ENGINEERING

DATA REPORT
NUMBER 54

Field Inspection of Reinforcing Bars

A SERVICE OF THE CONCRETE REINFORCING STEEL INSTITUTE

933 N. Plum Grove Rd., Schaumburg, Illinois 60173-4758

Introduction Inspector Qualifications

In a perfect world, quality control or inspection to Inspectors are individuals qualified to perform the
assure compliance with project drawings*, project inspection tasks. They should by education, training,
specifications, material standards, and building codes and experience have the ability to read and under-
would not be necessary since the project drawings stand project specifications, material standards, proj-
and project specifications would be complete without ect drawings, and building code requirements. In the
errors or omissions, the materials would be manufac- event of field problems, they must work with the con-
tured exactly to the material standards, and the field tractor and make decisions on improvised details if the
workmanship would be precise. However, in the real architect/engineer is unavailable to provide direction.
world, quality control programs are recommended An inspector must project confidence in his decisions.
with inspection usually mandated to ensure compli- He should be meticulous, correct, fair, and firm, along
ance with a regulatory agency’s policies. Why is this with the ability to compromise when faced with a dis-
necessary? pute regarding a conflict in the contract documents or
actual field conditions, or both.
Project drawings are not always complete due to
an owner’s desire for a rapid start and completion of a
project. Materials may not meet the standards due to Inspection Goals
variations in the raw material or the manufacturing The goal of any inspection or quality control pro-
process. Workmanship is not always accurate due to gram is to ensure that the intent of the contract docu-
improper training, inadequate experience, or careless ments is met and that the requirements of the building
supervision. Thus, there is recognition by owners, code are followed. Inspection and testing by them-
contractors, architects/engineers, and regulating selves do not add quality to the product or the mate-
agencies that programs for quality control and inspec- rial being inspected, but only confirm whether or not
tion are necessary to ensure compliance with the con- what is being inspected meets the criteria established
tract documents and the building code applicable to by the project drawings, project specifications, and
the project under construction. building code.
The benefits of a quality control program and Quality during the construction process is
mandated inspection are mainly monetary, but they achieved almost entirely by the contractor’s quality
also ensure structural safety and compliance with assurance program, which depends on and involves
architectural requirements. The owners, private and all workers and field supervisors. The contractor’s
governmental, benefit with lower total costs, on- inspectors are his employees and are separate from
time construction schedules, and quicker occupan- the inspectors mandated by the owner or local build-
cy. The architect/engineer benefits in the knowledge ing department. The quality control inspection by the
that the structure will conform to the design intent. contractor helps assure that the finished construction
The contractor, his subcontractors and suppliers, meets the owner’s requirements, while similar pro-
and all their employees will benefit in a similar man- grams by the material producers and suppliers assure
ner. The public, as the ultimate consumer and user that the products and materials being supplied will
of the structure, benefits in the knowledge that the meet the specific requirements of the material stan-
structure has been built according to the contract dards. The final in-place acceptance inspection is a
documents. formalized procedure that provides the owner and
regulatory agency with an acceptable degree of assur-
* See the Terminology section on Page 7 for definitions of certain ance that the contractor has satisfied his obligations
terms used in this report. as described in the contract documents and by the

