Quality control plan of steel rebars at the construction site

Reinforced concrete structures contain a high amount of steel rebars. These latter are produced in industry plants from the raw minerals or in a recycled loop by melting steel scrap. Quality controls at production plants are regularly done according to several standards. Scattering of the main steel parameters may range within an interval of about 5% of the totally produced rebar’s amount. The mechanical properties such as, the yield and ultimate tensile strength generally comply with the main requirements related to the type of the steel rebar. On the other hand, at the construction site, the origin of the steel rebars and the suppliers may be different from those required by the call for tenders. Furthermore, some main properties, such as the linear mass, the tensile strength, the strain, the ductility, the chemical composition as well as the weldability of the steel rebars may differ from the metallic material that is supposed to be provided on site. In addition, the microstructure of the steel rebars and the content of intermetallics as well as the inclusions may influence the durability and the general corrosion behaviour of the steel rebars. Generally, the quality inspections on site are largely underestimated, especially in some countries. This fact leads to the placing of steel rebars within concrete, which attain the required tensile strength, but may barely comply with the ductility and the corrosion resistance. These issues may exhibit a relevant consequence in the case of extraordinary event and significantly shorten the durability. In this concern, the proposed quality control plan of the steel rebars to be applied on site may help the owners of a structure and the engineers, to build more reliable reinforced concrete structures.