LIBERTY Ostrava intends to extend its product portfolio further this year by delivering threaded bars with the double anti-corrosion protection needed to strengthen concrete structures. Ostrava has invested nearly CZK 80 million over the last few years to extend its production of one of the most widely used reinforcing and anchoring systems in the world, of which Ostrava is the only manufacturer in the Czech Republic.

Steel threaded bars have been rolled at the Ostrava steelworks´ medium section mill since 2014 but will now be given two additional protection layers, a plastic and a cement one, which will ensure a significant extension of their lifetime up to around 100 years as well as improving the safety of the structures in which they are used. Such products are in high demand both in the Czech Republic and overseas, so LIBERTY Ostrava expects to supply its customers with hundreds of tonnes of this product a year once it is launched.

Pavel Suchánek, LIBERTY Ostrava’s threaded bar production manager, explained: “The double anti-corrosion protection for the threaded bars produced by our medium section mill was formerly provided in Luxembourg where threaded bars were processed further to customers’ requirements. Last year, the entire process of subsequent processing and fitting was moved to the Ostrava steelworks to bring another high added value product to our portfolio as well as reducing our carbon footprint by no longer needing to transport semi-finished products across Europe.”

Part of the investment in the equipment modifications needed to produce the new bars was the purchase of the necessary machinery, including a special cement mixer with grouting equipment, inclined platforms and grates. This means that the threaded bars are now first given a plastic coating, with cement then injected into the free space between the plastic and the bar to provide the second layer. 

Zdeněk Vašek, LIBERTY Ostrava’s coordinator of higher added value product development, added: “Such anti-corrosion protection of the bars will extend the life of the supplied system up to 100 years after its installation. Trial production is now underway and it should be completed during the first quarter of this year. ”

The threaded bars are used primarily in building construction, to support underground boring works and the geotechnical construction, such as those used in mining, tunnels or underground projects. Beyond that, they are also suitable for special use in the anchoring of rocks or clipping rock massifs to avoid them falling onto roads. The bars are also equipped with a special continuous thread, which allows them to screw on nuts and other accessories, enabling bar connection without welding. Thus, their installation is quicker, which saves time and material on construction sites.

Further information:

LIBERTY Ostrava is an integrated steel business with an annual production capacity of approximately 3.6 million tonnes per annum serving primarily construction, machinery and oil & gas industries. The company is a domestic leader in the manufacture of road barriers and tubes. In addition to the Czech market, it supplies its products to more than 40 countries around the world. Together with its subsidiaries in Ostrava, the company has 6,000 employees. The company manufactures its products with a minimum possible environmental footprint. The mill is part of LIBERTY Steel Group. 

GFG Alliance is a collection of global businesses and investments owned by Sanjeev Gupta and his family. The Alliance is structured into three core industrial pillars; LIBERTY Steel Group, ALVANCE Aluminium Group and SIMEC Energy Group, independent of each other yet united through shared values and a purpose to create a sustainable future for industry and society. GFG Alliance employs 35,000 people, across 30 countries and has revenues of USD $20bn. GFG Alliance is the leader of the sustainable industry with the goal to become carbon neutral by 2030 (CN30 strategy).

libertysteelgroup.com/cz

www.LIBERTYsteelgroup.com

www.gfgalliance.com