The importance of infrastructure – utility, social, economic and commercial – has finally dawned on the government and it has exhibited its urgency by boosting budget outlay. The major players, naturally, have picked up the gauntlet.

Infrastructure is the buzzword in industry circles these days. Resources – their development, recycling, reuse and recovery is what it is all about. The commercialisation of infrastructure holds the key to sustainable and large-scale development in the sector. The following are a few who have been first off the blocks to sprint far ahead of others – the finishing line very much in sight.

Corrosion Combat
Tata Steel, the pioneers in rebar technology, made a breakthrough when they developed corrosion-resistant steel rebars. Corrosion is the most deadly enemy of concrete structures. Wherever there is humidity, corrosion sets steadily and destroys slowly, attacking houses, bridges, dams, industrial plants and just about any construction that has used concrete reinforced with steel.

The mechanism of how corrosion affects reinforcing bars in concrete needs to be understood in order to come out with measures to reduce corrosion. Tata Steel has approached the problem of rebar corrosion holistically by developing continuously cast, thermo-mechanically treated (TMT), low carbon (and low-carbon equivalent), high-strength and high-ductility weldable rebars with superior corrosion resistance. The corrosion resistance is imparted through a synergistic combination of microstructure (developed through self-quenching and tempering treatment) and a special chemistry.

Corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete is a complex phenomenon related to structural, physical, chemical and environmental considerations. Reinforcing bars are a widely used material in construction due to their inherent capacity to sustain imposed loading conditions. In tropical countries the problem becomes more complicated as the corrosion damages are accelerated due to high temperature and very high levels of relative humidity. While considerable progress has taken place in prevention, each method has its own limitations and the scope for large-scale use is less. Therefore, a marriage between high-quality steel rebar and high-performance concrete is desirable to ensure long-term durability of reinforced concrete in severe exposures.

Tata Steel is the leading manufacturer of TMT rebars that aim to combat aggressive marine and industrial environments. No protective coating is necessary at the time of using these rebars because the alloying elements form a protective passive layer on the rebar surface, which prevents further corrosion of the substrate. Neither do these rebars require any extra precaution during handling.