Experience shows that concrete structures like bridges and piers can require expensive renewal and maintenance after only a few decades of use. The reason is usually corroding steel reinforcement. It makes the concrete crack and spall of, a process that causes the rebar to rust even faster. However, there is a cost-effective solution that makes concrete last one hundred years or more with little or no maintenance: stainless steel reinforcement bar. The extra initial investment is small compared with the savings on repair at a later point in time.

To raise awareness of the life cycle cost advantages of stainless steel reinforcement bar, an international group of experts compiled a dedicated website. It provides answers to frequently asked technical questions. Numerous references show how public and private investors have made use of stainless steel reinforcement to enhance the durability of their concrete structures: http://www.stainlesssteelrebar.org/ .

ISSF, Brussels