PROLIFERATION OF

SUBSTANDARD CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS ON PHILIPPINE
MARKET
 Proliferation- rapid increase in numbers.
Substandard- materials that failed to meet requirements;
unsatisfactory; quality lower than that prescribed
 Construction materials which was outside the specifications of
the government-prescribed mandatory standards, were being
sold in the market.
SOURCES
1. Member companies
2. Imported by traders from:
China
Vietnam
(+)
Inexpensive
(-)
Endanger the lives of the people
Avoided the process of testing
Question of greed and a question of corruption.
 REBARS or Reinforcing Bars

Reinforcing steel bars are used to help concrete withstand

tension forces.
used in slab-on-ground slabs
stairs and roof construction
CEBU & BOHOL 2013
Magnitude 7.2 earthquake
Hundreds of lives were lost
Widespread use of substandard bars and angle bars
Inferior steel products used in houses, markets and other
infrastructure like bridge.
The DTI said the confiscated steel products had no Import
Commodity Clearance (ICC) or PS Mark, raising suspicions
that they are smuggled into the country.
 BOC filed smuggling-related cases against Shine Rapadas
Montes, owner and proprietress of Thunder Birds Trading for
misdeclaring her firm's importation of steel angle bars.
 Visayas
uncertified rebars were found in several damaged structures.
rebars with marginal tensile strength were found during the
random test buy operation.
rebars with a nine millimeter diameter
rebars passed through the Bureau of Customs, most likely the
Cebu Port, without the benefit of being inspected and tested.
recommended that the DTI launch a regular market monitoring
and standards enforcement in Leyte and Samar amid
reconstruction projects
SAMPLING SIZE
The problem with the sampling size is its only three pieces no
matter how big the shipment is, so it seems not
proportionate. We feel it is not the right sampling size and its
not representative of the entire shipment,
Lopez said the DTI is currently looking at a formula in which
a sample size of 100 pieces will be taken for every 5,000
metric tons of steel shipment.
Undersized
the undersized rebar is simply a thinner lighter, and therefore
weaker rebar than what is purchased.
The Philippine National Standard for rebar allows for a +/-
6% variance in the nominal weight of the rebar.
Unscrupulous manufacturers will deliberate roll a rebar with
-10% or more variance.
will not perform to the design specification and standard.
YIELD STRENGTH
[ASTM A1011]
Grade 230 (Gr33) - White ... has a yield strength of 230 MPa (33,000 psi)
Grade 275 (Gr40) -Yellow ... has a yield strength of 275 MPa (40,000 psi)
Grade 415 (Gr60) - Green ... has a yield strength of 415 MPa (60,000 psi)
Grade 520 (Gr75) - Orange ... has a yield strength of 520 MPa (75,000 psi)
The unit "psi" is more familiar to laymen, so here is how you interpret the
above:
Every square inch of a Grade 230 (Gr33) rebar's cross-sectional area can
support
33,000 lbs of force (either tension or compression), before the bar permanently
deforms. Obviously, most rebar cross-sections fail to total a single square inch,
but
then rebars are typically used in groups (reinforced concrete).
 Steel bars have their corresponding weight
10mm = 3.3-3.5kilos per pc of 20 ft
12mm = 4.9-5.1kilos per pc of 20 ft
16mm = 8.9-9.1kilos per pc of 20 ft
Steel sections can be the correct weight and dimensions, but can
have
substandard yield-strength.
Uncertified imports or unmarked rebar
Rebar is a mandatory standard product as declared by the
Bureau of Product Standards because its quality has an impact
on public safety.
Imported rebar must go through a stringent process of
securing an Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) which
includes certifying its bar mark.
BPS (Bureau of Product Standards) is responsible for testing
electrical products based on the Philippines national
standards for the purpose of product certification.
PS/ICC marking on products covered is compulsory prior to
selling.
 Ensure that rebar are manufactured by a reputable and Bureau of
Product Standards (BPS) registered company.
Check for the PS Mark embossed in intervals along the length of
the rebar. Rebar
Size: The diameter can be identified by looking for the embossed
dots/number on the individual rebar.
Rebar are color-coded with paint at one end:
Grade 230 (ASTM G33) - White
Grade 275 (ASTM G40) -Yellow
Grade 415 (ASTM G60) - Green
Weldable - Red (other end)
 Fake rebar made from wire-rod
Rebar is made from billets, as stated in the Philippine National
Standard.
 Unscrupulous manufacturers used cheaper wire rods
and roll them to have features similar to rebar. These
are fake rebar.
Wire-rods are used for making wire, and the steel grade has
properties for wire and not fit for the strength required by
rebar.
The minimum yield strength for the lowest grade of rebar is 230
megapascals or 33,000 pounds per square inch of force (to
permanently elongate the rebar).
Wire-rod that are used to make fake rebar have a yield strength
of 170 megapascals or lower, and thus will fail when used for
load bearing structures.
Angle Bars
applied to surfaces using drilled fastening methods or
through welding.
protecting edges and corners in order for them to hold their
shape.
Without steel angle bars and steel reinforcement, a buildings
foundation will collapse due to the pressure that concrete
alone creates.
Substandard Angle Bars
Western Visayas
SASSMAPI - Steel Angles, Shapes and Sections Manufacturers
Association of the Philippines, Inc.
Iloilo: bought 35 angle bar samples of various sizes from 10
hardware stores.
At least 31 out of the 35 are uncertified and substandard.
Cebu: the samples either bore the logo or marking that is
registered to New Fruit Life Inc., the CRWEI from Cebu R
Which Ent. Inc or have no markings at all.
He said 13 out of the 15 samples bearing the CRWEI logo
were also found to be substandard.
Source
A highly reliable source in BOC disclosed on that the 28
containers of steel angle bars, 25 of them consigned to
Thunder Birds Trading and three to GTB Industrial Network,
were auctioned off even as these were not certified by the
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
 The grade, leg, dimension and BPS-approved logo of the
manufacturer should be embosed
Grade Symbol

250 /

185 //

235 ///

275 ////

335 /////
The leg dimension of equal leg angle
steel bars is available in the following
sizes:

20x20 65x65
25x25 70x70
30x30 75x75
35x35 80x80
38x38 90x90
40x40 100x100
45x45 120x120
50x50 125x125
60x60 150x150
63.5x63.5 180x180
 The thickness is colored label and can be seen at both ends of
the product
 Approved and issued PS license to manufacturers of equal leg steel angle
with the following logos
THICKNESS( mm) COLOR
2.0 BLUE
2.5 RED
3.0 YELLOW
3.5 GREEN
4.0 ORANGE
4.5 VIOLET
5 WHITE
5.5 BLACK
6.0 BROWN
7.0 GRAY
7.5 LIGHT BLUE
8.0 PINK
9.0 LIGHT GREEN
10.0 LIGHT ORANGE
11.0 GOLD
12.0 SILVER