Consulting engineers, government agencies, and other parties frequently query the technical staff

at the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) on the differences between the ASTM A 706/A
706M specification1 for low-alloy steel reinforcing bars and the ASTM A 615/A 615M specification 2
for carbon-steel reinforcing bars. The aim of this article is to:
* Compare the major requirements in ASTM A 706/A 706M with provisions in ASTM A 615/A 615M;
* Relate current availability and relative costs of low-alloy steel reinforcing bars (A 706 bars); and
* Offer insight into prospective near-term developments and issues.
HISTORY OF A 706 BARS
The first version of ASTM A 706 was published by ASTM International in 1974. An interesting
description of its background and development is included in a 1973 report by ACI Committee
4393. The specification was developed in response to the engineering community's requirements
for reinforcing bars with controlled tensile properties for earthquake-resistant structures and
controlled chemical composition for weldability. In 1986, the specification was revised into a
combined standard containing both in.-lb and SI units, and the new designation became ASTM A
706/A 706M.
In 1990, CRSI published Report No. 34, "ASTM A 706 Reinforcing Bars-Technical Information with
Commentary on Usage and Availability4 “. Prepared by the CRSI technical staff, this report was a
response to questions raised by architects, engineers, contractors, and state and federal
government agencies. The 1991 article titled "Questions and Answers on ASTM A 706 Reinforcing
Bars"5 was based on this CRSI publication and reported that the demand for weldable bars in cast-
in-place construction had never fully materialized. Starting in January 1995, however, the California
Department of Transportation (Caltrans) initiated a policy of requiring A 706 bars for virtually all of
their reinforced concrete structures. Carbon-steel reinforcing bars conforming to ASTM A 615/A
615M would only be permitted for use in slope and channel paving, minor structures, sign and
signal foundations (pile and spread footing types), roadside rest facilities, certain types of concrete
barriers, and temporary railing.
In November 2005, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) implemented a policy requiring
the exclusive use of A 706 bars for all reinforced concrete construction. IDOT's requirements are
even broader than those of Caltrans. For example, IDOT requires A 706 bars for continuously
reinforced concrete pavement. Other DOTs, including those in Nevada, Alaska, South Carolina,
Tennessee, and Virginia, are requiring or currently considering requiring the use of A 706 bars. FU
BAR COMPARISON
Because A 706 bars are produced to only one strength level with a minimum yield strength F Y of
60,000 psi (420 MPa), the following comparisons are made to Grade 60 (420) bars in ASTM A
615/A 615M. In broad terms, ASTM A 706/A 706M is more demanding and includes requirements
for controlled tensile properties and restrictions on chemical composition, while ASTM A 615/A
615M does not include comparable requirements.
TENSILE PROPERTIES
ASTM A 706/A 706M, like other specifications for non-prestressed steel reinforcement, prescribes
a minimum FY of 60,000 psi (420 MPa) and a minimum tensile strength F U of 80,000 psi (550
MPa). The specification, however, also includes two limits or controls on tensile properties: 1) the
actual FY cannot exceed 78,000 psi (540 MPa); and 2) FU cannot be less than 1.25 times the actual
FY. The latter requirement controls when the actual yield strength obtained in a laboratory tensile
test of a bar is greater than 64,000 psi (440 MPa). If laboratory tension tests of reinforcing bars
resulted in measured yield strengths ranging from slightly above 64,000 psi (440 MPa) to the
maximum permitted value of 78,000 psi (540 MPa), the corresponding tensile strengths would
have to range from slightly above 80,000 to 97,500 psi (550 to 675 MPa) to meet the requirements
for A 706 bars.
ASTM A 706/A 706M is, in effect, prescribing "tailored" stress-strain curves for the bars with the
well-defined yield plateaus and strain-hardening regions that are desirable for designing
earthquake-resistant reinforced concrete structures. The lower stress-strain curve corresponds to
the minimum requirements for A 706 bars-minimum FY = 60,000 psi (420 MPa) and minimum
FU = 80,000 psi (550 MPa). The upper stress-strain curve corresponds to the upper limits for A 706
bars-maximum FY = 78,000 psi (540 MPa), and minimum FU = 97,500 psi (675 MPa).
PERCENT ELONGATION
ASTM A 706/A 706M requires larger values of minimum elongation than those in ASTM A 615/A
615M.
