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Mechanical Properties of Reinforcing Steel Rods Produced by Zliten Steel

Factory

Chapter · January 2017

DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-803581-8.10362-5

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Libyan Academy
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Abdewi Elfetori F., Mechanical Properties of Reinforcing Steel Rods Produced by Zliten Steel Factory. In: Saleem
Hashmi (editor-in-chief), Reference Module in Materials Science and Materials Engineering. Oxford: Elsevier; 2017.
pp. 1-6.

ISBN: 978-0-12-803581-8
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.
 Author's personal copy

Mechanical Properties of Reinforcing Steel Rods Produced by Zliten

Steel Factory
Elfetori F Abdewi, Libyan Academy, Tripoli, Libya
r 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction

It is well known that steel is an essential material for society. It has a large field of application ranging from small appliances to big
construction industries. One of its major applications is in constructions and buildings. Construction work using concrete
increasing sharply, and steel bars is the main material used to reinforce concrete. Most steels have a crystalline structure and consist
of a basic iron–carbon system. Relatively small changes in the carbon content and/or other alloys result in significant changes in
the mechanical behavior of the resultant steel. The mechanical properties of steel that are of interest to the design engineer are the
stress–strain curve; the yield strength (YS); the amount of strain at yield, the percentage elongation at failure, or ductility; the
amount and rate of strain hardening; and the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) [1]. Several studies have been carried out on
improving the mechanical properties of reinforcing steel bars [2–9].
Zliten Steel Factory (ZSF) produces steel reinforcing bars with a diameter of 12 and 14 mm since 2013. These products are widely
used in the construction processes. Quality of such products is very important and it affects the safety of the people for short and long
term. In addition to that this private sector factory started its production stage at difficult situation passed the country (Libya). The
circumstances for Libya since 6 years ago helping businessmen to avoid extra expenses for quality assurance of their factories. This
was the main motivation behind studying the quality level of ZSF products. Therefore the main objective of this work is to study the
technical specification and quality assurance system for steel reinforcing bars of ZSF and check its quality and performance levels as
stipulated in the international standards and national specification that leads to develop Libyan steel industry according to Libyan
standard [10] and ASTM standard [11], in addition to that ISO 6935-2 standard was used for hardness test verification.

Material

The samples, which used in this research, were 12- and 14-mm diameter reinforced steel bars. These samples were obtained from
ZSF directly, which is the field of study in the current research. Three batches of samples were collected randomly through a period
of time fixed between sequenced bathes. This is necessary for finding adequate data on the actual physical and mechanical
properties of ZSF products. In addition to that the used methodology will give more confidence in the investigation and analysis
carried out. The private sector locally produced reinforcing steel of ZSF used scraps as their major raw materials for producing
steels. It is observed that the steel bars produced by ZSF carrying the name of the factory (Z-L-I-T-E-N) and rod diameter, which is
typed by protrusions on the surface of each steel bars as shown in Fig. 1. The specimens of 1-m length were collected on each of the
diameter for every batch. The details for specimen preparation were depends on the nature of the test.

Experimental Work

The main test carried out in this work is tensile test. However, other tests, such as bending and hardness tests, have been
performed. Importance of tensile test appears because many properties can be directly measured via tensile test, such as YS,
ultimate strength, fracture strength, and elongation. In order to be more confident in the results obtained, very precise procedures
have been followed. The method of approach adapted in this work was to collect and test the specimens through three batches.
The samples were collected randomly with a gap of 1 month time between each two batches. From each kind of the products (Ø12
and Ø14 mm) minimum of three samples were subjected to the test per batch. An average value of the results obtained have been
recorded and compared with the standard values of Libyan specification (LNS-75) and ASTM standard (A-615). However, ISO
6935-2 used for evaluation of hardness test. All mechanical tests were performed under the same condition. It is wise to mention
that at the results stage, it is referred to the Libyan specification (LNS-75) as (LY St.), ASTM standard (A-615) as (ASTM St.),
measured parameter or calculated value of ZSF product as (ZSF value), minimum value of ISO 6935-2 standard as (ISO min), and
maximum value of 6935-2 standard as (ISO max). These shortened symbols are used in plotted results and diagrams.

