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Non-Flat Products - The Indian Scenario

Introduction
Steel has been regarded as the most useful product for mankind. It reaches every home, and has a wide range of applications from a small pin to the manufacture of automobiles, building of the railway systems, ships, big construction projects, housing, oil rigs, nuclear power stations an so on. Steel is also eco-friendly. Steel products are categorised into broad segments : Nonflat (popularly known as Long products) and Flat products. Finished steel Non-flat products include rounds, bars including re-enforcement bars, wire rods, structural such as angles, channels, joist / beams and railway materials in the shape of rails, wheels and axles. All these products play a key role in the growth of a country's more important sectors like construction, power, oil and gas, engineering, railway an road transportation, port, irrigation etc. strength, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) or the elongation capability of these materials while using the CTD bars in RCC. It may be mentioned here that the industrially developed countries had however, stopped using such CTD bars in the mid-seventies of the last century. Then came the era of Thermo Mechanically Tested (TMT) bars which are even now being used by many civil engineers in India, because they believe that these bars conform to the specification Fe-415 as per IS:1768/1985 and these bars are superior to CTD bars used earlier. However, these so-called TMT bars available from numerous mills in India did not guarantee a superior product. According to the technology experts, these sub-standard TMT bars were very often found to have a yield strength of 350-390N/mm2 only on testing.

Profile of Non-flat Products

Bars and Rods comprise of plain rounds / bars, cold-twisted deformed bars (CTD bars), TMT Bars, with innovations like THERMAX and TEMPCORE bars. In 2005-06, the share of bars and rods (including wire rods) in the total production of carbon finished steel in India was 29.73 %, while its share in the total consumption of carbon finished steel was 33.93 %. The consumption of bars and rods increased by 13.26 percent in 2005-06 over the previous year.

The basic requirements of rebars today is low costdeformed bars with guaranteed yield strength of 500N/ mm2 with adequate ductility for the Seismic (earthquake prone) zones. THERMAX and TEMPCORE technologies were developed by the mid-eighties of the last century to produce reinforcing bars (rebars) that had far superior properties than what were available in the ordinary CTD bars and the so called TMT Bars. These processes were introduced to target the prevalent global demand for low cost rebars at that time, with a strength of 400 to 500N/mm2 and good ductility so that adequate safety was ensured while using these products in Seismic zone as well as to effect savings in the steel used. These QUENCHED and TEMPERED rebars were found to be a far superior product to the CTD bars and the ordinary TMT bars used by the civil engineers. Nearly 55 to 60 percent of India fall under the Seismic Zones 3, 4 and 5. Effective January, 2006, the BS : 4449 / 2005 with yield strength of 500N/ mm2 has been specified for use in the Seismic Zones of India. The new high ductility grade 500C as per BS : 4449/2005 has the following parameters :

The dominance of CTD bars (Torsteel) since the early seventies of the last century in India, was perhaps due to the fact that most of the civil engineers working in the construction projects at that time did not bother to check the vital parameters like yield

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Characteristic Yield strength Re,MPa Stress Ratio (Rm/Re) Uniform Elongation, Ag, %

Grade - C 500 > 1.5 to <1.35 > 7.5

*Min. Admissible 485 1.13 6.0

*Max. Admissible 650 1.38 NA

The bar as it leaves the rolling mill is guided through specially designed proprietary THERMAX PIPES, wherein the surface temperature of 9501000 0 C is brought down drastically in a short period of about one second by intensive and uniform water cooling. The temperature of the core remains largely unaffected. The pre-determined cooling of the bar periphery transforms the peripheral structure into martensite and then annealed through the heat available at the core. The peripheral and core temperature difference finally equalises at about 6000C and the resultant bar structure is of tempered martensite at the periphery and of fine-grained ferrite pearlite at the core. Usually, the resultant soft core forms about 65-75 percent of the area (depending upon the minimum yield strength desired) and the rest is hardened periphery. The Thermax products exhibits high yield point, surface hardness, toughness, ductility and weldability. The brand name Thermax is derived from thermal exchange and this exchange is the key to this process. Thermax bars saves steel consumption by 15 to 19 percent as compared to the conventional CTD bars. The physical properties of the Thermax bars used in the Indian construction sector are shown below :

