Ferritic steels

Top12 is an innovative reinforcing steel with a superior corrosion resistance and the lowest life cycle costs in its class. Top12:

• is a high-alloy material of grade 1.4003 with higher corrosion-resistance than conventional reinforcing steel, as it contains at least 12 percent chromium by mass.
• requires no special handling and can be processed conventionally.
• is approx. four times more resistant to chlorides than conventional reinforcing steel. This reliable protection against corrosion can extend the service life of buildings many times over.
• requires very little concrete cover due to its higher corrosion resistance in the event of chloride or CO2 impact.
• in its geotechnical version with higher yield strength, makes the usual anchor system sleeve superfluous, as it offers the necessary protection for temporary and permanent anchoring of protection level 2 in any subsoil - even in aggressive groundwater.

The secret of the excellent mechanical-technological material properties and high corrosion resistance lies in the steel production: the decisive factor is the targeted addition of alloys to the molten steel, including more than 12% chromium. The ribbed reinforcing steel is produced using a patented rolling process. After rolling, the steel is cooled in a controlled and targeted manner in order to maintain its excellent mechanical properties.

To increase the corrosion resistance in line with requirements, Steeltec pickles the Top12 after hot rolling - a further step to increase the corrosion resistance by a factor of five. Pickling removes the so-called rolling skin. This makes the bar surface smoother and more homogeneous and protects the ribbed steel from surface corrosion and pitting. While the conventional, unalloyed reinforcing steel B500B can withstand a chloride content of approx. 0.5 wt.%/z in the concrete, this value is up to five times higher with the Top12.