© Copyright 2004 by the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute

building code. To accomplish this end, the inspector information on the contract documents, possible
must familiarize himself with the project specifications structural drawing discrepancies, detailing or placing
and project drawings, have reasonable knowledge of errors, and verification and acceptability of implement-
the building code requirements, have access to mate- ed field changes.
rial standards and reference codes, and have available
industry manuals and reports. See References. g. Tolerances… A discussion with all parties is nec-
essary regarding which tolerances are critical, the
At the start of a construction project, whether method of measurement, and the basis for either
small, medium or large, it is recommended that the rejection or acceptance.
inspector establish an inspection program for the rein-
forcing bars. The program can be established at a pre- h. Periodic Meetings… It is recommended that reg-
construction conference with the general contractor’s ularly scheduled meetings be held in order to discuss
superintendent, the supplier’s representative, the the previous inspection reports, any problems that
ironworker foreman, and other interested parties such were encountered, solutions to the problems, and the
as the architect/engineer or the architect/engineer’s schedule of work for the next period.
inspector. This meeting should establish a checklist
procedure and minimum requirements for inspection Material Inspection
acceptance. In-place inspection of reinforcing bars starts with
the mill test report, which in some cases is supple-
Checklist mented by a report from an independent testing labo-
The checklist for the inspection of reinforcing bars ratory. Both reports should provide data as to grade of
should include, but not be limited to, the following: steel, tensile properties (yield strength, ultimate tensile
strength, and percentage of elongation), bend tests,
a. Construction Schedule… A construction sched- chemical composition and carbon equivalent (C.E.) in
ule from the general contractor is important and nec- the event the reinforcing bars are to be welded, and the
essary so that the inspector can follow the reinforcing spacing and height of deformations. The reported data
bar placing crew and carry out his inspection of the in- should meet the requirements of the applicable ASTM
place reinforcing bars prior to the scheduled placing standard. A visual examination of the mill markings on
and finishing of the concrete. a bar will identify the producing mill, the bar size, the
type of steel, and the grade of steel.
b. Certified Mill Test and/or Bar Coating
(Certification) Reports… These reports may accom- Inspection of In-Place Reinforcing Bars
pany the shipments of material to the job-site, and
Inspection of the reinforcing bars installed in the
thus should be available to the inspector. In the event
forms is done by visual examination of the layout pat-
the reports are sent to the contractor’s office rather
tern, and by measurement of spacing and counting of
than to the job-site, arrangements should be made to
bars. The bar diameter and the bar shape, if bent, can
make them available to the inspector.
be visually checked. Bar lengths, bar spacings,
c. Independent Testing Laboratory Reports… The embedments, and bearings on walls or beams are
reports on samples taken either at the reinforcing bar normally checked by measurement. In a slab, the
fabricator’s shop or from material shipped to the job- total number of pieces can be counted with the spac-
site, offer supplemental verification of the producer’s ing of the slab bars verified by measurement, all
mill test report. checked against the approved placing drawings in
conjunction with the structural drawings. Similarly,
d. Approved Placing Drawings… The latest beam longitudinal bars, column vertical bars, and stir-
approved placing drawings should be available for rup and tie spacings are checked visually and by
review and study by field placing personnel and the measurement, as required.
inspector at least one day prior to the actual placing of
the reinforcing bars. Bar Supports
e. Material Shipment… A schedule of anticipated At the same time that the beam and slab rein-
delivery dates should be provided and updated as forcing bars are being inspected, the heights of bar
necessary so that the inspector can schedule his in- supports should be measured to verify that the con-
place inspection. crete cover and clearances will be as specified. It is
extremely important that the bar supports for slab or
f. Potential Problems… A discussion between all mat top bars be checked not only for height but also
parties is desirable to identify difficult-to-place for stability, since they can easily be displaced during
reinforcement details, lack of specific details or the placement of concrete. In fact, the entire mat and

