concrete reinforcing bar

(rebar)

United States Share

In the United States, the size designations of these mild steel bars used to
reinforce concrete are set by ASTM International.1 Distributors usually stock
rebar in 20- and 60-foot lengths.
Almost all bars are “deformed,” that is, a pattern is rolled onto them which helps the concrete
get a grip on the bar. The exact patterns are not specified, but the spacing, number and height of
the bumps are. Between 1947 and 1968, a separate standard (ASTM A 305) covered the
deformations. Since 1968 the deformation requirements have been incorporated into the basic
standard. Plain bars are also made, but are used only in special situations in which the bars are
expected to slide (for example, crossing expansion joints in highway pavement).
Three grades are defined, with metric equivalents:

Minimum Yield Strength

inch-pound metric
grade grade in pounds in
per square inch megapascals
Grade 40 Grade 280 40,000 280
Grade 60 Grade 420 60,000 420
Grade 75 Grade 520 75,000 520
 According to the standard (sec. 20.3.5), “it shall be permissible to substitute a metric size bar
of Grade 280 for the corresponding inch-pound size bar of Grade 40, a metric size bar of Grade
420 for the corresponding inch-pound size bar of Grade 60, and a metric size bar of Grade 520 for
the corresponding inch-pound size bar of Grade 75.” Nothing is said about substituting inch-pound
size bars when the specification is metric.
The size designations up through size 8 are the number of eighths of an inch in the diameter of
a plain round bar having the same weight per foot as the deformed bar. So, for example, a number
5 bar would have the same mass per foot as a plain bar 5/8 inch in diameter. The metric size is
the same dimension expressed to the nearest millimeter.

Sizes and Dimensions

Nominal
Weight
diameter
Bar Metric in
in inches
designation designation pounds
(not including
number number per
the
foot
deformations)
3 0.375 10 0.376
4 0.500 13 0.668
5 0.625 16 1.043
6 0.750 19 1.502
7 0.875 22 2.044
8 1.000 25 2.670
9 1.128 29 3.400
10 1.270 32 4.303
 11 1.410 36 5.313
14 1.693 43 7.650
18 2.257 57 13.60

Specifications require that the producer roll into the bar:

• A letter or symbol identifying the mill that produced the bar.

• The bar size.
• A symbol indicating the type of steel. for example, means the bar was rolled from a new billet.
• If the bar is grade 60 or 75, or metric 420 or 520, a mark indicating its grade. Two styles of
marking the grade are used.

Number system
Metric
Grade Continuous line system number stamped onto
grade
bar
1 line running the length of the bar
60 420 offset at least five spaces from the center of the 60 4
bar
2 lines running the length of the bar
75 520 offset at least five spaces from the center of the 75 5
bar

Hard versus Soft Metrification

Various laws2 require federally-funded projects to use materials with metric designations. To
meet this requirement, in 1979 ASTM issued standard A 615M-79, which described a set of
reinforcing bar sizes in whole number SI units. This standard was specified in some contracts.
 The cost of producing and stocking two different sets of nearly identical sizes proved onerous.
In April 1995, the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute and the Steel Manufacturers Association
decided to mount a campaign to replace the initial hard metric sizes with soft. In a soft conversion
to metric, the original dimensions are simply restated to the nearest number of SI units. In 1996,
ASTM changed A 615M to soft metric sizes. For example, a bar with the metric designation “25”,
formerly 25 millimeters in diameter, became 25.4 mm in diameter, the same as a size 8 (1-inch)
bar.
As a result, the metrically-sized bars are identical to the original inch-sized bars, except for the
markings and a small difference in strength (the new metric standard calls for a stronger bar, see
the table below).
The grade mark for grade 420 is either a “4” or a single longitudinal grade line. The grade
mark for grade 520 is either a “5” or two longitudinal grade lines.
Type of steel mark

Applicable ASTM Standard by Grade

Mark Meaning
40 & 50 60 75 300 & 350 420 520
S billet A615 A615 A615 A615M A615M A615M
I rail A616 A616 — A996M A996M —
Rail Meeting Supplementary
IR A616 A616 — — — —
Requirements S1
A axle A617 A617 — A996M A996M —
W Low-alloy — A706 — — A706M —

Grades and Minimum Yield Strengths

minimum yield strength
 corresponding
original
old US minimum current 1996
hard metric proposal
grade yield strength soft metric revisions
specs
grade
300 MPa
40 40,000 psi 300 — —
(43,400 psi)
400 MPa 420 MPa 415 MPa
60 60,000 psi 420
(58,000 psi) (60,900 psi) (60,100 psi)
500 MPa 520 MPa
75 75,000 psi 520 —
(72,500 psi) (75,400 psi)

STANDARDS
1. ASTM International issues a series of specifications for rebar:
A615/A615M-05a: Standard Specification for Deformed and Plain Billet-Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement. (covers
grades 40 and 60/soft metric grades 420 and 520). Serves also as Standard M 31 of the American Assn. of State Highway
and Transportation Officials.
A616: Standard Specification for Rail-Steel Deformed Bars for Concrete Reinforcement. (covers grades 50 and 60).
A617: Standard Specification for Axle-Steel Deformed Bars for Concrete Reinforcement. (covers grades 40 and 60)
A706/A706M-96b: Standard Specification for Low-Alloy-Steel Deformed and Plain Bars for Concrete Reinforcement. (grade
60 only)

2. Metric Conversion Act of 1975; Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-418, section 5164);
Executive Order 12770, "Metric Usage in Federal Government Programs."