Results and Discussion

Tensile Test
Tensile testing process involves placing the test specimen in the testing machine and slowly extending it until it fractures. During
this process, the elongation of the gage section is recorded against the applied force. Tensile test carried out to determine the

Reference Module in Materials Science and Materials Engineering doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-803581-8.10362-5 1

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2 Mechanical Properties of Reinforcing Steel Rods Produced by Zliten Steel Factory

Fig. 1 Samples of Zliten Steel Factory (ZSF) products carrying factory’s name and diameter of steel rods.

quality and characteristics of tested materials, such as YS, UTS, and elongation. Experimental tests were performed at Research
Department of High Vocational Center of Casting, Libyan Authority for Research, Science and Technology, Libyan Ministry of
Higher Education, and Scientific Research.

YS
YS or yield point is the material property defined as the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically. Prior to the yield
point the material will deform elastically and will return to its original shape when the applied stress is removed. Once the yield
point is passed, some fraction of the deformation will be permanent and nonreversible [12]. For the current, YS for ZSF steel rods
of Ø12 and Ø14 mm are illustrated graphically as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, respectively. The results obtained were compared with
Libyan specification (LNS-75) and ASTM standard (A-615). It was found that ZSF products of both kinds are above the minimum
values of YS specified in the standards. It was observed that YS of ZSF products of Ø12 and Ø14 mm is almost similar. And there
are minor differences between the values recorded through the three batches.

UTS
UTS is the capacity of a material or structure to withstand loads tending to elongate, as opposed to compressive strength, which
withstands loads tending to reduce size. In other words, tensile strength resists tension (being pulled apart), whereas compressive
strength resists compression (being pushed together). UTS is measured by the maximum stress that a material can withstand, while
being stretched or pulled before breaking [12]. Tests carried out on ZSF steel rods showed that both products (steel rods of Ø12
and Ø14 mm) are within the permissible limits of local and international standards. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the minimum
value of ultimate strength specified in Libyan specification (LNS-75) and ASTM standard (A-615) are 420 and 500 N/mm2,
respectively. However, the lowest value of ultimate strength for the steel rods of Ø12 and Ø14 mm recorded through the tests
carried out over 3 months (three batches) are 595 N/mm2 for Ø12 mm steel rods and 600 N/mm2 for Ø14 mm steel rods,
respectively. While the maximum value of ultimate strength recorded for both kinds as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 are 631 N/mm2
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Mechanical Properties of Reinforcing Steel Rods Produced by Zliten Steel Factory 3

Fig. 2 Yield strength of Ø12 mm Zliten Steel Factory (ZSF) steel rods compared with ASTM and Libyan Standard.

Fig. 3 Yield strength of Ø14 mm Zliten Steel Factory (ZSF) steel rods compared with ASTM and Libyan Standard.

Fig. 4 Ultimate strength of ∅12 mm Zliten Steel Factory (ZSF) steel rods compared with ASTM and Libyan Standard.
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4 Mechanical Properties of Reinforcing Steel Rods Produced by Zliten Steel Factory

Fig. 5 Ultimate strength of ∅14 mm Zliten Steel Factory (ZSF) steel rods compared with ASTM and Libyan Standard.

Fig. 6 Elongation of ∅12 mm Zliten Steel Factory (ZSF) steel rods compared with ASTM and Libyan Standard.

for Ø12 mm steel rods and 667 N/mm2 for Ø14 mm steel rods, respectively. This difference between the minimum value of
ultimate strength stated in the standards and the minimum value recorded for ZSF products makes these products safely used for
construction. Although the recorded values of ultimate strength for ZSF products were within the permissible values of the
standards, it was observed that there were fluctuation of ultimate strength recorded through the batches. This fluctuation occurs
because of nonhomogenous raw material used. ZSF used scraps as a raw material and the composition of the scraps certainly will
not be the same for each batch.