2
cages of reinforcing bars should be checked for sta- Damage to Bar Coating
bility for the same reason. If the project specifications
If epoxy-coated or zinc-coated (galvanized) reinforc-
require corrosion-protection measures, the class of
ing bars are specified for corrosion protection, the proj-
protection of the bar supports furnished should be
ect specifications should be studied to determine the
verified.
criteria for acceptance or rejection in the event there is
damage to the coating. Any corrective actions should
Tying Requirements follow recommended repair procedures and should be
Reinforcing bars are tied together to form a rigid completed prior to acceptance by the inspector.
mat for footings, walls, and slabs. A cage is formed
when beam or column longitudinal bars are wire tied Tolerances
to the stirrups and ties, respectively. Ironworkers are
No structure is built exactly level, plumb, straight,
usually instructed to tie a minimum number of inter-
and true to line. Tolerances are the means used to
sections. Unless the project specifications are very
establish permissible variations in dimensions and loca-
specific about the number of intersections to be tied,
tions. Thus, the architect/engineer, contractor, and
the inspector should accept the work unless it is
inspector have parameters within which the work can
apparent that the mats or cages of reinforcing bars will
be performed and inspected. Tolerances should neither
be displaced from their inspected position during the
be overly restrictive nor lenient. The contract docu-
casting, screeding, and finishing of the concrete. The
ments should specify the standard tolerances to be fol-
placer is responsible for tying reinforcing bars in such lowed, usually by reference to the ACI 117 Specifica-
a manner that the bars will not be displaced. The tion. Judgment on the part of the inspector will establish
inspector should only verify and agree that this condi- a range of acceptability. Incompatible tolerances should
tion has been achieved. Only coated tie wire should be referred to the architect/engineer for resolution.
be used to tie coated reinforcing bars.
CRSI’s book, Placing Reinforcing Bars, the author- Fabricating Tolerances
itative publication on placing practices, states in its
Fabricating tolerances for reinforcing bars are
Chapter 10 under General Principles of Tying
established in the ACI 117 Specification, the ACI
Reinforcing Bars:
Detailing Manual, and the CRSI Manual of Standard
“…It is not necessary to tie reinforcing bars at Practice. Shearing length tolerance for straight bars is
every intersection. Tying adds nothing to the strength plus or minus 1 inch.* The out-to-out dimension of
of the finished structure…” bars with hooks or bends at one end or at both ends
is plus or minus 1 inch. Stirrups, hoops, and ties that
Splices fit into a beam or column form, for bar sizes #10, #13,
and #16**, with a gross length of 12'-0" or less, have
The inspector should pay particular attention to the a tolerance of plus or minus 1/2 inch. When a gross
location and length of lap splices. Lap splices should length exceeds 12'-0", the tolerance is increased to
be specified as to length and location on the contract plus or minus 1 inch.
documents, as well as shown on the approved plac-
ing drawings. In the event that mechanical splices are
required in lieu of lap splices, the placing foreman
Placing Tolerances
and/or the mechanical splice supplier should provide Placing tolerances recognize the imprecise nature
literature describing the recommended installation and of the placing operation and allow deviation criteria.
inspection procedures. The ACI 117 Specification indicates tolerances on
clear distance to side forms and resulting concrete
surfaces, and on the clear distance to formed con-
Surface Conditions of Bars
crete soffits in the direction of the tolerance. These tol-
A light surface coating of rust on reinforcing bars erances are:
should not be a cause for rejection by the inspector.
The ASTM standards and the ACI 318 Building Code Member Size Tolerance
describe how to inspect and evaluate rusted rein- <
_ 4 in. + 1/4 in., – 3/8 in.
forcing bars. However, dirt, grease, or other delete- > 4 in., <_ 12 in. 3
/8 in.
rious materials on the reinforcing bars, i.e., materials > 12 in., <
_ 24 in. 1
/2 in.
that can affect bond, must be removed prior to con- > 24 in. 1 in.
crete placement. Tests have indicated that water sol-
uble cutting oils, those used when threading ends of *1 inch = 25.4 millimeters
bars for attaching to mechanical splices, do not signif- ** See discussion of Soft Metric Reinforcing Bars on Pages 7-8 of
icantly affect bond. this report.

