Stainless steel rebar produced by Outokumpu is recently being used to reinforce a spill basin at the new liquefied natural gas (LNG) Gate Terminal on Rotterdam’s North Sea coast. Both the basin’s concrete and reinforcement must withstand the extreme conditions of a cryogenic environment and temperatures as low as -165º Celsius.
Richard Wigmans, Outokumpu stainless steel rebar agent for Benelux & Germany, says: “If you’re working with cryogenic concrete, the rebar must be stainless steel. It is the only thing you can use. Nothing else will work.â€?
For the Gate Terminal project, Outokumpu provided 10 tonnes of rebar formed from Core 304LN/4311. Testing was conducted at Tudor Advanced Materials & Structures in Luxemburg. The alloy is proven to retain its mechanical properties at temperatures as low as -196º Celsius. As with all austenitic stainless steel, Core 304LN/4311 maintains its ductility at very cold temperatures, meaning that it will not fracture.
Using stainless steel prolongs the structure’s lifetime, reduces long-term costs and minimizes need for maintenance. Paula Kraaijeveld of rebar processor/fabricator BetonijzerBuigCentrale Handelmaatschappij (BBC) says: “If standard carbon steel rebar is used as reinforcement, the concrete will crack.â€? BBC provided construction coordination, installation supervision and customized shipping services. BBC also handled CARES certifications, validating product conformity and consistent quality.â€?