THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Monday denied allegations made by a former lawmaker and a structural engineer late last week that quenched and tempered (QT) steel bars were unsafe for constructing tall buildings. This study also found that a QT steel bar, when heated up to 500 degrees Celsius, “does not impose any change in its microstructure,” it added. Some local steel manufacturers perform roll treading on the bars, which only reduce about 0.1 percent of the steel, but still retain their strength, the department noted. The department also said BPS’ Technical Committee on Long Steel would require QT bars to be embossed to let consumers know what kind of steel they are. A “massive information and education campaign on steel bars will [also]be conducted for the benefit of consumers, constructors, and all other concerned industry practitioners,” it added.

Source: Manila Times June 04, 2018 16:33 UTC