This is a special heat treatment process wherein the heat treatment is done from the heat of the rolling process itself. Beginning with blooms, which are heated in a ReHeating Furnace, rolled through a sequence of rolling stands and progressively reduced to a final shape and size of the reinforcing bar. As the hot rolled bar emerges from the finishing stand of the bar mill, it is rapidly cooled. The Quenching process, by a special water spray system, converts the surface layer of the bar to a hardend structure called 'Martensite' while the core remains 'Austenitic'. The second stage of 'Tempering' begins as the bar leaves the water cooling section. In this stage, the heat flows from the core to the surface layer, transforming it into a structure called 'Tempered Martensite', while the core continues to stay in 'Austenitic' state. The third and the final stage takes place on the cooling bed. Here the austenitic core is transformed to a ductile 'Ferrite Pearlite' core. The finished bar has a grain structure comprising of a tough outer layer of 'Tempered Martensite' and a ductile 'Ferrite Pearlite'. The combination of these two factors gives excellent yield strength to the bar along with superior ductility and weldability. Tata Steel, RINL's Vizag Steel Plants and many more producers have adopted the 'Tempcore' technology. The two ISP's are producing rebars at par with the new specification BS : 4449/2005. The Tempcore process saves steel consumption by 16-18 percent as compared to the ordinary CTD bars.

Minimum Yield Strength Minimum Tensile Strength Stress Ratio (TS/YS) Minimum A5 Elongation (%) Weldability

500N / mm2 10% more than YS Subject to 560N/mm2 1.1 (Generally 1.15 to 1.35) 16 (Generally 18 to 22) Consistent with Industry Requirement

Galvanised coating provide important advantages for the protection of reinforcing bars. It has been found by researchers that the corrosion resistance of galvanised steel reinforcement to be superior to uncoated steel, while the bond strengths of galvanised and block steel are not significantly different. The benefits of galvanised reinforcement are as follows : a) Protection of steel during storage and construction prior to placing the concrete. b) Diminished effect of variations in concrete quality. c) Safeguards against poor workmanship, especially misplacement of reinforcement, poor compaction and inadequate curing.

SAIL's Dugrapur and Bhilai Steel Plants, Rathi Udyog, Kalyani Steels, Ramsarup, Kolkata, Besco, Kolkata, Beekay, Jamshedpur, MSP, Orissa and about 50 other steel plants / units in India have adopted Thermax technology raising the capacity of this technology in the country to over 2 Mtpy.

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d) Delayed initiation of corrosion and the onset of cracking. e) Reduced likelihood of surface staining. f) Increased structural life of concrete, particularly where chloride contamination is likely. The galvanised rebars have been successfully used in : Immersed or buried elements subject to ground water effects and tidal fluctuations. ii) Coastal and marine structures. iii) Transport infrastructure including bridge decks, roads and crash barriers. iv) High risk structure in aggressive environments. Galvanised reinforcement has been used in many countries abroad and has been found to be cost effective. In India, some big structures have been constructed using galvanised rebars. i)

Wire Products Bearing Steel Wires Bright Bar Wires Flat Cable Armoured Wire Round Cable Armoured Wire ACSR Single and Stranded Wire Detonator Wire Electrode Quality Wire Galvanised Wire Galvanised Steel Wire Rope Strands Wires for Industrial Chains Pre-Stressed Concrete Wire & Strands Tyre - Bead Wires

End-Uses Balls, Rollers, Bearings Components, Spares and Ancillaries of Automobiles Cables and Conductors in Power Sector. Power Sector, Armouring of Submarine Cable Overhead Power Transmission Line Explosives for Mining Electrode Manufacture. Barbing, Fencing, Telephone / Telegraph Sectors Stay in Telephone / Telegraphs Pales, Railway Track Signals, Haulage Purposes. Industrial Chains for Industrial Sector. Construction of Bridges, Silos, Atomic Reactor Vessels, Airport Hangers and Runways, Railway Sleepers. Auto / Cycle Tyers. High Tensile Bolts, Rivets, Rails Etc. Manufacture of Springs in General, Tiller Springs, Galvanised Springs Etc.

