STAINLESS STEEL AS
REINFORCEMENT
BY- Bhrugesh Patel
SD-1210
STRUCTURAL DEPARTMENT
CEPT UNIVERSITY
Introduction
Stainless steel is low carbon steel. It is an alloy of iron
with chromium content over 10.5%.Also nickel,
molybdenum and certain other alloying elements are
added
Chromium is the alloying element that imparts to
stainless steel their corrosion resistance qualities
Types Of Stainless Steel
Austenitic
Ferritic
Austenitic-ferritic (duplex)
Martensitic
Some of the commonly used grades of stainless steel for rebar
applications are type 304,316(austenitic) and 2205(duplex).
The alloy is selected based on mechanical properties and the expected
exposure or corrosivity of the service environment, i.e. the level of
corrosion resistance required.
3
Austenitic
It is made by adding nickel (from 8 to 25 percent) and increasing
the chromium level (from 17 to 25 percent). Molybdenum can
also be added (up to 7 percent) to increase the corrosion
resistance.
Basic properties:
Excellent corrosion resistance in organic acid, industrial and
marine environments.
Excellent weld ability.
Excellent formability, fabric ability and ductility.
Excellent clean ability, and hygiene characteristics.
Good high and excellent low temperature properties (high
toughness at all temperatures)
Non magnetic.
Ferritic
Ferritic stainless steel has properties similar to mild steel but with
the better corrosion resistance. These alloys are somewhat less
ductile than the austenitic types. These are plain chromium
stainless steels with varying chromium content between 12 and
18%, but with low carbon content.
Basic properties:
Moderate to good corrosion resistance increasing with
chromium content.
Not hardenable by heat treatment and always used in the
annealed condition .
Magnetic
Weld ability is poor.
Formability not as good as the austenitic
Austenitic-ferritic (Duplex)
Austenitic-ferritic (duplex) duplex stainless steels is a
combination of both ferritic and austenitic. They have a high
chromium content (from 18 to 26 percent) and a low nickel
content (from 4 to 7 percent). Most grades also contain some
molybdenum (from 2 to 3 percent).
Basic properties:
High resistance to stress corrosion cracking
Increased resistance to chloride ion attack
Higher tensile and yield strength than austenitic or ferritic steels
Good weld ability and formability
Martensitic
Martensitic stainless steel contains mostly 11 to 13% chromium
and is both strong and hard with moderate corrosion resistance.
Martensitic stainless steels were the first stainless steels
commercially developed and have relatively high carbon content
(0.1 - 1.2%) compared to other stainless steels
Basic properties
Moderate corrosion resistance
Can be hardened by heat treatment and therefore high strength and
hardness levels can be achieved
Poor weld ability
Magnetic
Properties Of Stainless Steel
Yield Tensile Elong
C
Grade UNS No Family Cr Nic Moc Nc strength strength %
c (max) MPa MPa (min)
(min) (min)
430 S43000 Ferritic 17 0.12 205 450 22
420 S42000 Martensitic 13 0.15 1480 1720 8
(min)
304 S30400 Austenitic 18 9 0.08 205 515 40
304L S30403 Austenitic 18 9 0.03 170 485 40
316 S31600 Austenitic 17 11 2.1 0.08 205 515 40
316L S31603 Austenitic 17 11 2.1 0.03 170 485 40
S31803 Duplex 620 25
2205 22 5 3 0.15 0.03 450
S32205
Stress-Strain Curve
Toughness of stainless steel
Corrosion resistivity of stainless steel
Carbone steel can only
tolerate chloride from 0 to
0.4%
Stainless steel can tolerate
chloride of 7% (depending
upon grade)
The concrete ph reduce Carbone steel tolerate less amount of
chloride and stainless steel tolerate high amount of chloride which
is not normally encounter in civil structure.
Stainless steel rebar is highly
resistance to chloride irons in
concrete.
22year + exposure test in
concrete with 3.2% calcium
chloride.
Carbone steel is completely
corroded.
Stainless steel bar as good
as the day they went in.
Use of stainless steel
Marine structures, bridge decks, sidewalks, ramps, parapets,
pilings, barriers, retaining walls, anchoring systems, parking
garages, sea walls, columns, piers, jetties.
Anchorages and any kind of joints
Offshore platforms
Tunnels, underpasses and subways
Bridges, viaducts, overpasses
Historic buildings
cost effective use of stainless steel
By placing element at high risk of corrosion or where
repair is difficult and expensive.
The carbon steel is placed at the depth where its is
unlikely to attack by chloride iron.
Cost analysis
Installment cost
Material cost
Maintenance cost
Installment cost Lost product cost
Material cost Replacement cost
stainless steel carbon steel
initial cost of stainless steel is high.
For carbon steel initial cost is not high but after some
year say 20 to 25 it needs maintenance and replacement.
Actual life costing of stainless steel
UK Midlands Link Viaduct
Built in 1972 at a cost of £28 million, evidence of corrosion became
apparent after two years of operation.
By 1989, £45 million had been spent on repair.
By 2010 it is estimated that a further £120 million will be spent on
repair.
Estimated first cost of installing stainless steel reinforcement in
critical locations -- £3.4 million (i.e. a 12% increase in the initial cost
of the via duct).
The total cost of repair of the carbon steel reinforcement till the year
2010 would be £45 plus a further £120 million = £165 million or
nearly six times the original cost of building the viaduct. For a 40-
year service life of the viaduct, the price to be paid for not using
stainless steel rebar.
Advantage of stainless steel
Highly resistance to corrosion.
Concrete cover can be reduced.
It improve durability.
It reduce maintenance and repair.
It can be used selectively for high risk elements cost
effectively.
It will eventually recycled.
Good weld ability for common rebar grades.
Fire and heat resistance.
Environmentally friendly.
Shenzhen Western Corridor Bridge
Some 1,250 tones
of stainless steel S31600
(containing 12% nickel) and
duplex stainless steel
(containing 5.5% nickel) will
be used to reinforce select
portion of a major three-lane
highway bridge in Hong
Kong.
Nuclear Plant In France: Stainless Steel Has Been Used to Build
Ferroconcrete Drums for Disposal of Radioactive Nuclear Wastes.
In This Application, for Safety Reasons, Is Mandatory the Use Stainless
Steel in Order to Avoid Cracks in the Concrete (Caused by Reinforcing
Bars Corrosion) and Subsequent Waste Leaking
Glandstone Bridge, Queenslans, Australia
The Gladstone Bridge Was Built in 1960 and Showed Corrosion of the
Reinforcing Mild Steel on the Deck.
The Maintenance Works Have Seen the Use of 12 Mm Diameter
Stainless Steel Ribbed Bars Type 316L Joined With the Original Carbon
Steel
References
http://www.worldstainless.org/
http://www.outokumpu.com/
http://www.imoa.info/
http://www.stainlessconstruction.com/
http://www.reval-stainless-steel.com/
http://www.nickelinstitute.org/
http://www.sintef.no/
K Mani and P Srinivasan-“Service life of RC structures in
Corrosive Environment: A comparison of carbon steel And
Stainless steel Bars”- Indian Concrete Journal, Volume 75,1-
12,2001.
Y Sakumoto, T Nakazato and A Matsuzaki- “Properties of
Stainless Steel For Building Structures”- ASCE Journal Of
Structural Engineering, Volume 122,1-6,1996
