Concrete structures like bridges and piers require expensive renewal and maintenance just after few decades of usage. The reason behind this is the corroding of steel reinforcement. It makes the concrete crack and spall, a process that causes the rebar to rust even faster. However, making use of stainless steel reinforcement bar is a cost-effective solution that makes concrete last one hundred years or more with little or no maintenance. The extra initial investment is small compared with the savings on repair at a later point in time.
In order to raise the awareness of the life cycle cost advantages of stainless steel reinforcement bar, an international group of experts have compiled a dedicated website. It provides answers to frequently asked technical questions. Numerous references show how public and private investors have made use of stainless steel reinforcement bars to enhance the durability of their concrete structures: stainlesssteelrebar.org.