About 350,000 tonnes of stainless non-flat products are being used in India of which stainless steel rebars have a noticeable share. Stainless steel rebars in India are used in : Architectural applications All stainless railway coaches Coal wagons Grate bars in the sintering machines of steel plants. AISI 316 LN developed by Alloy Steel Plant, Durgapur to with stand Seismic effects.

Cold - Heading Quality Wires Wire for Spring Industry

Structural steel plays a vital role in a country's economic growth by providing essential items for its infrastructural and industrial development. Structural steels have major applications in engineering fabrication, bridge girders, transmission line towers, building columns, off share construction, high rise buildings, wagon and railway coach building, construction of large factory sheds, ship building, fabrication of lock gates in irrigation projects, supporting columns in coal mines, construction of sports sadia etc. Structurals are grouped by sectional weight into heavy, medium and light categories as follows :
Types of Structurals Heavy Medium Beams / Joists Above 200 x 100mm Above 125 x 70mm 125 x 70mm & Below Channels Above 200 x 75/76 mm Angles 150 x 150mm & above

Wi r e R o d s p l a y a significant role, both in the industrial and construction sectors of the economy. In the industrial sector, wire rods have sophisticated uses in atomic vessels, airport hangers and runways, railway steepers, automotive tires, cycle tires, armouring of submarine cables, cables and conductors in power sector, components, spares and ancillaries of auto industry etc. In the construction sector, wire rods offer social benefits interms of construction of dwelling houses, hospitals, construction of educational institutions, stay wire bridges and in the development of transport facilities. Wire Drawing Units, Bright Bar Units, hardware and fastener units and other industries in India consume about 2.5 Mtpy of wire rods at present. Wire rods have multifarious uses. Major-end-uses of such wire rods are as follows :

From 125 x 65mm to From 100 x 100mm to 200 x 75/76mm or 130 x 130mm 200 x 100mm Below 125 x 65mm Below 100 x 100mm

Light

Besides the above, universal Beams are being produced by RINL's Vizag Steel Plant and Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. (JSPL) in the following sizes : t l ld

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VSP - I - Beams : 100 x 55mm to 180 x 91mm H - Beams : 100 x 96mm to 120 x 114mm JSPL - Parallel Beams : 200 x 100mm to 700 x 300mm Universal Columns : Upto 400 x 400mm In addition to the above, Z-type sheet pilling sections, the closed structurals also has important end uses. As mentioned before, all steel structural products have very important end-uses. The major specifications of structurals with their end-uses are mentioned below :

The welding of long rails into panels enables reduction up to 70 percent in the number of joints per track kilometer. Bhilai rails now match the cleanest steel in the world with 72 percent of rail heats having a hydrogen content below one ppm and 28 percent below 1.6 ppm. The Rail and Universal Beam Mill of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. (JSPL) is also producing 120 meter long rails. The integrated Flash Butt Welding Unit will also help JSPL's Rail Mill to produce long welded rails upto the length of 480 meter in future. JSPL's Rail Mill is having continuous, automatic online inspection facility including eddy current and ultrasonic testing and use of lasers for straightness measurements. Both BSP and JSPL are producing rails to IRS : T-12/96 grade 880 specifications with tensile strength of 880 Mpa (min) and elongation of 10 percent.

Specification

IS : 2062 / 1999, A-36

Application Industrial & Multi Story Buildings Road Bridge Composite Constructions. Utility Buildings & Car Parks. Port & Harbours Jetties, Warehouse Sheds. Transmission Line Towers. Technological Structures, Off-Shore Drilling Rigs. Decks and Platforms. Railway Coaches and Wagons. Structure for Electrification & Underground Railways. Material Handling System. Conveyor Gallery. Supporting Girders and Towers.