3
 The ACI 117 tolerances for concrete cover meas- forcing bars are ‘plus’. Each trade, carpenter and iron-
ured at right angles to the concrete surface in the worker, can claim that their work is within tolerance,
direction of the tolerances are: thus squarely putting the problem into the inspector’s
lap to make a decision. The inspector must determine
Member Size Tolerance whether the encroachment on concrete cover is detri-
<
_ 12 in. – 3/8 in. mental to the safety and service life of the structure, or
> 12 in. – 1/2 in. is within the allowable limits of reduction in concrete
cover.
Reduction in concrete cover is permitted by ACI
117. Generally, the reduction should not exceed one- Inspection of the placement of reinforcing bars in
third of the specified cover. For formed soffits, the walls and slabs is usually straight-forward and normal-
reduction in cover is limited to 1/4 inch. ly no misplacement will be found. Small openings, pipe
sleeves, electrical outlets, and similar items may inter-
The uniform spacing or center-to-center distance fere with the specified location of the reinforcing bars,
between reinforcing bars in slabs and walls have a tol- but the ironworker usually will shift the reinforcement to
erance of 3 inches from a specified location. The tol- one side or the other to avoid the obstruction. The ACI
erance in the longitudinal location of bends and ends 117 Specification allows a maximum deviation from the
of bars, in general, is plus or minus 2 inches, but at a specified location of 3 inches. This deviation normally is
discontinuous end of a structural member the toler- sufficient, provided that the total number of bars in a
ance is reduced to plus or minus 1 inch. The length of wall or slab panel is not reduced. No cutting of rein-
lap splices has a tolerance of minus 1 inch. Obviously, forcing bars should be done to clear obstructions with-
a longer splice length would be considered safer, out approval by the architect/engineer.
hence there is no plus tolerance. Finally, the tolerance
The spacing tolerance for stirrups and ties in
for embedded length is minus 1 inch for bar sizes #10
beams and columns is also quite flexible. The ACI 117
to #36 and minus 2 inches for bar sizes #43 and #57.
Specification allows a deviation from the specified
In terms of percentages, these tolerances may be
location of the stirrup or tie equal to the least dimen-
considered liberal, and normally are easily met.
sion of the member divided by 12. Thus, stirrup or tie
The tolerance for beam and column forms is plus placement in an 18-inch square beam or column
1
/2 inch and minus 3/8 inch for form dimensions larger could vary from the specified location by 11/2 inches.
than 12 inches but not over 36 inches. A potential
problem occurs if the stirrups or ties are fabricated to In-Situ Bending and Rebending*
the plus tolerance of 1/2 inch when the forms are made
to the minus tolerance of 3/8 inch. This condition has One of the more controversial construction proce-
the effect of reducing the clearance to 7/16 inch on each dures is the practice of bending and rebending
side of the stirrup or tie. The inspector must determine installed reinforcing bars. Many conditions and situ-
ations at the job-site require such bending and
whether or not this encroachment on concrete cover
rebending. As an example, the horizontal leg of bent
is critical. As previously stated, the ACI 117 Speci-
reinforcing bars (fabricated) projecting from a wall to
fication permits a reduction in concrete cover of 3/8
become the top bars of a beam may have been
inch when the member size is 12 inches or less, and
improperly placed too low or too high, well in excess
1
/2 inch if the member is over 12 inches in the direction
of concrete cover and placing tolerances. These bars
of tolerance. This type of problem should be resolved
will require ‘straightening’ and then ‘rebending’ to the
with the assistance of the architect/engineer.
proper position. The inspector, after consultation with
Another example of encroachment on concrete the architect/engineer, should approve the procedure
cover is a formed footing; the form tolerance is plus 2 used to accomplish the task. Section R7.3.2 in the
inches and minus 1/2 inch, while the tolerance on the Commentary of the ACI 318 Building Code presents
reinforcing bars, either straight or bent, is plus or guidelines for straightening and rebending embedded
minus 1 inch. Again, if the forms are ‘minus’ and the reinforcing bars. Section 3 in the ACI 301
reinforcing bars are ‘plus’, the concrete cover at each Specifications includes provisions for field bending or
end of the bars is reduced from 3 inches to 2 1/4 inch- straightening of reinforcing bars.
es. This condition would be acceptable since the
allowed reduction in concrete cover is 1 inch for sizes
*This subject is not related to the fabrication of reinforcing bars.
of structural members in excess of 2 feet. Fabrication of reinforcing bars is the cutting-to-length of straight
bars, and cutting-to-length and bending to shape of bent bars.
In another example, the length of a beam which is
The issue here is concerned with bending and straightening or
discontinuous at each end may create a problem if the rebending of reinforcing bars that are partially embedded in hard-
formwork is ‘minus’ when at the same time the rein- ened concrete.

