different levels of load bearing qualities – however not to be confused with Weld Mesh which is a different type of product altogether. We can however also source this should you require. There are 4 main types of Fabric Reinforcement Mesh which are commonly known as A’s, B’s and C’s and D Fabric. A Fabrics have the main and cross members in a 200 x 200mm grid, B Fabrics have the main and cross members in a 100 x 200mm grid and C Fabrics have the main and cross members in a 100 x 400mm grid. It is these differences, along with the diameter of the cross and main members that give a different cross sectional area and weight of rebar per square meter and thus consequently different load bearing capabilities. D49 Fabric is only available in one type, 100 x 100mm grid and 2.5mm diameter cross and main bars, and is also known as Wrapping Fabric and generally used for reinforcement in screeds and/or fire protection.

 

Required with all types of Concrete Reinforcing Fabric and Rebar are reinforcement accessories. These are required to ensure the reinforcement system being laid in the concrete meets with building regulations and achieves the required performance. These include various types of concrete, plastic and wire spacers to ensure the required concrete cover is given to the steel, permanent shuttering systems to produce formwork, steel gabions for reinforcing landscape and verges, concrete screed rails to allow concrete slabs to be poured in sections, dowel bars and dowel pins for joining slabs and ground beams, tying wire, frost blankets to prevent the ingress of frost under cold conditions, damp proof membranes to create a vapour barrier, crack inducers to dictate the location of cracks in the concrete slab and various types of couplers to join sections of rebar together.

 

Once you have decided what type of reinforcement steel, along with any associated accessories  you require, place your order online at www.buildingmaterials.co.uk and have it delivered anywhere in the United Kingdom. Delivery timescales will vary on this range of products depending on the type, quantity and delivery location for materials. For help working out your exact requirements or to find out the delivery timescales for your order please do not hesitate to call – 0845 1133848; email – sales@buildingmaterials.co.uk; or live help.