Steel bar deformation records

At the construction site, steelworker Mr. Li scanned the QR code on the rebar in his hand, and his phone immediately displayed the place of origin, mechanical performance report, and the name of the quality inspector—this is the most intuitive change in the steel rebar industry in 2025. From the load-bearing backbone of high-speed rail tracks to the framework of self-built houses in rural areas, steel rebar has always been an “invisible safety lock,” but this year its role has become exceptionally diverse: exports surged to 3.2085 million tons from January to October, a year-on-year increase of 49.36%, while prices have been like a roller coaster ride. In December, the price of HRB400E rebar was 4,120 yuan/ton, 230 yuan/ton lower than at the beginning of the year. With the widespread adoption of quality traceability codes, the implementation of rare earth technology, and the accelerated recycling of scrap steel, this “iron bone” is shedding its “clumsy” label, becoming both smart and environmentally friendly.

The new quality traceability regulations implemented this April are not just empty words. They require that every steel bar be assigned a unique traceability code before leaving the factory, and that information from the entire process, from billet smelting to site acceptance, be uploaded to a national platform in real time. Even “thinned” steel bars from small workshops have nowhere to hide. Technological breakthroughs are even more tangible. Hot-rolled rare-earth steel bars developed by Shanghai University have become highly sought after. Adding 100-400 ppm of lanthanum and cerium rare earth elements to the steel directly increases corrosion resistance by 30%-50%. After four years of use at the Yancheng port, they showed no rust, saving half the anti-corrosion costs compared to traditional steel bars. In the workshop of Hebei Longfengshan Foundry, the daily output of this type of steel bar reaches 2,000 tons, exclusively supplying infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia. After all, this year, steel bar exports to ASEAN accounted for over 28% of total exports; solid strength is the key to success.

“Using scrap steel to make rebar produces 86% less waste gas than using iron ore,” calculated Mr. Wang, the plant manager of a steel company in Sichuan. This year, the plant’s electric arc furnace steel ratio has increased to 40%, and the carbon emissions from one ton of scrap steel used to produce HRB500E rebar are 1.2 tons less than last year. Behind this is policy support. After the implementation of the new national standard for “Recycled Steel Raw Materials,” the proportion of scrap steel used to smelt rebar has increased from 15% to 22%. Although the national scrap steel recycling volume is still less than 250 million tons, Sichuan has already built a processing capacity of 16.33 million tons per year. Scrap steel from demolished buildings is sorted and directly smelted into high-end rebar. Changjiang Steel’s casting and rolling workshop is even more intelligent; the unmanned production line has reduced the process from billet to rebar from 8 hours to 3 hours, reducing energy consumption per ton of steel by 120 kWh. These cost savings have helped them withstand this year’s price fluctuations.

The stage for rebar is no longer limited to construction sites. In the photovoltaic power stations of SDIC Shandong, the supports made of rare earth corrosion-resistant steel bars withstood the salt spray along the coast, lasting 15 years longer than ordinary steel. The same type of steel bars were used in the highway guardrails of Zhaoshang Highway, and none rusted after this year’s typhoon. Vanadium-titanium steel bars from Sichuan are even more impressive, with 20% higher strength than traditional steel bars, saving 15% in the amount needed for high-rise construction. The Tianfu Twin Towers, a new landmark in Chengdu, used them for their frames, saving 8 million yuan in steel bar costs alone. Even rural revitalization is seeing its impact. In Chengde, Hebei, earthquake-resistant steel bars were used to build the foundations of rural houses, with the government subsidizing each household with 500 yuan for material costs. Sales in the rural market increased by 37% from January to October this year. There are also new developments in the export market. Although exports to Vietnam have decreased, orders from Africa and South America have made up for it. From January to October, exports to the African Union reached 13.7791 million tons, and these steel bars are supporting local schools and hospitals.