4
 In some instances, the use of planned prebent The results of the testing program showed that any
dowels is requested by the contractor. The archi- effect of flame-cutting is localized to the end-cut sur-
tect/engineer should review the request and notify the faces. Only a very short distance or length of bar,
inspector. Similarly, straight dowels may be planned to approximately 3/16 inch, from the flame-cut ends is
be field bent into place, such as an outside face wall affected. Hardness testing was used to evaluate the
where vertical bars will be bent horizontally to become effects of the flame-cutting on the tensile properties of
the slab end top bars. This procedure is intended to the bars. From an analysis of the hardness test data,
facilitate slab formwork erection. Again, the archi- it was concluded that flame-cutting had no adverse
tect/engineer should review the procedure and notify effects on the bars.
the inspector. The inspector should discuss the bend-
ing procedure with the placing foreman to ensure that Flame-cutting of epoxy-coated reinforcing bars is
the bends conform to the ACI 315 Standard. Where not recommended. Coating damage can be reduced
large diameter bars are involved, some amount of by using other means of cutting rather than flame-cut-
heating may be recommended by the architect/engi- ting. After cutting epoxy-coated reinforcing bars, the
neer to avoid brittle failure during bending. cut ends should be coated with the patching material
that is used for repairing damaged coating. Damaged
Field Cutting of Reinforcing Bars epoxy coating in the vicinity of the cut ends should
also be properly repaired.
An issue often occurring on construction projects
is concerned with the cutting of reinforcing bars. The
cutting envisioned in this discussion is unplanned cut- Lap Splices, Mechanical Splices,
ting. It is not the kind of cutting associated with field and Welded Splices
fabrication of reinforcing bars. CRSI discourages field
fabrication.* Lap Splices. The location and length of lap splices
has always been a concern of the architect/engi-
Field cutting of reinforcing bars would be required, neer, estimator, detailer, placer, and inspector. The
for example, when bars are too long as a result of ACI 318 Building Code states that the design draw-
design changes, or when errors were made in detail- ings shall show the location and length of lap splices.
ing, fabrication, or placing. The field cutting could The ACI 315 Standard repeats the above require-
involve overlength bars prior to their placement in the
ment and further instructs the detailer to follow the
forms or overlength bars that are partially embedded
architect/engineer’s details, thus both the placing
in hardened concrete.
drawings and the structural drawings should show
Various means are used for field cutting. For small- the same location and length of lap splices. Chapter
er size bars, #10, #13 and #16, the cutting can usual- 12 of the ACI 318 Building Code contains provisions
ly be accomplished with bolt-cutters. All bar sizes can for determining tension lap splice lengths. Lap splice
be cut with an abrasive saw, or by flame-cutting with lengths will vary due to concrete compressive
an oxy-acetylene torch. strength, yield strength of the bars, bar spacing,
From CRSI’s experience, questions are apt to sur- epoxy coating, concrete cover, and other factors.
face regarding the suitability of flame-cutting, i.e., will The inspector should make certain that the specified
flame-cutting affect the reinforcing bars? The answer lap splice lengths are for the strength criteria of the
is “No.” The rationale: A testing program was under- materials furnished to the job-site, and that the plac-
taken to investigate the effect of flame-cutting rein- er follows the placing drawings.
forcing bars. The testing program:
Mechanical Splices. The ACI 318 Building Code
• Covered bar sizes #16, #25, #36 and #57. requires the architect/engineer to show the type and
• The test bars were Grade 420 [minimum yield location of mechanical splices on the design draw-
strength ƒy = 420 MPa or 60,900 psi; Grade 420 ings. If a full mechanical splice is required, the inspec-
is the metric counterpart of Grade 60.] tor should make certain that a compression-only
mechanical splice is not furnished in error. In all cases,
• The test bars were carbon-steel conforming to inspection should verify that the splice manufacturer’s
ASTM A615/A615M, and low-alloy steel con- installation procedures and any instructions in the
forming to ASTM A706/A706M. project specifications are followed. Dowel bar
mechanical splices and lap-splice connector systems
are used to replace prebent or other types of dowels
* According to the CRSI Manual of Standard Practice, “It is rec-
which connect two separate pours of a reinforced
ommended that all reinforcing bars be shop fabricated and so
specified by the architect/engineer, as operations can be per- concrete structure. The type and location should be
formed with greater accuracy in the shop.” approved by the architect/engineer.

