GTB launches TMT STEEL BARS in SRI LANKA

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
GTB is set to lead the industry with new generation Reinforcement Steel Bars by introducing Thermo Mechanically Treated Bars with superior mechanical property and economy is use over conventional Reinforcement Bars.

Thermo Mechanically Treated Bars are recognized through out the world as superior construction material as compared to conventional cold twisted deformed steel bars on account of distinct advantages of Higher Bond Strength, Excellent Bendability, Superior Weldability, Higher Corrosion Resistence and Superior Seismic Resistance.

GTB had used THERMEX thermo mechanical process developed by M/s QEK, Germany which enabled the production of high strength deformed bars that meet all the requirement of civil engineering industry viz. minimum yield strength, ductility, weldability and higher elongation value.

Advanced technology from Thermax, Germany, is used for the first time in Sri Lanka, produce GTB TMT 500. Thermax process imparts high strength to the bar using the latest technique of thermo mechanical treatment as against cold twisting, which is used to manufacture traditional reinforcing bars.

The micro - structure of the bar consists of a combination of strong outer layer of tempered martensite and a ductile core of ferrite pearlite. This is what give GTB TMT 500 an excellent combination of strength and ductility.

GTB Colombo Corporation sources finest steel billets manufactured by prime mills using captive raw material in state of the art facilities like blast furnace, Ladle Refining Furnace and continuous Billet casting process. Billets thus produced contain no harmful residuals assuring consistent and predictable quality of GTB TMT 500.

Yield point of minimum 500 gives to structural engineers an opportunity to design RCC structures. Using 8% lower quantity of steel in the RCC Structure.

Rib pattern of GTB TMT 500 has been specially designed using automated milling machines, resulting in uniform and precise ribs profile through out the length of the bars ensuring excellent bond strength between the bar and the surrounding concrete.

While the specification stipulates that bond strength should be 40% higher than that of mild Steel plain bars, GTB TMT 500 has typical values which are higher by as much as 100%. This leads to increased safety and durability of the structure even in the most hazardous environments.