Steel fixing work is mainly seen in the construction field. The person who is responsible for this work as known as steel fixers .Their work involves positioning and securing steel reinforcing bars and steel mesh . This is basically used in concrete construction work. The steel fixing work involves the detailed drawing of the type of bar , spacing and setting the work plan.
There are many risks associated with steel fixing work. So, the professionals need to be very careful and properly skilled before coming into this field. The still fixing work should be done very minutely as this becomes the foundation of the buildings. There are a few points that the steel fixers should keep in mind when going for a task.
Steel Fixing Work Involves The Following:
It involves tying of rebars or reinforcement bars to form cages(commonly seen in building construction)
Use of rebar to form special cast for setting concretes
It is a physically demanding work where a lot of manual labor is required for work like bending, fitting etc.
Points For Steel Fixing
The professional steel fixers should have the proper training to complete the task of fixing the steel for a new foundation. The job is not easy, and it is also laborious at the same time. The following points will help you to understand how to the professionals should do the task. The base of the construction is made of these steels, so you need to be very careful to avoid future hassles.
The Steps To Complete The Steel Fixing Task Are Given Below.
• Planning
Site visit is a must before starting the steel fixing work. Before starting a steel fixing work on a particular field for a project, the place should be visited previously and then plan how to start the steel fitting task. You need to plan out how much raw material is needed to cover a place and complete the task. Accordingly, you need to collect the material and go with work.
• Training
Trained and skilled persons should participate in this work only. The workers may need to work on height and deal with heavy materials. So, the proper training should be there in a person to complete the steel fixing task properly.
Purchase of rebars- The third important step is to purchase the rebar. If you are fixing the steel for building foundations and slab reinforcement , then you can buy the rebar from the building supply center based out locally. But, if it is for complex applications like foundation walls, tanks etc. then there is a need for specific shapes of rebar. Here are some of the common shapes:
• Stirrups – They are shaped to have lateral reinforcement in a certain configuration or cage. They create various configuration like rectangle, round, square etc.
• Dowels – These L-shaped.
• Corner bars – They are also L-shaped, but both the lengths are equal.
• Offset bends – These vary in shape from Z to complex angles.
• Hairpins- They are U-shaped and are used to interlock two or more individual mats of rebar
• Candy canes- These are U-shaped bend on one or both ends . they are used for interlocking two or more parallel reinforcing mats.
• Set Up Work Area
The work area set up should be done before starting the steel fixing task. It can only be done by the professional steel fixer who has good experience in this field as well as theoretical knowledge. He can visit a place and set up necessarily before starting the job on a project. He will also be able to give you a budget while starting the work to the client.
• Steel Lifting
This is a major part of the work. The heavyweight steel needs to be taken at the level of work by the workers and the necessary tools. The workers need to have knowledge about controlling the tools to lift the raw materials and place them properly.
• Tying The Steels
The steel should be tied well when the foundation is prepared in the steel fixing process. You need to keep in mind that the joints should be tied well when you are dealing with the process of steel fitting. There are few tools that are used by the professional workers to tie the steels in a pattern. There is different tying style:
FIGURE 8 TIES – To make this tie , one needs to pull the wire around d the rear bar and move it diagonally across the front bar and back around the read bar running diagonally across the front bar. Finally twisting it around the first wire. These are good for holding perpendicular bars and prevent the movement of the bar.
Saddle Ties – Pass the wire feeding from the reel behind the rear bar and then move it across the front bar ensuring that it is parallel to the bar. Pass it behind the rear bar again and back around the front bar on the opposite side. Finally, the tie the ends together.
• Manual And Electrical Uses
The bars of the steels are cut with the electrical tools and in the manual process by the professionals. The process should be known to the workers to complete the work fast and safely. The grinders are also used to make the steel bars proper in size.
These steps are the basics of the steel fixing process. You should hire a professional who has the proper knowledge in this field to complete the work safely within a limited period. There are different steel fitting service providers available in the market, but all of them may not meet your expectation. So, you need to be selective while hiring a steel fixer. You should also check the budget given by the professional to cover a area.
