Reference from "Steel Reinforcing Bar Specifications in Old Structures" 1

[briancpotter]

The paper "Steel Reinforcing Bar Specifications in Old Structures" (link:

http://www.concrete.org/PUBS/JOURNALS/AbstractDetails.asp?ID=236)

refers to a recommendation by the Department of Commerce for standard rebar sizes - does anyone know what this recommendation was (title, etc)? I assume it was generated by the Building Code Committee.

Brian C Potter

http://simplesupports.wordpress.com

 

[theonlynamenottaken]

United States Department of Commerce.
Simplified Practice Recommendation No. 26.
Steel Reinforcing Bars.
Issued by the Bureau of Standards. Original Draft, September 9, 1924.
Washington: Gov't Printing Office, 1925.

Essentially, it provided a table with cross-sectional areas for each round and square nominal size (... 3/8" round, 1/2" round, 1/2" square, 5/8" round, 5/8" square... etc). The producers ended up only conforming to the cross-sectional area, since many still produced proprietary shapes. Bars didn't really get standardized until ~1947 when ASTM A15 and A308 began to evolve and combine.

For more info see the attached from "Standards and Specifications for Metals and Metal Products - Miscellaneous Publication No. 120", by US Dept of Commerce/George Wardlaw: