There are two interesting trends that have begun to effect the production, distribution, sales and use of deformed reinforcing steel bars around the world today. The first trend actually started some time ago … as early as the late 1970s and early 1980s. At this juncture in time, many countries in the world that have been involved in production and even exportation of deformed reinforcing steel bars started to see their own steel industries start to contract. These included such countries as the United States and several different nations that are now a part of the European Union.
The second trend actually started to pick up pace in at the turn of the turn of the 21st century. It was at this time – and throughout the course of the past several years – that natural disasters (including earthquakes and tsunamis) illustrated how unsafe buildings constructed of concrete or masonry that were not reinforced with deformed reinforcing steel bars actually were in the face of these disasters. Therefore, the demand for deformed reinforcing steel bars grew astronomically as more governments came face to face with the necessity of reinforcing concrete and masonry structures to protect their own citizens.
As demand increase the availability of deformed reinforcing steel bars from historic manufacturers of these materials had already started to decline. Into this void stepped a number of Asian nations, primarily the People’s Republic of China. It is now in this region of the world that a significant percentage of deformed reinforcing steel bars that is destined to be used in construction projects around the globe is being manufactured … US, Europe and Middle East are sourcing from Turkey.