IS : 8850 / 91, Fe490 & 540

Wheels, axles and wheel sets conform to the Indian Railway Specifications IRS : R-16/95, IRS :R-19/93 and IRS : R-34/99 respectively with the hydrogen content varying from less than 3 ppm to less than 2.5 ppm.

Category wise Production of Non-flat Products in India

The category wise production of Non-flat steel products in India between 2002-03 and 2005-06 are furnished in Table-1.

Railway materials are mainly used by the Indian Railways and a small quantity is used by factory owners, and also for use as railings, in culverts and small bridges. Railway Materials comprise of rails, crane rails, wheel, axles, wheel sets, crossing sleeper bars, fish plates, bearing plate bars etc.

Category

Production of Non-flat Products in India 2002-03 2003-04 11140 2999 939 15078

% Growth

2004-05 2005-06 05-06/04-05 11827 3046 1007 15880 13243 3525 1013 17781 11.97 15.73 0.60 11.97

Bars & Rods Structurals

10696 2323 893 13912

SAIL's Bhilai Steel Plant, who were producing 120 meter long rails are now also producing 260 meter long rails, the longest produced by any manufacturer in the world. Each 260 meter rail panel was manufactured by welding together four 65 meter long rails at the Flash Butt Rail Welding Plant of B.S.P.

Rly. Materials Total Non-flat Products

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The growth in production of Non-flat products in 2005-06 was 11.97 percent over the previous year. In case of flat products the same was 10.71 percent. Increased activity in the construction sector might have influenced the healthy growth of Non-flat Products during 2005-06.

and Rods, Structurals and Railway Materials have been 9.54 percent, 15.19 percent and 4.38 percent respectively. The growth in consumption of total non-flat products at 12.80 percent in 2005-06 over the previous year was due to the increased constructional activity in the country. The percentage share of total non-flat products in the total consumption of Finished Steel during 2005-06 was 45.47 as against 54.53 percent in case of Flat products.

Imports & Exports of Non-Flat Products

Imports and Export figures for Non-flat Products are shown in Table - 2.

Non-flat and Flat Product Consumption Pattern

Some steel experts are of the opinion that, flat products play a vital role in the economic development of a country. As economy matures, the purchasing power of the people increases, resulting in enhanced demand for automobiles and consumer goods as well as an increased use in infrastructural projects. These experts also maintain that the use of flat products in India should go over 60 percent of total finished steel consumption in the country. However, the other group of experts say that the present proportion of flat to non-flat products consumption is heavily tilted towards flat products in India. They point out that China is a developing country with a per capita steel consumption of 194 kg's and its proportion of long products to flat products is presently 60 percent to 40 percent. India, with a per capita steel consumption of about 34 kg's, is predominantly an underdeveloped country having no meaningful infrastructure. These experts hold that the proportion of non-flat products in the total finished steel consumption should go up from the present level of 45 percent to at least 48-50 percent for the rapid economic development of the country.

Years

Bars & Rods Import Export 515 499 179 387

Structurals

Rly. Materials

Total

Import Export Import Exports Import Export 47 17 83 99 35 64 61 89 ----2 ----------150 88 235 474 550 563 240 476

2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

103 71 150 375

It is observed that India has been a net exporter of Non-flat products during the above period, though marginally in 200405 and 2005-06. The high imports of these products during 2005-06 were due to the increased constructional activity in the country, which had resulted in a higher consumption of these products.

Apparent Consumption of Non-flat Products

The apparent consumption of Non-flat products in India between 2002-03 and 2005-06 are presented in Table 3.

Category

Apparent Consumption of Non-flat Products 2002-03 2003-04 10713 3015 930 14658 2004-05 11739 3049 1007 15795 2005-06 13296 3523 998 17817

Infrastructure, Construction and Consumption of Non-Flat Products

The share of Non-flat products in the total consumption of finished steel in India during 2005-06 has been 45.47 percent. Construction sector plays a very significant role in the development of infrastructural projects. Construction component in any infrastructural project has a share of 70 percent on an average. According to experts, the cost of steel used (mostly Non-flat products) in any construction project has been found to be 25-30 percent on an average.