BENDING PROPERTIES
The bend test requirements in ASTM A 706/A 706M are also more restrictive than those in ASTM A
615/A 615M. In addition to the smaller required pin diameters, 180-degree bend tests are required
for all bar sizes.
WELDABILITY
To enhance weldability, there are limits on the amounts of individual chemical elements and also
the "Carbon Equivalent" (C.E.) of A 706 bars. The two major chemical elements affecting
weldability are carbon and manganese. The maximum percentage of these two elements is limited
to 0.30 and 1.50%, respectively.
The C.E. of the steel accounts for those chemical elements affecting weldability. In addition to
carbon (C) and manganese (Mn), these elements include copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr),
molybdenum (Mo), and Vanadium (V). It is expressed as a percentage and determined using the
following formula:
C.E. = % C % Mn/6 % Cu/40 % Ni/20 % Cr/10 - % Mo/50 - % V/10 (1)
This is the same as the expression that appears in AWS D1.4/D1.4M-05, "Structural Welding
Code-Reinforcing Steel."6 The C.E. for A 706 bars is restricted to a maximum of 0.55%.
The minimum preheat and interpass temperatures prescribed by AWS D1.4/D1.4M-05 are based
on C.E. and the size of the reinforcing bar. As shown in Table 4, No. 11 (No. 36) and smaller bars
with C.E. = 0.55% require little or no preheat under normal working temperatures.
In contrast, ASTM A 615/A 615M doesn't contain any limits on chemical composition regarding
welding. Note 1 in the scope of ASTM A 615/A 615M states:
"NOTE 1-Welding of the material in this specification should be approached with caution since no
specific provisions have been included to enhance its weldability. When steel is to be welded, a
welding procedure suitable for the chemical composition and intended use or service should be
used. The use of the latest edition of AWS D1.4 is recommended. This document describes the
proper selection of the filler metals, preheat/interpass temperatures, as well as, performance and
procedure qualification requirements."2
MARKING REQUIREMENTS
ASTM specifications for reinforcing bars require identification marks rolled onto the surface of one
side of the bar to denote the producer's mill designation, bar size, type of steel, and minimum yield
designation. The marking requirements for A 706 bars are shown in Fig. 2. When Grade 60 (420)
reinforcing bars are produced to meet the requirements of both ASTM A 706/A 706M and ASTM A
615/A 615M, the mark for the type of steel must include both letters "W" and "S." The practice of
producing and marking bars that meet both specifications is called "dual certification." Inclusion of
provisions in the specifications for dual certification was intended to make smaller quantities of A
706 bars more readily available.
AVAILABILITY AND RELATIVE COSTS
AVAILABILITY
At the present time, 16 companies in the U.S. produce steel reinforcing bars and operate a total of
36 steel mills. According to recent CRSI surveys, eight companies (operating 22 steel mills)
indicated they are currently making, or are capable of making, A 706 bars. The 22 steel mills are
located in 17 states that are well distributed across the country (Fig. 3). These eight companies
probably account for more than 90% of the nation's capacity for producing steel reinforcing bars.
ow do the results of CRSI's surveys and the industry's production capacity translate into
"availability" of A 706 bars? With 22 steel mills distributed across the country that are currently
making or are capable of making A 706 bars, the availability of A 706 bars is becoming less of an
issue. On the West Coast, for example, the availability of A 706 bars is not an issue. Many
fabricators carry A 706 bars along with A 615 bars in their inventory. With the Illinois DOT driving
the demand for A 706 bars in the Midwest, the production, and consequently the availability, of A
706 bars is increasing. In the Southeast, the South Carolina DOT is a leading user of A 706 bars,
and consequently the industry is responding to fill the needs of this growing market. In other
regions of the country, it's apparent that the reinforcing steel industry will respond to any increased
demand.
RELATIVE COSTS
When it comes to construction materials, the same question is usually raised by government
agencies, owners, developers, contractors, engineers, and architects: "What will (or does) it cost?"
In this case, what is the cost of A 706 bars versus traditional A 615 bars? Actual costs or prices are
challenging to pin down. Probably the only way to secure actual costs is to seek bids for both types
of bars on a proposed project.
Considering material cost only, A 706 bars cost about $40 to $60 USD/ton ($44 to $66 USD/tonne)
more than A 615 bars. A recent issue of ENR magazine reports that the average price (material
cost) nationwide for steel reinforcing bars is about $700 USD/ton ($770 USD/tonne),7 which is
presumed to be the price for A 615 bars. The premium for A 706 bars translates into a 6 to 9%
increase in material cost over A 615 bars.
