We have listed down the frequently asked Question by Contractors, Fabricators & Detailers in this section along with the relevant answers. Some questions are relevant to all the countries while others specific to Developing countries like India, Brazil. RGS believes that as a technology developer, it is our responsibility to introduce the professional practices of Rebar engineering and management, wherever it is required.
We will be posting more such questions & answers in this section frequently. Your comments are suggestions regarding an Issue or a solution is most welcome.
Please email your responses to consultant@rgsrebar.com

Click the Question to View the respective answers.

RGS REBAR

Our site engineers prepare BBS in the Site. They directly give the BBS to the Bar benders. Is this a correct approach?
1. This is an incorrect approach. The current method is the reason for the steel wastage. The steel saving is left to the hands of Bar Benders and site engineers.
2. A scientifically proven system, to save steel in the construction projects is the need of the hour.
3. Steel saving starts with the Rebar Detailed engineering. This is also called as Rebar Detailing. A professional Rebar Placing drawing and an optimized Bar Bending schedule (BBS) are the targeted output of the Rebar detailing.
What do you mean by Optimized BBS?
1. While detailing itself, a Detailer can preview how much of Scrap and off cuts would be generated from the placing drawing.
2. This preview will be in the form of a Graphical Report and so the detailers can easily understand this document.
3. This preview is generated by optimizing the detailed bars with the market available stock lengths and reusable off cut bars availability with the Fabricator.
4. If the scrap levels are beyond accepted limits, then the detailers will adjust the detailing lengths wherever possible, to reduce Scrap and off cuts bars generation.
5. The BBS generated after this adjustment can generate only very little scrap and hence will be a great help for Contractors, doing site or shop fabrication of Rebar. This BBS is called “Optimized BBS”.
6. An optimized BBS is the starting point of Steel saving, even before feeding into the production software, for optimizing a set of BBS, together.
We order Cut & Bend bars from The Rebar Shops/Factories. Do we still need optimized BBS?
1. Yes.
2. The Main goal of any Rebar Fabricator is to optimize the Production capacity without compromising on Scrap Generation.
3. Many production software Increases the Offcut bar generation, when they encounter higher scrap levels.
   
4. When more off cuts are generated every day, managing the off cut bars becomes a major issue.
5. Mill orders for specific lengths can’t be a solution. This has lot of constraints.
6. A detailer can better handle this issue because he can adjust the Rebar lengths and reduce scraps. Off cut bar generation can also be reduced here. To do this, the software he works should give him a preview of the expected Scrap and off cut levels from the drawing, even before he generates the Bar list/BBS.
7. RGS-REBAR, the detailing software has this feature. If your detailers (In-house and outsourced detailers) use RGS-REBAR they can contribute to a great extent in saving the Rebar at the Shop.
8. Though the shops combine multiple Bar lists and use sophisticated production management software like RGSREBAR SHOP to reduce scrap and use the existing off -cut bars, an optimized BBS helps to a great extent.
9. A reduced scrap level will motivate the fabricator to give a competitive pricing.
What is the advantage in supplying an optimized BBS? (From Detailer point of view)
1. Benefits by supplying Optimized BBS/ Bar list to the Fabricator/Contractor.
   1. Your detailing rate can be increased.
   2. You will get repeat jobs from the same client
   3. You can get more clients using this feature.
Can I automatically create a BBS from engineering drawings?
1. Creating a BBS from the Structural drawing is not at all a good practice. A BBS preparation without preparing the placing drawing will create lot of issues in fabrication, placing and steel saving.
2. However, if you prepare a Placing drawing and if you have the structural drawing in AutoCAD format, RGSREBAR can automatically convert the Rebar and range drawn into RGS-REBAR objects using our Shape recognition technology.
3. This can speed up your placing drawing preparation time.
The structural drawings provided to us are detailed. Why should we prepare one more drawing?
1. Even a completely prepared Design drawing cannot be considered as a placing drawing.
2. This is a basic mis-conception prevailing in the developing countries. Since most of the Rebar are cut and Bent in the site, Tagging the Bars and providing a Bar mark to identify the bars easily in the field is not in common practice.
3. But once the advantages of preparing the placing drawing are seen, this practice will be followed in all the future projects.
What are the Benefits of a Placing drawing?
1. Placing drawings should be prepared to scale. So, the Reinforcements steel and the concrete area are drawn to scale. So, Placing issues are visually seen in the placing drawing and can be corrected even before cutting the bars, thereby saving substantial time and money.
   
