Stainless Steel Tying Wire — Securing the Future

One of the main concerns for architects and builders when planning and creating a new structure is how long it is going to last. Current agreement is that structures - particularly bridges - should offer at least one full century of service life with little (or even no) maintenance to be cost-effective to the community. One of the methods used to help achieve this extensive time span is the professional installation of stainless steel reinforcing bar (commonly referred to as rebar).

Corrosion is one of the major reasons that structures fail over time and so defending against this problem is of paramount importance. By using stainless steel lacing wire to hold the rebar together before concrete is poured onto it, the anti-corrosive properties of the metal can be exploited to ensure the rebar is protected. In addition, stainless steel will not mark or discolour the concrete, as would be the case with other steels.

The benefits of using stainless steel tying wire in conjunction with rebar are many and include:

• Strong resistance to corrosion, particularly from chloride ions - this makes it ideal for bridge-building over water

• The amount of concrete cover can be significantly reduced, saving time, weight, money and labour

• There is no need for sealants such as Silicone

• Durability is dramatically improved as maintenance and repair requirements are decreased

• Eventually, the metal can be recycled

BS Stainless are the largest independent supplier of stainless steel wire in the UK and our lacing wire is, like our entire product portfolio, guaranteed to be of the finest professional quality for use in commercial projects. As well as for use in conjunction with rebar, the versatile product can be used for fencing, garden jobs, insulation, cable work, hangers and more. This versatility means it is found in many sectors of industry, from oil & gas to medical and aerospace.

We can supply a selection of standard grades, sizes and weights though all of the variables can be adjusted to suit bespoke requirements. Supplied on individually-wrapped coils, the lacing wire is guaranteed to be defect-free from the first metre until the last. The most popular grade for tying wire is 304 but were there are risks of corrosion then 316 is needed this is often referred to as "marine" grade due its use in proximity to sea water.

We recently supplied stainless steel tying wire to the Mersey Gateway Bridge which is over 2130 metres long. Look out for more details on this story coming soon - subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss it!