At a recent meeting, the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) Board of Directors urged all CRSI producer members to revert to an inch-pound bar marking system for all sizes and grades of deformed reinforcing steel products. CRSI members produce more than 90% of domestic reinforcing steel.
The intention of this resolution is for all new rollings of reinforcing steel products to be marked with inch-pound bar markings no later than January 1st, 2014. Providing a 25-month phase in period should permit producer members sufficient time to re-tool finish roll inventory to the inch-pound marking system as rolls need to be replaced, significantly reducing or eliminating the need to unnecessarily cut new rolls to meet the resolution.
As the ASTM specifications for reinforcing steel products permit reinforcing bars to be marked in either soft metric, or inch-pound markings, existing inventory of soft metric bars can continue to be sold alongside inch-pound marked bars during and after the January 1st, 2014, phase-in target.
The intention of this resolution is to reduce confusion and the chance of errors or delays from the construction supply chain. CRSI members are strongly encouraged to revert to the inch-pound marking system for steel reinforcing bars as soon as practical to minimize any additional confusion to the supply chain of steel reinforcing bars.
This change is the result of several actions. The Federal Highway Administration no longer mandates metrification of federally funded road and bridge construction projects and all state Departments of Transportation no longer require materials to be specified and sourced in metric sizes/quantities. Additionally, a large majority of the non-governmental construction community never adopted metric measurements in their plans and specifications. The American Concrete Institute (ACI), through their Technical Activities Committee (TAC), has strongly encouraged CRSI members to mark reinforcing bars with traditional inch-pound size designations. ACI is the standards body within the United States responsible for developing the concrete building code. The concrete building code and other ACI documents reference the inch-pound size as the primary designation.
“It made logical sense for the industry to begin the process to move away from soft metric markings,” said Robert Risser, CRSI President. “None of our private or government customers are using metric plans or specifications any longer. The phase-in period will allow industry members to make the change over at minimal additional expense. CRSI is now in the process of making the appropriate changes to our manuals and literature.” BD+C
Related Stories
| Dec 18, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West to be recreated—with LEGO
Containing more than 180,000 LEGO bricks in 11 colors and 120 different shapes, the model measures eight by four feet and is made entirely of standard LEGO parts.
| Dec 18, 2014
11 new highs for tall buildings: CTBUH recaps the year's top moments in skyscraper construction
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat cherrypicked the top moments from 2014, including a record concrete pour, a cautionary note about high-rise development, and two men's daring feat.
| Dec 18, 2014
International Parking Institute and Green Parking Council collaborate with GBCI
The new collaboration recognizes importance of sustainable parking facility design and management to the built environment.
| Dec 18, 2014
Top 10 sports facilities of 2014: Designboom ranks the year's best projects
The list includes some of the year's epic stadiums, such as World Cup Stadium Arena de Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil, and smaller projects, like the Spordtgebouw Sports Centerin the Netherlands.
| Dec 18, 2014
In response to ultra-open and uber-collaborative office environments
Susan Cain’s bestselling 2012 book, "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking" has made an impact on how we understand our current workforce, recognizing that at least one-third of the people we work with are introverts, writes SRG Partnership's Susan Gust.
| Dec 17, 2014
USGBC announces 2014 Best of Green Schools honorees
Houston's Monarch School was named the K-12 school of the year, and Western Michigan University was honored as the top higher-ed institution, based on environmental programs and education efforts.
| Dec 17, 2014
ULI report looks at growing appeal of micro unit apartments
New research from the Urban Land Institute suggests that micro units have staying power as a housing type that appeals to urban dwellers in high-cost markets who are willing to trade space for improved affordability and proximity to downtown neighborhoods.
| Dec 17, 2014
11 predictions for high-rise construction in 2015
In its annual forecast, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat predicts that 2015 will be the "Year of the Woodscraper," and that New York’s troubled B2 modular high-rise project will get back on track.
| Dec 17, 2014
Demand softens, but outlook for Architecture Billings Index remains positive
The AIA's Architecture Billings Index for November was 50.9, down from a mark of 53.7 in October. Despite the drop, the ABI continued its seven-month run of positive scores (above 50).
Sponsored | | Dec 16, 2014
Quadcopters save project team $15K in warranty work
On a recent trip to see what technology Todd Wynne and the rest of the team at Rogers-O’Brien Construction have been tinkering with, I had a chance to experience firsthand which new hardware innovations will one day be applied in the AEC space.
