المجلة الدولية للعلوم والتقنية

Iron is one of the most important metals used in engineering, most notably in reinforcing bars for construction work. Due to the continuous competition between the government and private sectors in the Libyan market, some factories have been established to manufacture reinforcing steel. One of these factories are Zliten and Sidi Saih. The difference between the manufacturing methods where quality and specifications are concerned has become an issue for researchers because of the economic effects on the factory and the consumer. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that rebar is functionally suitable. Many important factors, including tensile strength, elongation, hardness, and the ratios of some elements such as carbon, sulfur and phosphorus, play a vital role in determining the efficiency of reinforcing bars. The main aim of this study is to conduct a practical comparison of some mechanical properties and the chemical analysis of reinforcing bar samples (diameter 12 mm) that the aforementioned manufacturers produced and that conformed to the Libyan standard. The results of the study indicated that the yield stress and the maximum stress of the Sidi Saih and Zliten factories’ steel fell under category (30) in the Libyan standard specifications. These are intermediate tensile forms of steel, and the results revealed that the weights and diameters of the two types fell outside the standard. On the other hand, the hardness test indicates that Sidi Saih factory steel is harder, because it contained a higher percentage of carbon. The chemical analysis confirmed this result