Bars & Rods Structurals Rly. Materials Total Non-flat Products

10337 2420 882 13639

It is evident from the above table that the average yearly growth of consumption in respect of total flat products has been 10.21 percent. During the above period, the same for Bars 18 t l ld l April 2007

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Market Demand for Non-flat Products by 2011-12

In November, 2002, the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) projected a market centred demand for long products at 23.8 Mt in 2011-12, out of a total demand for finished steel at 60 Mt, with an overall share of 40 percent. The above forecast has become untenable in view of some recent developments announced for the growth of infrastructure in India like : The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh announced on 24th June 2006, that investment on NHDP projects has been raised to Rs. 222,000 crore for the next seven to eight years. The government has announced a package of Rs. 400,000 crore for the development of infrastructure in the country. The CRIS-INFAC has estimated that investment in construction industry will reach a level of Rs. 830,000 crore up to 2007-08. A recent estimate by steel experts has projected that by 2011-12, the market demand for bars & rods would be 21 Mt (including a demand for wire rods of 4.1 Mt) and structurals 6 Mt. The demand for railway materials is likely to reach 1.65 Mt. Thus the total demand for Non-flat products in 2011-12 may reach 28.65 Mt. with a share of 47.75 percent out of a total demand of 60 Mt for finished steel.

Market Price
According to JPC data, in the Mumbai market, the average price of the various categories of Non-Flat products has gone up between the period of 1-3-2006 and 1-2-2007. Indian steel prices are now integrated with global prices. In the first quarter of 2006 the prices of Non-flat product were under pressure, but these started moving northwards by the fourth quarter of the year. The average price of Wire Rods (6 and 8mm) has increased by 12 percent in the Mumbai Market between 1-3-06 and 1-207. During the same period, the average price of Rounds (12, 16 and 25mm) rose by 10 percent, TMT / TOR / CTD bars (10, 12 and 25mm) by 16 percent, Angles (50 x 50 x 6 and 75 x 75 x 6) by about 20 percent, Joists (125 x 70 and 200 x 110mm) by 5 percent and that of Channels (75 x 40 and 150 x 75mm) by about 15 percent. The increased prices reflect a higher demand for Non-Flat products from the construction sector.

Conclusion
Non-flat steel products are major contributors to the infrastructural development of a country. Presently, the government is trying to boost the infrastructure of the country in a big way. The Indian producers of Non-flat products should adopt technology upgradation to produce value added products in a cost-effective manner. There are about 1511 re-rolling units in the country producing about 13 million tonnes of bars, rods (including wire rods) and structurals per year. This sector is mainly using old technologies with energy consumption and are facing the challenges of a competitive market. The sector should take up technology upgradation in earnest. The government should sort out the problems faced by the sector and should see that it gets the input materials from the major producers as per their demand. The Indian producers should take necessary measures to face the likely imports of cheaper steel from China. In view of the massive investments being made on the infrastructure development in the country, the consumption of Non-Flat products will go up substantially in future years.

Technology Upgradation
Technology experts maintain that to face global competition, it is essential to produce value added products. They have outlined the following major process developments for production of Non-flat products : Use of 3 roll block intermediate / pre-finishing train in a Wire Rod Mill. Introduction of Tekisum Reducing / Sizing Mill (RSM) developed by Morgan Construction Co. can increase productivity by 15 to 60 percent and mill utilisation by 10 to 15 percent. Heavy Reducing Mill (HRM) in the roughing stand of bar / wire rod mill can replace six conventional roughing stands and is able to receive semis and feeds to a downstream continuous mill with an entry speed of 0.3 to 0.6 meter per second with considerable cost savings. High speed discharge technology and on-line gauge measurement of Non-flat products are other areas which can be introduced.

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