To put the premium in perspective, it should be related to the total in-place cost of the reinforcing
bars that would include the cost of the material, detailing, fabrication, accessories, transportation,
and placing (installing) the bars in the forms. According to the price index issued by the California
Department of Transportation,8 the total in-place cost of reinforcing steel is as high as $2000
USD/ton ($2200 USD/tonne). For the sake of this discussion, let's assume the in-place cost is
$1500 USD/ton ($1650 USD/tonne). The premium for using A 706 bars instead of A 615 bars would
be only about 3 to 4%.
When discussing the cost of A 706 bars, a brief discussion of the chemical element vanadium is
necessary. Vanadium is the principal alloying element currently being used in the production of A
706 bars. The concerns about vanadium are supply and cost. Vanadium is found in commercial
quantities in only a few places in the world, and the current market price is on the order of $20
USD/lb ($44 USD/kg). In recent years, however, the price has spiked to over $50 USD/lb ($110
USD/kg). Thus, the concerns about a reliable supply and the cost of vanadium cast a cloud over
competitively producing A 706 bars in the future using current steel-making practices.

NEAR-TERM DEVELOPMENTS
Increased use
The use of A 706 bars is expected to continue to increase in the near-term due to actions taken by
agencies and other parties regarding their reinforcement requirements. When more agencies and
other parties realize that the additional cost for A 706 bars is relatively minor compared to the
overall cost of the steel reinforcement for a structure, specifying A 706 bars should become more
attractive.
Growth in other areas that require welded reinforcing bar assemblies will also increase the use of A
706 bars. One example is the increasingly common practice of preassembling reinforcing bar
cages by welding in the fabrication shop. Another example is the growth of the precast concrete
industry where many connections use reinforcing bars welded to steel embedments for anchorage.
Higher strength level
As noted earlier, ASTM A 706/A 706M currently covers only Grade 60 (420) bars. The reinforcing
steel industry, with input from the engineering community, is exploring the feasibility of adding a
higher strength level with a minimum yield strength of 80,000 psi (550 MPa).
References
1. ASTM A 706/A 706M-06a, "Standard Specification for Low-Alloy Steel Deformed and Plain Bars
for Concrete Reinforcement," ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2006, 6 pp.
2. ASTM A 615/A 615M-06a, "Standard Specification for Deformed and Plain Carbon-Steel Bars for
Concrete Reinforcement," ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2006, 6 pp.
3. ACI Committee 439, "Uses and Limitations of High Strength Steel Reinforcement f^sub y^ = 60
ksi (44.2 kgf/mm^sup 2^)," ACI Journal , Proceedings V. 70, No. 2, Feb. 1973, pp. 77-104.
4. "ASTM A 706 Reinforcing Bars-Technical Information with Commentary on Usage and
Availability," Report No. 34, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Schaumburg, IL, 1990, 4 pp.
5. Gustafson, D.P., and Felder, A.L., "Questions and Answers on ASTM A 706 Reinforcing Bars,"
Concrete International, V. 13, No. 7, July 1991, pp. 54-57.
6. AWS D1 Structural Welding Committee, "Structural Welding Code-Reinforcing Steel (AWS
D1.4/D1.4M-05)," American Welding Society, Miami, FL, 2005, 70 pp.
7. "Construction Economics," ENR, V. 257, No. 4, July 24, 2006, p. 23.
8. "Price Index for Selected Highway Construction Items, 2nd Quarter Ending June 30, 2006,"
California Department of Transportation, Division of Engineering Services-Office Engineer, Aug.
2006.
Selected for reader interest by the editors.
David P. Gustafson, FA CI, is Vice President of Engineering at the Concrete Reinforcing Steel
Institute (CRSI) in Schaumburg, IL. He is a member of ACI Committees 301, Specifications for
Concrete, and 318, Structural Concrete Building Code. He is also the Chair of AST M
Subcommittee A01.05, Steel Reinforcement, and has been on the CRSI technical staff for more
than 32 years.
Copyright American Concrete Institute Jan 2007
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
Gustafson, David P "Revisiting Low-Alloy Steel Reinforcing Bars". Concrete International.
FindArticles.com. 26 Aug, 2010.
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COMPARISON OF ASTM A615 AND A706 SPECIFICATIONS