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'Import steel bars that are up to scratch'

THE JAMAICA Bureau of Standards (JBS) has reminded importers of reinforcing steel bars that the bars should satisfy the requirements of the compulsory Jamaican standard.

Reinforcing steel bars are used to strengthen the concrete in buildings, bridges and other structures.

Dorr Campbell, deputy director of the engineering group at the JBS, told the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) that compulsory standards were set for products that affected safety, health and the environment.

He said the local standard - JS 33:2000 - had been promulgated as a compulsory standard, because the island was situated in a high risk earthquake zone.

"Bars are an integral part of concrete structures that provide much of the mechanical strength," he said.

Mr. Campbell said over the years the Bureau had enforced the standards "as there is a need to have safe buildings". He noted that the Caribbean Steel Company used to produce all steel bars used in Jamaica, "but they are closed for a few years now and all bars are now imported mainly from Turkey".

However, he pointed out, from time to time the Bureau has found bars that did not conform to the standards. Those bars were denied entry into the island, he added.

"We have always detected them because we have a very tight import monitoring programme and all bars coming into Jamaica are sampled and tested by the Bureau...," he reported.

He indicated that the JBS had an arrangement with the Customs Department where "they will not clear bars unless the Bureau provides an entry release certificate".

The deputy group director said one of the reasons the bureau was reminding the public about reinforcing bars "is that sometimes the non-conforming bars come into the island for specific projects and when we deny entry it causes delays and additional cost on projects".

"We want to avoid this problem," said Mr. Campbell.

Calling on project managers, importers and contractors to ensure that they use only bars that conform to local standards, he pointed out that copies of the Jamaican Standard were available at the Bureau's offices at 6 Winchester Road, Kingston 10.

He said that the Jamaican standard specified requirements over and above those of countries, which are not situated in earthquake zones. "For example, bars which satisfy the British Standards, BS4449, or the American Standard, ASTM A615, may not satisfy the Jamaican Standard," he added.

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