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Prefabrication of Steel Reinforcement
While prefabrication of steel reinforcement has been around for some time now, its route to market has significantly changed. It is probably true to say that in its early days, demand for this service was only led by the customer’s desire, as a result of specific project needs, such as limited production space on site, problematic control of production on site, limitations of resources etc.
In the early days, prefabrication was in most cases very fragmented, and not unsurprisingly fabricators would often service these projects on a one off basis. This meant that this service, while providing some tangible benefits, was often considered more expensive than traditional practices of assembling loose bars on site.
Its re- emergence and growth has been driven from a desire by Contractors to achieve cost advantages on their projects, this similarly has been supported by fabricators adopting a systematic ‘production line’ process, not to dissimilar from their cutting and bending process.
The benefits from this ‘production line’ process means that fabricators are able to maintain a consistent product output, enabling both production and logistic costs to be spread more efficiently, this enables the fabricator to deliver more competitive results against traditional in-situ steel fixing.
The product has also grown in its integrity, from its original days as a wire tired product, which limited load capacities in order to protect the product, from distortion, racking in transit and handling. Progressing to a part tied, part welded, to a fully welded product.
Welding steel reinforcement had its inherent difficulties, and this was overcome by producing cages in controlled factory conditions, and working to a quality procedure as now underwritten by C.A.R.E.S (Certification Authority for Reinforcing Steels).
The C.A.R.E.S quality system requires the full traceability of parent raw material, together with ensuring that a fully managed production process is conducted. This requires all welding operatives to have been individually tested and authorised to manufacture under this system.
With the added experience of ROM Limited’s in house engineering team to assist the development of each project towards a pre-fabricated solution this is designed to make life for the contractor as simple as possible.
The flexibility of this product allows it to be integrated both at the inception of producing Reinforced Concrete detail, or conversion from existing traditional Reinforced Concrete detail.
If you would like to investigate further the possibility of using prefabricated reinforcing steel on your next project, contact our Engineering Departments
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