Installing Rebar

Once the footers are dug and the rough underground plumbing for the drain line, the water line, the gas and electrical are stubbed up through the forms it is time for the rebar. Even though the do-it-yourself centers sell 3/8 and ½ rebar you need to check your building codes because they may not recognize it. In California it must be at least 5/8 or #5 rebar.

Before you do any bending, you need to check the plans to see what is called out. I’ve seen where it is one at the3” off the bottom, and 2” from the top. These number are the minimum you can be at 4” from the top and 5’ from the bottom is fine but you do not want your rebar to be close to the soil or form board to maximize the strength.

The plans should giver you the size of rebar you need and the overlap of it. This typically is about 24”. I like to use Sandbag Rebar Plastic Chairs to keep my rebar in the proper passion. I use the Marshalltown Rebar Bender. I use this with a piece of steel pipe I use as a sleave over the rebar and a brace for the bending tool. This method gives sharp corners and has a professional look to it.

There are different types of tools available to help or speed up the twisting of the pre formed tie wire used to hold the overlapped rebars in place. Take your time and do not fight the rebar. Follow the direction in the plans.

It is not a good practice to use metal that will rust away and leave voids that will weaken the concrete. Items stab in place in the wet concrete have been discovered not to have the same tensile strength as those that were in place and the concrete formed around. It is better to waste little and give more overlap than to try to use exactly what the plans call out.

While pouring the concrete be sure to vibrate it by the method of your choosing to help fill voids in the concrete. This will call for a little more concrete but it is a lot stronger bone and thus better or stronger concrete.

Note: Images on this blog site are from a free source or taken by the author. No image or group of photos is intended to represent the people the author serves. The author does not care about Race (that is a politically correct term that he does not like because we are all of the same Race, the Human Race. He prefers the term ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender, marital status, disability, genetic information, national origin, source of income, Veteran or military status, ancestry, citizenship, primary language or immigration status.) He is a service provider for all people. We will all rise together when we band together and help one another. Joseph Erwin is a Real Estate Broker, DRE # O2131799, and a CA general contractor # B 696662. He’s a member of the CRMLS and The East Valley Association of Realtors located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. This writing is not to be used as legal counsel the author is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice other than consult a lawyer before acting.