The 500 MPa ribbed wire welded fabric is recognised throughout the world as the benchmark standard in reinforcing fabric. Smorgon Steel Reinforcing as an organisation embracing world's best practice, consider the product improves the efficient use of material in design and enhances the performance of structural concrete slabs. The increased yield strength gives more strength per kilogram of steel (approximately 10% more strength).

The ribbed profile wire has a greater ability to bond to concrete than plain wire does. This ability assists in minimizing the widths of cracks which form in the tensile zones of concrete flexural elements or as a consequence of shrinkage, which generally provides improved durability.

Smorgon Steel Reinforcing has made it easy to interchange the old F series plain wire fabric with the new RF series ARC Ribmesh™ equivalent. The familiar fabric configurations remain unchanged in both the square and rectangular fabrics and the downsize side lapping wires are still featured in the popular square fabrics.

ARC Ribmesh™ meets the requirements of the following Australian Standards:

• AS/NZS4671
• AS2870
• AS3600
• AS3735

Setting The Benchmark
The introduction of Smorgon Steel Reinforcing's new range of 500 MPa meshes, ARC Ribmesh 500™, brings with it a rationalisation of the current RF series as well as the introduction of a new L-class mesh classificiation system.

Key areas to note:

* The new range of ARC Ribmesh 500™ offers the same minimum yield stress as the current RF series of meshes

* Changes to some wire diameters, masses and cross sectional areas

* Improved consistency of ductility performance

* Carbon equivalent maximum value Ceq of 0.39

* Tensile strength to yield strength ratio Rm/Re > 1.03

* Uniform elongation Agt(%) > 1.5

* Manufactured from 100% recycled steel

* Australian made

* Manufactured in accordance with the new performance based AS/NZS 4671 Steel Reinforcing Materials standard.

Building on Success

* Maintaining a tradition of market leadership, innovation and technical excellence, Smorgon Steel Reinforcing was the first to introduce HARC Mesh (reduced lap fabric) in the 1980s, was a leader in promoting ribbed wire welded mesh products (ARC Ribmesh), and is now the first to introduce ARC Ribmesh 500™, the new range of commodity ribbed wire welded mesh products.

* Key benefits are strength, improved ductility, crack control, concrete bond and slab durability.

* This product builds on the success of ARC Ribmesh, has improved quality, is superior in performance and is internationally competitive.