Elongation
Elongation is a measure of ductility, which provides confidence that metals can be formed, without cracking or fracturing, or it is a
form of physical deformation [13]. In reinforcing steel, it defines ductility so that bars can be bent without cracking. Experimental
tests proved that ZSF products are ductile material. As plotted graphically in Figs. 6 and 7, elongation of steel rods of Ø12 and Ø14
mm is slightly greater than the minimum values of elongation stated in the standards. In addition to that, it is found that the
difference between the recorded value and the standard value of elongation is not as much as other mechanical properties. And
elongation is almost stable through the three batches.

Bending Test
This test involves bending of the steel rod using a special bending apparatus and observing if any cracks occurred at the surface of
the steel rod. Bending test has been performed several times through three batches for steel rods of ∅12 and ∅14 mm diameter. All
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Mechanical Properties of Reinforcing Steel Rods Produced by Zliten Steel Factory 5

Fig. 7 Elongation of ∅14 mm Zliten Steel Factory (ZSF) steel rods compared with ASTM and Libyan Standard.

Fig. 8 Hardness for Zliten Steel Factory (ZSF) products compared with ISO 6935-2 Standard.

the bars should be able to bear the bend at an angle of (180 degree) around the pulley diameter, which is three to four times of
steel rod’s diameter without any cracking or rupture. Results showed that no cracks appear at the surface of tested samples. This
result was expected, since tensile test showed that ZSF steel rods have slightly high ductility. This property prevents cracking of the
material, while bending of the material. It is not allowed to use heating to bend the reinforcing steel rods [2]. It is very important
for reinforcing steel rods to bend without any cracks. Failure due to bending, leading to make reinforcing steel rods not suitable for
construction work.

Hardness Testing
Hardness is the resistance to plastic deformation. Thus it is a measure of plastic deformation. It is the property, which determines
the extent to which the material is proven and rigidity of the surface, and hardness depends on the chemical composition of the
material in addition to the fine structure of the metal [14]. The term hardness may also refer to resistance to bending, scratching,
abrasion, or cutting. Hardness has different meanings for different people. In its most general sense, hardness is considered as
resistance to plastic or permanent deformation [15].
This research followed the usual method to achieve a hardness value, which involves measuring the depth or area of an
indentation left by an indenter of a specific shape, with a specific force applied for a specific time. Samples from ∅12 and ∅14 mm
ZSF steel rods have been taken with a dimension of 8  8  3 mm polished and prepared according to ISO 6935-2 standard [16].
Rockwell Hardness test was performed at room temperature to measure the macro-hardness of the steel rods specimens. Three tests
have been carried out per batch for each kind of ZSF reinforcing steel rods. Hardness number was automatically recorded. An
average value of the results obtained was compared with the minimum and maximum values of hardness number specified in ISO
standard. Recorded values are plotted graphically as shown in Fig. 8, and it is found that hardness of reinforcing steel rods
produced by ZSF are within the limits of the standard. The hardness number of tested steel rods of 12 mm diameter is 88, and for
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6 Mechanical Properties of Reinforcing Steel Rods Produced by Zliten Steel Factory

steel rods of 14 mm diameter is 86. These two numbers are very closed to each other due to the same raw material used. It is also
observed that these two numbers lies almost in the middle between the minimum and maximum values of hardness number
specified in ISO standard. This result gives more confidence to ZSF reinforcing steel rods.

Conclusions

Various mechanical tests conducted on locally manufactured reinforcing steel rods in Libya. Indigenous reinforcing steel rods used
scraps as their major raw material have been investigated. In this sense, experimental work related to mechanical properties was
carried out. The experimental work consisted of tensile tests, bending tests, and hardness tests. Mechanical properties extracted
from tensile test are YS, UTS, and elongation. The experiments and the analysis carried out included the two types of products, rods
of 12 mm diameter and 14 mm diameter. The results of the tests have shown that the mechanical properties of reinforcing steel
rods produced by ZSF are relevant as recommended by the local and international standard.

References

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