5
Welded Splices. Welded splices of reinforcing bars their ability. However, mistakes can and will happen,
present the same difficulty of inspection as welded but an inspector is expected to find them and have
structural steel connections. The ACI 318 Building them corrected. All persons involved in a construction
Code (Section 3.5.2) states: “…Type and location of project, from the architect/engineer to the contractor,
welded splices and other required welding of reinforc- attempt to do error-free work. A quality control pro-
ing bars shall be indicated on the design drawings or gram by the contractor helps in achieving this goal,
in the project specifications.” Section 3.5.2 also which makes final inspection easier. The inspector
requires: “Welding of reinforcing bars shall conform to should not perceive his role as adversarial, but as
‘Structural Welding Code — Reinforcing Steel complementary to the workers in support of good
(ANSI/AWS D1.4)’ of the American Welding Society.” construction techniques and practice. Good inspec-
tion is assurance of a properly built structure, one
It should be noted, under the AWS Welding Code, which all parties involved in the process can take
the architect/engineer is not obliged to specify the pride.
welding procedures to be used. Rather the Welding
For further information on inspection, tolerances,
Code requires the contractor to prepare written weld-
industry standard practices, fabricating, placing and
ing procedure specifications (WPS’s) for the welded
splices, consult the following references.
splices.
Regarding inspection activities at the job-site, the
References
inspector should review the mill test report for the rein-
forcing bars to determine the carbon equivalent (C.E.) “Standard Specifications for Tolerances for Concrete
and the preheat requirements. The inspector should Construction and Materials (ACI 117-90) (Reapproved
verify the welder’s certification, confirm that the correct 2002),” American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills,
electrodes (oven dry) are available, and that the pre- Michigan.
heat temperature crayon sticks are at hand.
ACI Detailing Manual — 2004, Publication SP-66,
Continuous inspection is usually specified to ascertain
American Concrete Institute. The standard “Details
that the welder uses the proper number of passes,
and Detailing of Concrete Reinforcement (ACI 315-
controls the interpass heat loss, and uses a wire brush 99)” is included in the Manual.
and chipping hammer to remove any slag.
For some projects, the contract documents will “Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete
require radiographic inspection of the welded splices. (ACI 318-02) and Commentary (ACI 318R-02),”
American Concrete Institute.
This procedure is time consuming and costly, and is
frequently inconclusive. More often a test specimen “Specifications for Structural Concrete (ACI 301-99),”
located at random is removed for a laboratory tension American Concrete Institute.
test and analysis.
“Standard Specification for Deformed and Plain
Welding of Crossing Bars. The inspector should not Carbon-Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement
allow field tack welding of reinforcing bars, i.e., weld- (A615/A615M-04a),” ASTM International, West
ing of crossing bars as a means for assembly of rein- Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
forcement. Tack welding can embrittle the steel which
reduces strength and can also have a detrimental “Standard Specification for Low-Alloy Steel Deformed
effect on ductility and fatigue resistance. Field tack and Plain Bars for Concrete Reinforcement
welding is not a substitute for tie wire for the assem- (A706/A706M-04a)”.
bly of reinforcing bars.
“Standard Specification for Epoxy-Coated Steel
For information on shop-welded assemblies of rein- Reinforcing Bars (A775/A775M-04a)”.
forcing bars, see EDR No. 53 “Assembling Reinforcing
Bars by Fusion Welding in the Fabricating Shop.” Visit “Standard Specification for Epoxy-Coated Prefab-
the CRSI Website to view and print the report. ricated Steel Reinforcing Bars (A934/A934M-04)”.

