Steel Fixing

Steel fixing is the process of setting and securing reinforcing steel bars (rebar) in the correct position before concrete is poured. This essential process ensures that the reinforcing cage maintains its structural integrity and specified location within the concrete element (e.g., footings, beams, slabs) to handle tension forces.

Essential Products

The primary products used in steel fixing are the rebar itself, tie wire for securing the bars, and tools for twisting the wire.

1. Reinforcing Steel (Rebar)

• Deformed Bars (D-Bars): The most common form of rebar, featuring ribs or deformations along the length to create a stronger bond with the concrete.
• Mesh: Pre-fabricated sheets of reinforcing steel wire welded into a grid pattern, commonly used for slabs and paths.

2. Tie Wire (The Fastener)

Tie wire is used to temporarily but securely fasten overlapping or intersecting rebar pieces together. The goal is a firm hold, not a structural weld.

• Annealed Tie Wire: This is the most standard type. It is softened (annealed) through heat treatment, making it highly flexible and easy to twist by hand or with an automatic tool. It comes in various gauges (thicknesses).
• Belt Pack Wire: This refers to a specific packaging format, typically used with automatic or semi-automatic rebar tying tools. The wire is loaded into a cartridge or reel worn on a belt, allowing the steel fixer to quickly tie connections without handling loose spools.
• Galvanised Wire: Used in applications where higher corrosion resistance is needed, though not as common for standard internal use.

3. Fixing Tools

• Rebar Tie Wire Twisters: Simple, manual tools used to quickly loop the wire around two crossing bars and twist it tight.
• Automatic Tying Tools: Battery-powered tools that automate the looping, twisting, and cutting of the tie wire (often using belt pack wire) for faster installation on large-scale projects.

If we don't have it, Canterbury Timber can source it for you. Talk to our experts for DIY advice and construction project knowledge. Canterbury Timber offers competitive Trade Prices on Timber and Building Supplies.

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