2. Placing drawings can guide placers on how they have to place the bars. So lot of placing coordination activities can be reduced. Please note that usually placing drawings will reflect changes in the structure due to MEP openings, Formwork drawings etc. So this one drawing is enough for Site Engineers and Rebar Placers.
3. Placing drawing can also reveal any errors in the Formwork. So that the same can be corrected before pouring concrete.
4. Placing drawing plays a major role in improving the quality of the Structure.
5. Placing drawing alone can let you know if the steel can be adjusted and optimized, so that an optimized BBS could be generated.
Some client only wants us to supply steel. Why should I supply him a placing drawing?
1. Even a completely prepared Design drawing cannot be considered as a placing drawing.
2. A placing drawing alone can give complete details required for placing the Bars accurately in the site.
3. Since most of the Rebar is cut and Bent in the site, the practice of Tagging the Bars and providing a Bar mark to identify the bars easily in the field is not in common. But once they see the advantage of preparing the placing drawing, they are following this practice in all their future projects.
4. Without a placing drawing, there will be lot of issues in the field regarding placing of Rebar. There are instances where a professionally fabricated Rebar will be rusting in the site , since the Bar benders do not know where to place the bars. All the more they cut the bars themselves due to tight construction schedules.
5. But if you also supply a Rebar Placing drawing then your success rate on jobs will increase and you can get more projects.
Who can do detailing for us?
1. There are some good detailing companies around. You can outsource the work to them, with an instruction to use RGS-REBAR for detailing. You need optimized BBS.
2. You can also set up your own detailing facility by appointing a couple of people. A strong engineering team inhouse is always a great strength.
3. RGS could guide you in this, if required.
We already use CAD software and detail. Why should we shift to RGS-REBAR?
1. Rebar Detailing requires lot of validations and checks pertaining to the Properties of the Rebar, Bend shapes, Bending curvature deductions, Market lengths of Rebar available, practical fabrication Issues and in the top an accurate Bar Bending schedule.
2. Any CAD software is designed for a General use only and so it can’t handle the Rebar specific requirements.
3. It is very difficult to control production and quality of your detailing using just CAD software.
   
4. RGS-REBAR addresses each and every requirement specific to rebar and is the best detailing software available today in the global market, developed by RGS-CAD, a highly respected International Rebar Detailing Company.
5. All the more, you can get an Optimized BBS to save Steel.
We already use another Rebar detailing software. Why should we shift to RGS-REBAR?
1. You will get repeat jobs from your clients and will also get more new clients because, RGS-REBAR will be save steel to a great extent to your client.
2. RGS-REBAR is more productive. Please have a look at our product.
3. RGS-REBAR can reduce detailing errors. Please review our Quality control features.
4. You can shift to new technology that integrates the entire Rebar process.
   1. We develop the other products like RGS TrackMate for Web based project management system, RGSREBAR SHOP, RGS REBAR SITE etc for Rebar Traceability.
   2. Since we are looking at the Rebar from estimation to placing, we can see Rebar Detailing with new perspectives and provide improved Technology.
5. RGS-REBAR can make your company truly global. Be in U.S or India, get large projects globally and detail. Use TrackMate to manage.
6. Provide “Rebar Value engineering” using RGS-REBAR SITE for Site fabrication projects.
7. Please refer Our Top 10 Reasons for other points
Our client has Particular detailing software. They want us to use that software for detailing. How do I convince him?
1. It’s very simple. If your client does not use RGS-REBAR, it means he is not aware of it. RGS started the global marketing only recently.
2. Please ask your client to visit our website and contact us. We will be more glad to explain.
3. You can tell the advantages of detailing though RGS REBAR
   1. They can save steel - You can provide him the Optimized Bar list in the same format, which he is used to.
   2. They can get drawings faster than usual. – You can get more chances on fast turnaround jobs.
   3. They gets a better quality drawing.- You can build up confidence to get large and land mark projects.
   4. They get the drawings back from revisions faster –You can earn through revisions. No more a nightmare.
4. If your client wants to edit your drawings, they need a license. But they can view the drawings as they are in native dwg format.
   
