Nikki Coseteng raises concern over new line of steel bar

Former Senator Nikki Coseteng has expressed concern over the use of quenched tempered (QT/TMT) steel in the country which she claimed poses a big risk when used in high-rise buildings and could be a failure in case the Big One hits the country.

Coseteng made the reaction after she came across a study entitled "A Clear and Present Danger 2 - The Use of QT or TMT Bars in Seismic Zone 4" written by engineer Emilio Morales which has been uploaded on the internet 10 years ago.

The paper, she said, showed that micro alloy (MA) steel has been replaced with QT/TMT rebars that have a brittle, outer skin, when tested, will pass for Grade 60 steel, but the inner core will only be Grade 40 after welding, bending, threading and galvanizing.

Despite the warning, major steel manufacturers have taken it upon themselves without informing the contractors, engineers, architects, end-users and the public, to replace the MA steel bars with QT/TMT, she said.

                                                                                       Micro alloy steel

"The steel will also fail in the case of a fire or an earthquake," said Coseteng during a press conference held at the Anabel's Restaurant in Quezon City. Joining her and Morales was Atty. Rodel Taton, of the Consumer Union of the Philippines.

When asked what should have been done, Coseteng said that the public should have been informed of the QT/TMT bars in addition to the MA rebars.

"The production of MA steel bars should have been continued so that the public could have an informed and intelligent choice," she said.

                                                                                 Quenched tempered bars

But the building industry has been left with no choice but to use the QT/TMT bars for single storey-structures all the way up to 75 storeys, Coseteng added.

"Who will take the responsibility in case of fire or an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 when buildings usi ng QT/TMT bars will stand the high risk of partially or totally collapsing?" the former senator asked.

Coseteng said that she is counting on concerned authorities to get to the bottom of it now before the Big One hits and not in another 10 years.

"Now that all of this is public knowledge, what is government going to do now about high-rise buildings constructed in the last 10 to 12 years that have used QT/TMT rebars?" she added. - ROBERT REQUINTINA