Metric
Metric designations of reinforcing bar have the form “K” followed by the mass in kilograms of a
1-meter length of the bar. For example, “K3” rebar weighs 3 kilograms per meter.

nominal
diameter
 5
6
8
10
12
14
18
16
20
22
25
28
32
40
50

HISTORY
1
United States Department of Commerce.
Simplified Practice Recommendation No. 26.
Steel Reinforcing Bars.
Issued by the Bureau of Standards. Original Draft, September 9, 1924.
Washington: Gov't Printing Office, 1925.
 In accordance with the unanimous action of the joint conference of representatives
of manufacturers, distributors, and users named on page 7 the United States
Department of Commerce, through the Bureau of Standards, recommends that the
areas of steel reinforcing bars conform to the following simplified list:

Sizes of
Area
square and round bars
in square inches
in inches
0.049 ¼ round
0.110 ⅜ round
0.198 ½ round
0.250 ½ square
0.307 â… round
0.442 ¾ round
0.601 â…ž round
0.785 1 round
1.000 1 square
1.266 1â…› square
1.563 1¼ square

It is further recommended that this simplified list of areas become effective as

applying to new production January 1, 1925, subject to regular annual revision by
similar conference, and that every effort be made to clear current orders and existing
stocks of the eliminated areas before March 1, 1925.
 …
Prior to 1917 dealers in new billet reinforcing bars carried a minimum of 15 sizes in
two grades of steel. Under the pressure of war conditions the variety in sizes and grades
was reduced in number, with consequent relief all along the line. The War Industries
Board was instrumental in the first application of simplification to the reinforcing bar
industry, just as it initiated similar practice in many other industries.
However, with the exigencies of war removed, there has been a tendency to
reinstate the discarded sizes, and the former confusion has returned to disconcert
producers, distributors, and users. Furthermore, there are to-day very definitely three
grades of reinforcing bars on the market—“structural grade,” “intermediate grade,” and
“hard grade.” This means that the dealers have now more costly inventories with which
to cope, and it means that they have been hampered in the matter of giving minimum
quotations on public works.
The dealers are convinced that a simplified list of sizes is desirable.
…
Representatives of mills producing more than 80 per cent of the annual tonnage of
the steel used for reinforcing bars attended the subsequent meeting of producers,
distributors, and users. At that time it was the opinion of the conferees that “square”
and “round” are merely inexact descriptive terms, and that the fundamentally important
characteristic of steel reinforcing bars is the cross-sectional area. It was therefore
unanimously moved that this recommendation be expressed in terms of area, and that
the sizes be mentioned only for the purpose of providing equivalents for the information
and guidance of those who have been accustomed to the use of that nomenclature.
After one item had been added to the list originally submitted the simplified practice
recommendation was unanimously accepted.
…
 Whether or not a single grade of steel for reinforcing bars would satisfy all
requirements is a question that is technical in character and one which has been referred
to the Association of American Steel Manufacturers and to the American Society for
Testing Materials.
At some future time a recommendation covering this subject of grades will be
presented for the consideration of a conference similar to the one under review. If it
proves practicable to fabricate reinforcing bars of a single grade of steel only, the
inventory problem of distributors will be decidedly lightened. The present
recommendation reduces the number of piles of stock from 96 to 33. The establishment
of a single grade of steel for this commodity will place distributors in a position to further
reduce from 33 piles to 11, If dealers can concentrate upon 11 piles of stock, they will
be free to use released investment to cut costs to consumers and to strengthen their
own business organizations generally.

FOR FURTHER READING

CRSI Manual of Standard Practice. 28th ed.
Schaumburg, IL: Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, 2009.
www.crsi.org

Pocket Guide for Field Inspection of Rebar.

Schaumburg, IL: Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, 2008.
www.crsi.org

ACI Committee 439.

ACI 439.4R-09. Report on Steel Reinforcement—Material Properties and U.S. Availability.
in
ACI Manual of Concrete Practice, Part 5—2010.
Farmington Hills, MI: American Concrete Institute, 2010.
home | materials index | search | to contact Sizes | acknowledgements | help | privacy
terms of use

Sistrom LTD. "Marble made of Concrete" New construction technology www.sistrom.com

Bolts - Screws - Fastener Over 75,000 Items Listed on Website Inch, Metric, Standards, Specials www.MutualScrew.com

DEEMEX Wear Solutions Wear resistant plates, pipes and tailor made Wear Solutions www.mines-technology.com

Copyright © 2000-2012 Sizes, Inc. All rights reserved.

Last revised: 28 March 2012.