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The purpose of this presentation is to identify the risks taken if CARES

product certification is not specified and therefore that products manufactured

by CARES Approved Firms are not used. Reinforcing bar is a globally traded

product, with in excess of 180 producers around the world. The reinforcing

steel purchased for a construction project could be from any one of the

manufacturers around the world. Only 35 of these are CARES approved. This

presentation identifies the differences between products manufactured by

CARES Approved firms and those that are not.

Structural concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials

throughout the world. It is commonly considered a durable and cost-effective

composite material. The quality of the composite material will be dependent

upon al of its constituents. A Structural Engineer needs to know that the

strength properties of the steel consistently meet their expectations. The

supply chain for reinforcing steel, i.e. it’s manufacture, processing and supply

to a construction site is relatively short but complex. At each stage in the

supply chain responsibility for the steel is transferred from one company to

another. This may result in a loss of material identity and the use of material of

dubious or unknown origin and hence unknown properties and performance.

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This presentation is aimed at answering the questions included in this slide.

Product certification such as that operated by CARES in relation to reinforcing

steels becomes useful in a marketplace where products can come from a

number of sources and where verification of compliance in relation to specific

sources can prove difficult for the product user. It goes without saying

therefore that the certification provided must be wholly appropriate to the

product in question.

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Product certification as provided by CARES in relation to Reinforcing Steels,

is a mechanism of vastly reducing the Risk of receiving non-conforming

product. It should be noted that the certification by CARES does not guarantee

the compliance of every piece of reinforcing steel from a particular approved

firm. CARES auditors visit each CARES approved firm twice per year and can

therefore only vouch for the capability of each approved firm to manufacture

products that comply. Each manufacturer retains full liability for each product

manufactured/processed/traded.

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The mission of CARES is therefore to ensure that each of its approved firms

supply products which comply to specifications set within the marketplace.

CARES is fully independent, and is not owned or run by any pry other than

itself. CARES was set up in the early 1980’s by certain members of the UK

spply chain for reinforcing steels. Its prime objective is simple – to operate and

promote its certification schemes, which in turn ensure consistent compliance

of products with product standards. CARES primarily operates in the area of

steel for concrete, although it does certificate manufacturers of Structural

Steels and some Precast Concrete products. CARES is funded solely by the

certification fees that it collects from its Approved Firms. It is not-for profit

and its certification schemes are purely voluntary. It is now accredited by

UKAS under the requirements of the international document, ISO Guide 65.

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In order to help achieve its mission, CARES is structured in a way that

involves significant players in the marketplaces fro each certification scheme

that it operates.

CARES currently operates a number of certification schemes, covering

Reinforcing Steel (SRC), Post Tensioning, including the installation process

(PT), Technical Approvals (TA) of those products not covered by a product

standard. In reinforcing terms these may include Continuity Strips, Couplers

and Shear Reinforcement. There are a number of others. CE Marking of those

products covered by a published harmonised product standard. CARES is a

Notified Body and an ETA issuing body. Sustainable Constructional Steels

(SCS). It also performs certification against the ISO9001, ISO14001 and

OHSAS 18001 standards. CARES certification is therefore relatively all

embracing.

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Please note that CE Marking is for the affixing by the manufacturer of the

product, in some cases supported by CARES certification. As such, CE

Marking should not be regarded as CARES certification. ( in relation to CE

Marking, CARES can provide certification in relation to a set of specific

products, due to its approval to do so by the Notifying Authority, which in this

case is a department of UK Government.)

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Welding is very important and if the various parameters of Welder, Weld

Process, weld consumables and other material to be welded are not known and

controlled, then often dangerous consequences can arise. As a result, CARES

takes the matter of Welding of reinforcing steels very seriously and assesses

both non-load bearing weds (tack) and load-bearing welds within its

certification scheme for reinforcing steel. This includes the training,

qualification and registration of weld personnel.

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Due to popular demand, CARES has added this schemes to the portfolio of

certification schemes that it operates. For details of this certification scheme,

please contact CARES.

