storage of construction steel

Part of the important properties of reinforcing bars used in concrete structures is that a rough surface aids anchoring into the concrete, therefore some minor surface corrosion is a positive advantage. There are probably Standards for this sort of thing.

Lubricating the bars with oil sends things the other way. If they are intended for a bridge, let me know which one they are going in and I'll make a mental note never to cross it.

If this is heavy steel then there is probably no problem with a small amount of rust happening during one rainy season. If this is to be stored for lengthy periods of time then there is a potential of affecting the integrity of the steel -- albeit a lengthy period of time.

What is the end use of the steel? -- as mentioned by Crabtree the oil may be more detrimental than the rust. Bottom line, if you are truly concerned store it inside a controlled environment.

If the steel is used for concrete reinforcing, use a slurry of cement powder and lightly coat the steel by hand or spray application as this will protect the steel and will not hinder its later use. If you have to weld and not tie the reinforcing bars then chipping at the weld points will become mandatory.

I had the same thing 40 years ago on a shipping whalf structure where we had 2,500 tonnes of steel bars and coils. They stayed protected for three months without worry.

As the France Libr′e friend said: Some scales are positive advantage;

USE UP that lot and :

use some planning:

Never store

You can!

In my opinion, pouring oil over the reinf. bars will not have any detrimental effect. At many places we use epoxy coated bars which also prevents bonding between the concrete and steel. Being porous in nature concrete allows wetting of bare bars and causes early corrosion and deterioration of the bars. As everyone knows the bars provide strength in tension when an RCC beam bends, protecting the surface of the bars by any means can only extend the life of the concrete. However the compressive load of a column is marginally reduced due to the lack of bonding. But considering the safety factors usually adopted, this should not be a problem.

Tarps are cheap and not harmful to the environment

If it is ASTM A6, A36 structural or hot rolled, neither oil nor tarps are needed;

I stored hot roll for cold finishing (ASTM A 29) outside at my mill in Georgia USA off the ground, blocked and in racks for as long as a year with out losing surface integrity. (first step in our manufacturing process was shot blasting to remove scale surface rust.)

The release of motor oil onto your property during rain gives me more heartburn than rust on rebar/structurals.Storm water runoff to local watershed is now a legal issue here in US.

If the steel is in contact with the ground, you could end up with some severe pitting.

Milo's recipe: get steel off ground, use wood blocking to assure drainage, ventilation, and minimize bundle to bundle contact, use tarps if available.

milo

I agree with Milo you'll have more of an issue later on with the waste oil runoff mixing with the rain then a little bit of rust.

35 years ago as a student I asked the same question. A little rust is actually a good thing. oil is an absolute no! This is also backed up in the ACI (American Concrete Institutes Code 301).

There are times when you do oil rebar, such as for postentioned structures and joints where you want to allow for moment, but generally do not ever oil rebar unless it is called for oin the plan or in the specifications.

The oil will be awful for the environment, do not use it....

Learn how to clean the steel before usage and do not buy more than you need for any given period say up to around one year...

Go to a saw mill and get several wide boards. you can get some 20 inches or wider and cover with them. Plastic covers attrach moisture when the sun hits it. Don't worry about small amounts of rust. Heavy long term rust is something else.

Are you storing excess steel from one job to use on a furture project? If so cover it with wood.

Forget the oil you don't need to EPA seeing a oil spill.

For short term storage place the steel off the ground. minor corrosion is not a large issue. A laborer equiped with a grinder with a wire cup brush on it will upset the cost of any treatment. Using any oil will make handling the material especially dangerous with any future handling. If the material is going to be stored long term a red oxide primer can be applied when the material dries. If this is not feasible, sandblasting can be economical prior to use.