Design considerations and guidelines in the use of Grade 600 steel reinforcements for reinforced concrete construction

Abstract

There is growing interest within the construction industry in using Grade 600 reinforcing steel for certain applications. There are areas where Grade 600 steel reinforcement can help include improvement in construction efficiencies and reduction in manpower. However, the implementation of these Grade 600 reinforcements in designs and construction still pose some challenges, as a number of unresolved design issues still remain. Notably current EC 2 design provisions do not provide explicit guidelines on the use of these high strength steel reinforcements and may not have addressed some distinctive performance characteristics. This paper lists potential issues with the use of Grade 600 reinforcement, and also provides a comprehensive assessment of available literature on the impact of Grade 600 steel reinforcement on design practices.