What is considered in the first place when you are about to construct a building in a higher humidity region? Corrosion resistance building materials! The Corrosion Resistance TMT Bars are crucial for sustainability. Choosing a TMT bar for a high-humidity region or risk of acquiring corrosion can be tough; this article will guide you on choosing the right TMT bars for regions like Assam. Please read the article, as we have covered both the challenges and solutions to combat the challenges.
Challenges to building sustainable buildings in Assam:
Assam imposes significant challenges for the construction industry due to climatic conditions and unstable circumstances. Some of the incidences that caused major distress to the livelihood in the region were the massive hit of cyclone "Yaas" in 2021 created major damage to the infrastructure and buildings in that region. Likewise, in 2020, several landslides occurred in Assam that caused blockage of roads and brought massive damage to buildings.
Assam has a higher humidity throughout the year and receives heavy rainfall during monsoons from June to September. The humidity in the region ranges between 70-90% based on the time of the year and location inside the state. The higher humidity levels in Assam lead to mold growth and decay of the building materials.
In a building structure, the construction industry hits the steel parts, where the iron or the iron alloy catches rust when exposed to moisture or oxygen.
The rust affecting the outer surface of the TMT bars seeps to the core, making the bars lose their strength. These factors cause cracking and spalling of the concrete, eventually making the overall structure lose its stability. Fixing the overall structure is extremely costly and troublesome.
Some other challenges that are not so revealed are:
The topography of Assam makes it quite difficult to build sustainable buildings.
There isn't much awareness of sustainable building practices among the residents.
Lack of resources and expensive technologies
Lack of proper infrastructure to transport building materials, communicate, energy supply, and strict building regulations
Techniques used to deal with the challenges:
The construction industry in the region must focus on planning and building structures after analyzing weather patterns and extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heat waves. Although many are unaware of sustainable building practices, engineers deploy techniques such as slope stabilization as retaining walls, soil nailing, and rock bolting to combat landslides.
They also focus on planning the drainage systems inside and outside the buildings to prevent water from accumulating and damage-causing. They build sustainable gutters, drains, and culverts to prevent any drain leakage into the buildings.
The engineers must address the higher humidity levels in the region, as it causes mold growth and decaying of building materials. Therefore they choose the materials from the Best TMT Brand in Assam, focusing on proper ventilation systems and insulation to prevent moisture buildups.
They also deploy techniques such as reinforced concrete structures, braced frames, and Masonry infill walls to deal with higher seismic activities. Consider the following techniques and their contribution to making the structures more sustainable.
Reinforcement of concrete structures:
Reinforcing concrete structures is one of the prominent methods of dealing with earthquakes. The TMT bars are embedded in the concrete to increase strength and flexibility. It proves that the combination of the two right materials makes it stronger and help in the even distribution of the energy generated by an earthquake. Therefore the risk of collapsing buildings reduces, and it also minimizes the damage.
During earthquakes, the building tends to move back and forth, sway, and vibrate. The movement generates significant force causing it to deform and collapse ultimately. The steel reinforcement bars provide higher tensile strength, and the special detailing improves the connection between the structural elements and reduces the risk of failure.
On the other hand, they choose reliable building materials and TMT bars with higher strength and corrosion resistance to prevent damage.
Base isolation:
In earthquake-prone regions, the base of the buildings experiences great shocks. Therefore engineers place the shock-absorbing pads and bearings to improve the stability of the buildings. The shock-absorbing pads are made of rubber or steel that absorb the energy caused by earthquakes. These pads are placed between the buildings and its foundation to absorb energy and deform over time.
Base-isolation technique is very popular due to its effectiveness in controlling the movement of the buildings.
Masonry infill walls:
The Masonry infill walls are made of masonry materials such as brick and concrete blocks to fill the openings between the structural members of the building, such as columns and beams. The infill walls are found in both reinforced concrete and steel-framed buildings.
This technique also helps in resisting the lateral loads caused due to seismic loads and wind pressure.
Therefore it reduces the swaying of buildings or the overall structure.
When there is a higher chance of cracking or collapsing due to lateral forces, the stability of the buildings has a higher risk of collapsing or damage; therefore, engineers deploy these techniques to combat these issues.
How to choose TMT bars for a highly humid region like Assam
Buildings or any construction project in the tropical and coastal regions need quality TMT bars; therefore, always choose from the Best TMT Bar Company in Assam. They ensure the TMT bars have higher corrosion resistance and other rust-resistant materials.
They also carry out crucial tests such as immersion testing, salt spray technique, fog testing, and atmosphere exposure tests.
By incorporating these materials, the rate of decay is slowed down. Apart from buildings, underground structures such as sewage constructions or those that come in contact with saline or acidic substances require quality TMT bars.
The TMT bars with higher corrosion resistance have higher amounts of alloying elements such as chromium, copper, and nickel.
If you are confused about choosing corrosion-resistant TMT bars, you can contact a structural engineer for guidance. However, proper maintenance and installation of the TMT bars are crucial in corrosion resistance. These chemical elements create a protective layer on the surface of the steel, and the oxide layer prevents contact between the environment and the steel. It also prevents moisture, oxygen, and other corrosive agents from contacting the steel.
Chromium: Chromium reacts with atmospheric oxygen and forms a delicate coating of chromium oxide on the surface of the steel. The layer is highly resistant to corrosion and prevents further oxidation of the steel. The copper in the TMT bars seals the pores in the bars and forms a thin membrane-like film that controls the corrosion.
Copper: Copper is another crucial element used in manufacturing TMT bars to enhance corrosion resistance. Copper forms copper oxide on reacting with the atmosphere, which also acts as a barrier in protecting the steel.
Nickel: Nickel also forms a passive layer of protection to deal with corrosion resistance issues. However, the composition is controlled, or it would affect the steel's properties, making it less malleable and prone to cracking.
Some of these grades of TMT bars resist both cracking and corrosion:
Fe 500D: it is the most commonly used grade in TMT bars as it contains a higher amount of copper and chromium than Fe 500 TMT bars. Therefore adopted in regions with higher humidity and saltwater exposure.
Fe 600: this is the highest grade in terms of strength, and the alloying elements are present in higher proportion than Fe 500 and Fe 550 TMT bars. Therefore it offers corrosion resistance on a great scale, and these are used in construction structures such as bridges and high-rise buildings.
Choosing a specific grade of TMT bars should be used for specific requirements of the construction project considering the aspects such as the design of the structure, environmental conditions, and required level of corrosion resistance.
Conclusion:
A country like India that handles major economic activities requires modern industrial and civil development. Especially shipbuilding, railway locomotive, construction, and other sectors demand a shipment of heavy and light machinery and therefore require sustainable roads or flyovers. On the other hand, underground structures or residential units also demand TMT bars and other building materials that offer higher corrosion resistance. The tips and instructions given in the article will help you in choosing the best TMT bars and construction technique for any region with higher humidity.
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