Bear in mind that Technical Approvals or product assessments are performed

when a product is not covered by a recognised product standard. In terms of

reinforcing steel products, Technical Approvals are performed on the products

covered by this slide. It should be noted that Technical Approvals are given

against specific application requirements ( such as structural concrete, bridges

or nuclear) and an assessment report results. In order to protect the integrity of

the associated certification process, each Technical Approval report must relate

to the certificate to which it relates. In this way, one can ensure that the report

is current.

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The product standards against which CARES operates are given in this slide. It

should be noted that European Harmonised standards for Reinforcing steel

(EN10080) and Prestressing Steel (EN 10138) do not exist at the time of

writing this presentation and therefore CE marking cannot be provided for

these products. CARES Technical Approvals are given for those products not

covered by product standards. These include Mechanical Couplers, which

form the majority of CARES Technical Approvals. Couplers are assessed by

CARES against ‘normal’ structural, bridge and nuclear requirements. It should

be recognised that these can vary enormously and a CARES Technical

Approval report will clearly indicate which is which. Increasingly, the

sustainable credentials of construction products are being sought, and as a

result CARES has begun certificating constructional steel products in this

respect. CARES also provides certification against the more common system

standards of ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001.

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Prior to the existence of CARES product certification, there was an increased

risk of receiving products which di not comply with the standard or

specification.

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The products commonly certificated by CARES within its SRC certification

scheme include the reinforcing bar, either in bar or coil form, reinforcing steel

fabric, the processing of reinforcing steel, including cutting and bending and

welding. Welding may be certificates to the requirements of BS7123 and/or

ISO 17660. CARES also certificates the buying and distribution of reinforcing

steel and associated products via Traders.

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BAR, either in bar form or coil form, is manufactured from individual casts of

steel. The size of these casts vary, but are notionally 100 tonnes. Each cast can

vary in its make up and properties and as CARES and the relevant British

Standards wish to ensure consistency pf product requirements, CARES looks

very closely at both the processing of the steel and also its finished properties.

CARES recognises that there may be some variability within the reinforcing

steel, but wishes to see this variability reduced. This slide describes typical

variability of a reinforcing bar, using the important property of Yield Strength

as an example. It should be noted that past work has found that variability may

result from both the steel and its testing, and therefore CARES takes this into

account when performing its assessment.

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Product testing plays a large part of ensuring compliance of steels with product

standards. In the case of the certification of a steel manufacturer, CARES

performs testing of steel manufactured by the steel mill. This involves

sampling and testing across the size range for which the mill requires

certification. The top and bottom sizes for the approved range being sought are

tested. A diameter which is somewhere in the middle of the size range being

certificated is also selected for test. Testing of the same sample selected is

tested at an independent test laboratory. Duplicate samples are tested under

witnessed conditions at the mill. The results of both of these sets of results are

compared to the resuults produced by the steel mill in its normal production set

of tests, as required by the product standard. A positive result from this

statistical testing programme will result in this element of the assessment

being passed by CARES. Other diameters are similarly tested at the on going

inspections (twice per year), thereby ensuring that all of the sizes

manufactured by the mill, and which are the subject of the CARES product

certification are tested by CARES and comply with its certification scheme

requirements.

Each CARES assessment, either initial or on-going, is underpinned by three

things: Product Testing, Process Control and Management System. An

assessment of all of these areas combined may give a positive indication of the

capability of the manufacturer involved.

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It is important that each scheme operated by CARES, as it relates to a specific

product, process or system, is covered by a specific set of scheme

requirements. These are always defined in a certification scheme Manual.

Such a manual will define general requirements such as scheme regulations,

application requirements and certification fees. Each manual will also include

the technical requirements against which the product is assessed and which the

scheme auditors will use.

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It is important to note that each firm is assessed by CARES for a specific

product or activity and that a manufacturer/processor/trader is approved by

CARES and not each product that is manufactured/processed/traded.

Manufacturers/Processors Traders retainn full liability for each product that is

produced. The CARES assessment process is in part typical, but each scheme

includes the frequency of ongoing audits and certification re-issuing. These are

typically twice per year for reinforcing steels. In order to account for ‘drift’

each certificated manufacturer is ‘re-assessed’ at a frequency of 3 years. This

re-assessment involves the auditing of its entire system.

