2024 SBTM
2024 SBTM
2024 SBTM
Epoxy Interest Group

Have Questions?

We have plenty of answers… and research. Click below for our FAQs.

Epoxy Interest Group

Providing an authoritative resource for information related to use of epoxy-coated steel (epoxy rebar) in reinforced concrete.

Epoxy Interest Group

Project Examples

Find structures that are similar to yours that contain valuable project information.

PlayPause

Epoxy-Coated Steel Applications

Epoxy-coated rebar is an attractive building option for many reasons, one of which being its ability to resist damage from harsh weather and natural disasters. As climate change raises the likelihood of extreme weather events such as large storms, building structures from materials specifically engineered to face such challenges becomes increasingly necessary. The benefits of a epoxy-coated steel reinforced concrete structures aren’t limited just to their durability: concrete structures made with reinforcing steel are adaptable, economical, and sustainable as well.

Research & Reports

  • Service Life Extension of Northern Bridge Decks Containing Epoxy-coated Reinforcing Bars (Final)

  • LOGO

    Use and Installation of Epoxy-Coated Reinforcing Bars

  • LOGO

    Recommended Fabrication Practices for Epoxy-Coated Reinforcing Bars

More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. According to the CRSI Manual of Standard Practice reinforcing steel should be welded according to the American Welding Society, AWS D1.4/D1.4M. If the steel used for the coated bars meets ASTM A706, the bars are intended for welding without preheating and therefore should be specified for applications that require an appreciable amount of welding. ASTM A615 reinforcing bars can be welded, but may require preheating the bars up to 500° F. After completion of the welding on epoxy-coated bars, the damaged areas shall be repaired using patch materials meeting ASTM A7.

Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars are covered in ASTM A775 and A934 Standard Specifications for Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars.

  • Fabrication and handling of Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars are covered in ASTM D3963 Standard Specification for Fabrication and Jobsite Handling of Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars.
  • Job site handling is also covered in the Appendix of ASTM A775.

Yes. Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars are manufactured using reinforcing bars that are made using almost 100% recycled steel.

  • Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars can also be recycled after use.
  • Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars produce no VOCs during manufacture or use.
  • Structures that use Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars are more durable that those that do not.

Structures built with Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars have longer lives than structures built with black steel.

  • Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars protects even in cracked concrete.
  • Life-cycle analysis shows that Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars provides the lowest cost.
  • Unlike corrosion protection systems used within the concrete mixture, Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars are readily identified at the job site.

The following ASTM specifications are to be used when specifying Epoxy-Coated Steel Reinforcing Bars.

  • ASTM A775/A775M (Coating Application and Powder Qualification).
  • ASTM A 934/A934M.
  • ASTM D3963 (Fabrication and Field Requirements, Repair Material Qualification).
  • Make sure that proper specifications are included for all stages of the project: coating application, fabrication, field handling, and material pre-qualification.

Answering this question requires an understanding of the concrete, the coating and the localized environment; however, epoxy-coated bars are routinely specified for structures with a desired 75 year design life and often for structures with a 100-year design life, given an appropriate concrete.

In environments subjected to marine or deicing salts, corrosion initiates when sufficient chloride ions reach the reinforcing steel. The time for these salts to reach the bars is dependent on the concrete permeability and the amount of cracking in the concrete as well as the exposure conditions.

The permeability of concrete depends on the water-cement ratio as well as the presence of pozzolans including fly ash and silica fume or various concrete additives that impart water resistance. When uncoated reinforcing is placed in cracked concrete, corrosion initiates almost immediately the concrete is placed in contact with the salt solution; thus, the presence of cracks will significantly reduce the repair -free life of a structure.  Epoxy-coated bars have been found to perform well in cracked concrete compared with the use of concrete modifications alone.

To optimize the design life of structures that use epoxy-coated bars, it is recommended that high quality concrete is used with appropriate cover over the reinforcing and that cracks in the concrete are repaired.

A study was recently conducted by the University of Kansas for the FHWA and Kansas DOT that compared the life-cycle costs of epoxy-coated reinforcing steel, uncoated and stainless steel reinforcing bars in bridge decks. This study found that the initial costs of stainless steel in bridge decks was $319/yd2, compared with $189 and $196/yd2 for decks containing uncoated and epoxy-coated reinforcing steel, respectively. Thus, use of stainless steel was $130/yd2 greater than that of the deck containing epoxy-coated bar. Life cycle costs for the epoxy-coated reinforcing steel was the lowest at $237/yd2 compared with $319 and $444 /yd2 for decks containing uncoated and stainless steel reinforcing bars. Thus, the epoxy-coated bars were $82/yd2 less than that of the stainless steel reinforcing over a 75-year design life,

Featured Projects

View More Projects

About Us

The Epoxy Interest Group (EIG) of CRSI (Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute), is a not-for-profit trade association providing an authoritative resource for information related to use of epoxy-coated steel (epoxy rebar) in reinforced concrete. Epoxy-coated reinforcing steel is also known as ECR, epoxy-coated rebar, fusion bonded epoxy coated rebar or FBECR.

The Epoxy Interest Group (EIG) serves the construction market in the United States, Canada and Mexico.