CARES and the reinforced concrete industry Providing confidence

CARES and the reinforced concrete industry Providing confidence in reinforcing steels

CARES Certification • • • What is Product Certification? What is CARES? What does CARES certification cover? How does it work? How does it inform the marketplace?

What is Product Certification ? • A substitute for 2 nd party (customer) approval. To give confidence to customers that there is a reduced risk of non-compliance. • Specific to an individual product or product type. • Use standard(s) wherever possible. • Operates primarily in the field of steel for construction. – Reinforcing Steel / Prestressing Steel / Structural Steel. • Be appropriate to the product. • Use dedicated skills, experience and knowledge.

Objective of Product Certification To reduce the Risk to the user.

Mission of CARES • Provide service to the supply chain – recognising the importance of the construction client. • Ensure compliance of performance of materials, products and services through application of certification schemes.

CARES • Independent third party product certification scheme. • Set up in 1980 by UK concrete supply chain. • Objective – “To operate and promote certification schemes to ensure consistent compliance with appropriate product standards” • Operates primarily in the field of steel for construction. – Reinforcing Steel / Prestressing Steel / Structural Steel. • Funded solely by certification fees. • “Not-for-profit” company. Service to concrete sector. • Voluntary scheme, supported by Specifiers/Clients. • Accredited under international requirements - ISO Guide 65.

CARES Structure Current: • • Members. Board of Directors (nominated by Members). Executive Committee (business). Chairman’s Group (remuneration, Terms and Conditions of employment). • Technical committees (Rebar / PT / Sustainability). • CARES (executive).

CARES Certfication. Schemes. • Reinforcing Steel (SRC). • Post Tensioning (PT). • • Technical Approvals (TA). CE Marking. Sustainable Constructional Steel (SCS). Others: • ISO 14001(EMS), OHSAS 18001, ISO 9001.

Post Tensioning • • • Installation – Highways and non-Highways. Anchorages (ETAG 013). Installation of Bar kits. Void Grouting. Prestressing bar, wire and strand (BS 5896). Grout (pre-bagged).

CE Marking. The requirements of CE Marking will relate to the particular product standard and the certification systems which underpin those standards. Such CE Marking, for which CARES can give certification due to its Notified Body (standard) and Issuing Body (European Technical Approvals – EOTA) status, should not be regarded as CARES voluntary certification.

Welding • Metallurgically/Structurally – Important. • Summary: - BS 7123 is being replaced by IS 17760. Neither very good (in various parts) and CARES ‘Cherry-Picks’- Appendices 6, 10. • Appendix 6 – Tack welding. • Appendix 10 – Load Bearing welding. • Key current issues: – Training/Qualification/Registration. – Welding co-ordinator.

Sustainable Constructional Steels.

Technical Approvals – no Standard. • Mechanical couplers ( the product). • Continuity Strips. • • • Shear reinforcement. Structural Ties. Pile Cage Formers. Balcony Systems. Stainless Steel (non-standard).

CARES Schemes/Standards. • Reinforcing Steel – BS 4449/BS 8666/BS 4483. (EN 10080 – Euro Standard- not complete). • Prestressing Steel (Bar/Wire/Strand) (BS 5896 being revised – 2011 – pr. EN 10138) • Technical Approvals – Couplers/ Shear reinforcement/ Continuity Strips etc). • CE Marking. • Sustainable Reinforcing Steel (SRS). • Others: • ISO 14001(EMS), OHSAS 18001, ISO 9001.

Reinforcement Products covered by CARES Production Steel bar/coil to BS 4449 2005 Grades B 500 A, B 500 B and B 500 C BS 4449 1997 Grades 460 A/B and 250 Fabric to BS 4483 1998 and 2005 Processing Cut and bent bar/coil to BS 4466/BS 8666 Pre-assembled welded fabrications (BS 7123) Mechanical splices (BS 8110 / BS 5400 / BNFL) Installation On-site management including fixing of reinforcement

Manufacture, processing and supply Certification.

Risks of using a non-CARES approved supplier • • Poor process control leading to high variability No knowledge of product standard Incorrect testing / No testing equipment Damage during processing Incorrect processing Poor product traceability Non-compliant product

Reinforcing Steel • • • Bar/Coil (BS 4449 and BS 6744) Fabric (BS 4483) Cutting and Bending (BS 8666) Welding - Tack and Load Bearing (ISO 17660) Application of mechanical couplers Stocking and distribution / Trading.

Reinforcing Steel Properties • Bar/Coil (BS 4449) Grade B 500 A, B and C. Variability: - Bar. - 7/8 N/mm 2 on any 1 bar. - 15/20 N/mm 2 on any 1 cast. - 30/40 N/mm 2 on a population (LTQL) (50/50 – Material and Testing ) (Accuracy of result depends on the property being tested. )

Product standard

Material Testing – BS 4449 10 mm 25 mm 40 mm C 1 C 2 C 3 C 4 C 5 C 6 C 7 C 8 C 9 10 10 10 90 SAMPLES

Assessment process Product certification. In all cases, CARES looks closely at: • Product Testing • Process Control • Management System

Auditing and evaluation. • Scheme Manual (for each scheme). – – General requirements (how the scheme works). Application form and declaration. Regulations (e. g. use of marks). Assessment schedules (technical requirements).

Assessment process • Application – for a defined scope. • Preliminary Inspection – assessment of capability. • Initial Assessment – (audit + testing). • ‘Six-monthly’ audit – (audit + testing). • Yearly certificate. • 3 -yearly re-assessment –(audit + testing).

Assessment – reinforcing steel • Audit (product, process and management system). • Testing (In process, witness, independent). • Issue with a certificate and mark. • Quarterly submissions of customer complaints. • Quarterly submissions of LTQL data (BS 4449). • Yearly certificate ‘re-issue’.

TRACEABILITY

CARES Identification System Country or Regional Grouping is as follows: Germany Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg France Italy United Kingdom, Eire Scandinavia Spain, Portugal Greece, Turkey Outside Europe 1 rib 2 ribs 3 ribs 4 ribs 5 ribs 6 ribs 7 ribs 8 ribs 9 ribs

Manufacturer's statement of product test results • • • the cast number and cast analysis the carbon equivalent value the results of tensile and rebend tests the CARES bar mark the CARES logo and certificate of approval number the address of the producing works the amount delivered and consignment number the date of supply the name and address of the customer a statement of compliance to the customer's order requirements

Full product traceability Product Label Product Marking

Customer Complaints • Errors will always occur. • Manufacturers All complaints recorded, investigated and actioned. • CARES Requires quarterly submissions Verified at six-monthly audit • External complaints procedure operated

Management Operations Manager – Certification. – Inspection Programme – Administration Company Secretary. Scheme Managers (Assessment): • Steel. • Construction. • Sustainability.

! • • The engineer’s risks ! Unknown metallurgical history Poor process control Falsification of product test results Lack of traceability of reinforcing steel from producer to processor to site • Verification of mechanical, chemical and fatigue properties

Monitoring of CARES Scheme performance • Records of complaints against Approved firms • Stakeholder representation on CARES Board • Market intelligence from a number of different sources • Single point of reference

www. ukcares. com u. CARES List of Approved Firms u. Technical Reports ü Compliance with product standards ü Specific analyses of test data

CARES and the reinforced concrete industry Providing confidence in reinforcing steels