“Standard Specification for Zinc-Coated (Galvanized)

Conclusions Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement (A767/A767M-
All the foregoing discussion seems to indicate that 00b)”.
the inspector has a formidable assignment when
inspecting in-place reinforcing bars. This impression is “Standard Specification for Deformed and Plain
not necessarily true, but it is an exacting task, one that Stainless Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement
assures the workers perform their job to the best of (A955/A955M-04a
1)”.

6
“Standard Specification for Headed Steel Bars for Project Specifications — The written documents
Concrete Reinforcement (A970/A970M-04a
1)”. that specify requirements for a project in accordance
with the service parameters and other specific criteria
“Standard Specification for Rail-Steel and Axle-Steel established by the owner.
Deformed Bars for Concrete Reinforcement
(A996/A996M-04)”. Contract Documents — Documents, including the
project drawings and project specifications, covering
Manual of Standard Practice, 27th Edition, 2001, the required work.
CRSI.
Work — The entire construction or separately identi-
Placing Reinforcing Bars, 8th Edition, 2005, CRSI. fiable parts thereof that are required to be furnished
under the contract documents; work is the result of
Reinforcement Anchorages and Splices, 4th Edition,
performing services, furnishing labor, and furnishing
1997, CRSI.
and incorporating materials and equipment into
“Using Soft Metric Reinforcing Bars in Non- the construction in accordance with the contract
Metric Construction Projects,” Engineering Data documents.
Report No. 42, CRSI.
Soft Metric Reinforcing Bars
“Commonly Asked Technical Questions Con- It is important for readers of this document to be
cerning Cast-in-Place Reinforced Concrete aware of current industry practice regarding soft met-
Construction,” Engineering Data Report No. 44, ric reinforcing bars. The term “soft metric” is used in
CRSI. [See discussion of Field Bending of Rein- the context of bar sizes and bar size designations.
forcing Bars and Welded Splices of Reinforcing “Soft metric conversion” means describing the nomi-
Bars.] nal dimensions of inch-pound reinforcing bars in
“Assembling Reinforcing Bars by Fusion Welding in terms of metric units, but not physically changing the
the Fabricating Shop,” Engineering Data Report No. bar sizes. In 1997, producers of reinforcing bars (the
53, CRSI. steel mills) began to phase in the production of soft
metric bars. Within a few years, the shift to exclusive
“Field Inspection of Reinforcing Bars”, 25-minute production of soft metric reinforcing bars was
Video, 1998, CRSI. essentially achieved. Virtually all reinforcing bars
currently produced and used in the USA are soft met-
“Field Handling Techniques for Epoxy-Coated ric. The steel mills’ initiative of soft metric conversion
Reinforcing Bars”, a Reference Guide and Video, enables the industry to furnish the same reinforcing
1996, CRSI. bars to inch-pound construction projects as well as to
metric construction projects, and eliminates the need
Structural Welding Code — Reinforcing Steel (ANSI/
for the steel mills and fabricators to maintain a dual
AWS D1.4-98), American Welding Society, Miami,
inventory. Thus, USA-produced reinforcing bars fur-
Florida.
nished to any construction project most likely will be
International Building Code, 2003, International soft metric.
Code Council, Falls Church, Virginia.
Designations of Bar Sizes. The sizes of soft metric
reinforcing bars are physically the same as the corre-
Terminology sponding sizes of inch-pound bars. Soft metric bar
The source of the following terms and their defi- sizes, which are designated #10, #13, #16, and so
nitions is “Specifications for Structural Concrete (ACI on, correspond to inch-pound bar sizes #3, #4, #5,
301-99)”. and so on. The metric bar designations are simply a
re-labeling of the inch-pound bar designations. The
Architect/Engineer or Engineer/Architect — The following table shows the one-to-one correspon-
architect, engineer, architectural firm, engineering firm, dence of the soft metric bar sizes to the inch-pound
or architectural and engineering firm, issuing project bar sizes.
drawings and project specifications, or administering
work under the contract documents.