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This slide gives a specific assessment regime for a reinforcing steel. This

assessment regime may or may not be the same for other areas, such as CE

Marking or Post Tensioning.

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This slide shows a certificate issued by CARES to a specific manufacturer of

reinforcing steel. It should be noted that certification applies for a specific

location, applies to a specific product and covers a specific period of time.

Such certificates of approval should therefore ideally be seen, be genuine and

be correct in detail.

Traceability of product is central to all of the CARES certification schemes,

including the CARES scheme for Reinforcing Steel.

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The CARES system of traceability of reinforcing bars, including bars in coil

form, uses a series of dots and dashes rolled along the lentgth of the bar and in

between the transverse ribs that are rolled onto the bars/coils. The British

Standard states that manufacturer identification must be at specified length

along the surface of each bar/coil (1.5m – BS4449). The system of

manufacturers identification employed by CARES, as shown on this slide,

employs a European convention, with dots and dashes rolled on by the CARES

approved manufacturer, between the transverse ribs of the reinforcing bar/coil.

The ‘dot-dash-dot’ is the CARES mark. Thereafter, the the number of ribs

rolled on to each bar/coil give the country of origin and the mill concerned.

The combination of marks is unique to each manufacturing mill. Each pattern

of rolled on rib markings is published in the CARES website, along with other

important information. It is important that this information is consulted,

particularly if there is any doubt about the currency and validity of a mark.

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In order to achieve and to maintain certification, technical information relating

to each batch of steel manufactured by the mill must be accompanied by this

information. This is normally via some form of Works Certificate of Test

(WTC).

This slide illustrates the information that CARES uses to ensure the

maintenance of Traceability. It uses the specific Logo, with corresponding

number issued by CARES. This Logo, and number, must appear on labels

attached to each bundle of steel delivered and subsequently processed, and the

rolled on mill mark should appear on all reinforcing steel that the approved

firm is certificated by CARES to produce. This, and the system employed by

the Approved Firm, enables CARES to ensure that the exact cast(s) of steel

used can be fully traced to the original test data for that steel, via the Works

Certificate of Test (WTC).

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Part of the CARES certification of Steel for the Reinforcement of Concrete

involves the proper handling of each complaint by the

manufacturer/processor/trader. All complaints against the requirements of the

relevant product standard must be sent to CARES by its Approved Firms on a

quarterly basis. CARES auditors verify the proper handling of each customer

complaint at each and every subsequent Surveillance inspection (generally

performed twice per year).

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It is thought important by CARES that the management of each certification

scheme, including that for Steel for the Reinforcement of Concrete, are fully

conversant with the scheme and the product standard(s) used, as well as the

supply chain that products fit within. This is the case for each certification

scheme operated by CARES. In each case a Scheme manager will sit on the

relevant standards committee for the major products concerned as well as the

CARES Technical Advisory committee for that certification scheme.

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The engineer’s risks or the potential problems of non-CARES approved

reinforcement products.

Poor quality – made from re-rolled railway lines, high carbon poor weldability,

unknown metallurgical history, stock bar on site unsuitable for bending

Significant variations – poor process control during the steel making, casting

or rolling processes resulting in significant variations in product’s

mechanical properties

Falsification – product test certificates from good material was supplied with

material from an unknown producer

Lack of traceabilty – reinforcing steel purchased globally, traceability not

considered important

Verification – extensive sampling and testing on site, long delays on site,

problems with interpretation of results, more material in supply chain,

RESULT increased cost and reduced effeciency

poor market awareness of product marking systems

NOT MEETING DESIGN

ASSUMPTIONS

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Customer complaints are just one of the methods used by CARES to establish

satisfactory certification scheme performance. Some other key indicators are

gin this slide.

Continually monitor performance of approved companies.

CARES has a website from which much technical information can be found as

well as contact details by which any information related to CARES can be also

be given.

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If you have any questions related to this presentation, or to CARES in general,

please contact CARES by contacting that detail given on the website

(www.ukcares.com) and someone will do their best to answer such questions

accurately.