S. Korea upgrades identification standards for iron rods

By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has revised identification standards for
iron rods used in construction to prevent the sale of substandard products and
cut back on waste, the government said Monday.
The revision, which goes into effect as of June 2010 following a one-year grace
period, will be applied to both locally-made and imported products, eventually
keeping low-quality rods from being used in the country, according to the Korean
Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS).
The changes require all rods to have their origin of country, manufacturer, width
and type of steel used stamped into their surface. These markings must be placed
less than 1.5 meters apart throughout the length of the rod.
In the past, manufacturers were only required to mark the company name and the
width of the rods, with paint being used to help builders determine the type of
steel. As these marks were usually placed near the ends, it was often difficult
for builders to know what kind of product they were using if the rods were cut.
"In effect, the changes enhance market transparency and aim to cut back on the
use of the key building material in reinforcing concrete structures," said an
official for the agency, which is under the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.
Using lower quality steel products, particularly from overseas suppliers, has
been cited for causing builders to use more rods. If lower quality rods can be
replaced by quality products, less will be needed in the construction process,
saving resources and cutting back on greenhouse gases released during iron
manufacturing, the official said.
The changes in the rules, in addition, may also spur demand for more high-quality
rods.
"If the switch to high quality steel is made, local builders may be able to save
800 billion won (about US$630 million) a year and cut their overall construction
time," the KATS official said.
South Korea is a leading maker of steel products, but due to high domestic demand
local builders also import large quantities of steel rods from neighboring
countries such as China and Japan.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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