Project Drawings — The drawings that, along with

project specifications, complete the descriptive infor-
mation for constructing the work required or referred
to in the contract documents.

7
Soft Metric Bar Sizes vs. Inch-Pound surface of the metric bar to indicate its size. For iden-
tifying or designating the yield strength or grade, the
Bar Sizes
ASTM specifications provide an option. A mill can
choose to roll a “4” (the first digit in the grade number)
Soft Metric Bar Inch-Pound Bar onto the bar, or roll an additional longitudinal rib or
Size Designation Size Designation grade line to indicate Grade 420.
#10 #3
Chapter 1 in the CRSI Manual of Standard
#13 #4
Practice includes a detailed presentation of the inch-
#16 #5
pound and metric requirements in the ASTM specifi-
#19 #6 cations for reinforcing bars. Appendix A in the Manual
#22 #7 shows the bar marks used by USA producers to iden-
#25 #8 tify Grade 420 soft metric bars.
#29 #9 More information about soft metric reinforcing bars
#32 #10 is also provided in Engineering Data Report No. 42,
#36 #11 “Using Soft Metric Reinforcing Bars in Non-Metric
#43 #14 Construction Projects”. EDR No. 42 can be found on
#57 #18 CRSI’s Website at www.crsi.org.

CRSI Website
Minimum Yield Strengths or Grades. Virtually all
Readers of this report are also encouraged to visit
steel mills in the USA are currently producing reinforc-
the CRSI Website for:
ing bars to meet the metric requirements for tensile
properties in the ASTM specifications. Minimum yield • Descriptions of CRSI publications and software,
strengths in metric units are 280, 350, 420 and 520 and ordering information
MPa (megapascals), which are equivalent to 40,000,
• Institute documents available for downloading
50,000, 60,000 and 75,000 psi, respectively. Metric
Grade 420 is the counterpart of standard Grade 60. • Technical information on epoxy-coated rein-
forcing bars
Bar Marking. Soft metric reinforcing bars are required
to be identified with the producer’s mill designation, • Technical information on continuously reinforced
bar size, type of steel, and minimum yield strength or concrete pavement
grade. For example, consider the marking require- • Membership in CRSI and member web links
ments for a #25, Grade 420 metric bar, which is the
• General information on the CRSI Foundation
counterpart of an inch-pound #8, Grade 60 bar.
Regarding the bar size and grade, the ASTM specifi- • Information on the CRSI Design Awards
cations require the number “25” to be rolled onto the competition

This report No. 54 replaces EDR No. 49.

CONCRETE REINFORCING STEEL INSTITUTE

933 N. Plum Grove Road, Schaumburg, Illinois 60173-4758
Phone: 847/517-1200 Fax: 847/517-1206
www.crsi.org
This publication is intended for the use of professionals competent to evaluate the significance and limitations
of its contents and who will accept responsibility for the application of the material it contains. The Concrete
Reinforcing Steel Institute reports the foregoing material as a matter of information and, therefore, disclaims
any and all responsibility for application of the stated principles or for the accuracy of the sources other than
material developed by the Institute.

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