We call this activity as just BBS preparation. Some others call it as Rebar Detailing? Which is correct?
1. BBS is an automatic output from a placing drawing.
2. Preparation of a Rebar Placing drawing requires detailing to be done. Rebar detailing is an activity to be performed by knowledgeable and experienced professionals with specific skill sets. This is certainly not just calculating quantity and length. It is beyond that. They have to understand the Practical Placing issues in the site and at the same time should not violate the design intent as shown in the structural drawings.
3. Rebar Detailers can also play a significant role in saving the steel and ensure a smooth placing of Rebars without much of a problem.
4. Generally Rebar detailing should be done in the office and it is certainly not recommended to do it in site. But the detailer should visit the site periodically and understand the issues.
5. After seeing all the above reasons, this activity should be called as “Rebar Detailing”, like how it is called in developed countries.

REBAR SITE FABRICATION

Why do you suggest Site fabrication when the world is shifting to the shop fabrication?
1. RGS is not recommending Site fabrication for all the jobs. The contractor has to decide based on multiple factors, while starting the job.
2. The economy of Site or Shop fabrication depends on multiple factors like,
   1. The availability of Rebar fabrication shops
   2. How the Fabricators charge?
   3. How much cushion they have for handling scrap?
   4. What is the Transportation cost of fabricated Rebar to the site?
   5. Will the Fabricator stock some adhoc rebar in the site to handle errors?
   6. Will the Fabricator take responsibility for placing as well?
   7. Do you have trained placers who can read a placing drawing?
   8. What is the Cost of Labors for cutting and Bending Rebar at the site?
   9. What is the Cost of Rebar?
   10. What is the cost of Scrap?
   11. How can you mange Off-cut bars in the site? How do you reuse them?
   12. What is the availability of coils for different Bar sizes?
   13. Do you have the reliable forecast for Rebar cost fluctuation from the start to the end of the project?
   14. Do you have a secured space to buy and stock rebar, if required?
   15. Ability to manage a Centralized Rebar cutting & Bending yard etc.
   16. Do you have a knowledgeable detailing Team who can play a significant role in saving steel?
3. We recommend “RGS-REBAR SITE guided site fabrication”, if the contactor decides to go for Site fabrication.
How much of Steel RGS REBAR-SITE can save?
1. It depends on the quality of your optimized BBS and your implementation of RGS-REBAR SITE practices in the site.
   
2. We have case studies where we have proved even up to 10% saving compared to the current practices.
You claim that RGS-REBAR SITE more on Rebar Utilization. What do you mean by that?
1. When Rebar is fabricated in the shop using Shop production software, very often the number of Reusable off cut bars are consciously increased to reduce the scrap. Off-cut bars reusability is definitely more convenient for the shops because of the controlled environment. This will increase the number of stock bars to cut.
2. But since RGS REBAR SITE is designed of the site, we ensured that it works opposite to the Shop in generating the reusable off cut bars. RGS REBAR-SITE generates less off cut bars.
3. In other words in REBAR SITE, each stock bar used for cutting is utilized to the maximum level for the job itself. So the Rebar utilization will be maximized.
Is it practically possible to implement this method in the site?
1. Yes. It is possible.
You are propagating reusing Off-cut bars at site. It is practically not possible.
1. IT IS POSSIBLE. When we do site fabrication of Rebar we start from the Optimized BBS.
2. For site fabrication, we have to target to reduce the Off cut Bars generation itself, while detailing.
   1. Using RGS-REBAR, you can preview the exact details of the off cut bars generated.
   2. Try to reuse these off cuts while detailing the adjacent area or next layer of bars etc.
   3. Then if you feed these optimized BBS into RGS-REBAR , it further optimizes and reduce the off cut bars generation to the minimum level.
3. Even if off cut bars are generated, RGS REBAR site automatically generates a Tag for the off cut bar and automatically chooses the Bin where the off cut will be stored. Again when RGS-REBAR meets a situation where these off cut bars are to be reused, then it specifies the Bin from which the bar has to be taken. It is very simple.
4. If the Bins are properly laid in the site (Bins marked in Paint in the floor or any such arrangement) and if people are interested in saving steel this will happen automatically.
5. From our experience this issue can be better solved by educating the site engineers and Bar benders.
Can you guide us in implementing this in our construction site?
1. Yes. We can train your engineers in using RGS-REBAR site upon purchasing the software.
2. The implementation in the site is under your scope.
Will our Bar benders understand the new system?
1. Our system is very simple. The Bar benders understands the system within two hours of implementation.

For more details, write to us at consultant@rgsrebar.com