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WELDED WIRE REINFORCEMENT: THE HIDDEN COST ADVANTAGE

FINDLAY, OHIO, March 12, 2001 - When it comes time for a big construction project, it's always important to keep the costs under control. One of the options that architects, engineers and contractors should consider when trying to save money on a project is the use of welded wire reinforcement (WWR) for their concrete reinforcement needs. More commonly known as wire mesh or fabric, welded wire acts like rebar for strengthening concrete, but welded wire allows for many more advantages than traditional tied steel rods.

"This year actually marks welded wire reinforcement's 100 year anniversary. It's a very popular construction tool in Europe, where it accounts for more than 50% of all concrete reinforcement projects. However in the United States, it only makes up 2% of all jobs," says Ron DeArmond, a project manager for Harris Rebar in Oakland, California. DeArmond has spent the last 15 years selling and detailing mesh in both the San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles areas as owner of DeArmond Detail and Design. "What many in the construction industry don't realize is that WWR will help them save money on construction projects. Using it involves more planning up front and a slightly higher material cost, but mesh will help speed up a project and save money in the long run."

DeArmond says there are a number of advantages to welded wire reinforcement:

Decreased Man Hours: The first and probably most important advantage of WWR, especially in today's tight labor market, is it helps save money on employee costs. As labor costs continue to skyrocket it's becoming harder and harder for contractors to fill employment rolls. This means the clock is always ticking on a construction project and the faster it can be completed, the more money that is left in the pockets of the developer.

"Because welded wire sheets come to the job site ready for assembly, their average setup time is less than half of that of rebar," says DeArmond. "This translates directly into lower labor costs. Contractors don't have to pay to have employees tie the bars together like they do rebar. The labor cost savings for WWR is probably its strongest advantage over rebar. Architects, engineers and contractors have been reluctant to use WWR because when they are drawing up the specs on a bid, they tend to go for the least expensive option on paper. It's easy to say I'm spending less on material costs by purchasing rebar, but it's harder to explain to someone how they'll save money on labor when they spend more up front on WWR. It's a mistake that people keep on making."

Reduced Inspection Times: Another way that WWR can help save time and money on a project is by reducing the time needed for inspection. No one will argue the fact that proper inspection is vital to the success of a construction project. But a lengthy inspection can slow the construction process down. Mesh eliminates the need for long inspections.

"Welded wire's real strength lies with large applications that consist of typical components like tilt-ups, roads and drainage systems," says DeArmond. "When projects use rebar, the inspection process takes large amounts of time because the inspector has to review all the ties. But with welded wire reinforcement, there are very few ties and the accuracy is guaranteed to be high. This means the inspector will be able to check out a few ties and the wire itself and then leave the job site. The less time the inspector has to be on your job site, the less you have to worry and the more time you can spend building."

For example, DeArmond tells the story of the time that he was involved with sheet piling for one of the wharfs in San Francisco. Instead of using #4 rebar, his company used WWR. When the inspector came to the site, he only needed to look at a few sheets, instead of inspecting 300 ft of ties. By reducing the inspector's time, the project ran faster and smoother.

Accelerate Your Pour Times: Another advantage with wire is pour times are accelerated compared to comparable rebar projects, which allows for tight schedules and faster completion times.

"Welded wire reinforcement helps reduced or maintain the pour cycle. The contractor who is running the job will always be striving for the best speed and accuracy from their sub-contractors," says DeArmond. "If they meet or exceed the pour cycle, that translates into money in the contractor's pocket and creates a better flow on the job. WWR is a great tool to help do this."

Decreased Supervisory Needs: "WWR also helps save manpower in another way. It gives contractors the ability to reduce the number of foremen needed for the job. This is because the spacings are already laid out," says DeArmond. "Contractors don't need as many foremen as they would when they're doing a rebar project. Instead of supervising a crew tying off the rebar, one foreman can keep track of the job. This type of advantage really becomes noticeable in projects like bean pockets, columns and slabs."

Most of welded wire reinforcement's advantages lie with increasing time and reducing manpower. So why aren't more contractors and engineers taking advantage of its benefits? The main disadvantage with WWR is it involves an increased amount of planning in the pre-building stage so that the correct type of assemblies can be ordered. Cages are project specific and this means there will be an amount of time that will lapse between ordering and site delivery. However, even when this is taken into account, WWR is still less expensive and allows for faster construction time.

"What contractors, architects and engineers have to do is educate themselves in the advantages of WWR and how to incorporate it into their plans and bidding process," says DeArmond. "When it comes time to quote out a project, people look at the materials expense. But with welded wire reinforcement you have to look at the labor costs and factor those savings versus the materials expenses. You have to get the guy in the field to buy into WWR's use and savings so he can focus on other things."

DeArmond suggests to those involved in a project, to first price out the project in terms of rebar. Then compare the costs if the project was done with welded wire reinforcement, factoring in the approximate savings of time and labor. The math will show that WWR will result in a quicker project and less build costs. DeArmond says material costs will never equate to more than what is saved in labor.

"You have to look to Europe to see examples of how to incorporate WWR into projects. In Europe, it's normal for design engineers to meet with welded wire manufacturers and talk about what their needs are," says DeArmond. "Manufacturers also show the designers what new products they have and what their machines can do. The designer then uses the information that he's gathered from his visits to design buildings. I was astounded when I saw this relationship. In the US, nothing like this exists. It boils down to the fact that in Europe, the planners look to the manufacturers to see what they can do. In America, the planners go to the manufacturers after designing their project. This means they aren't working with WWR in mind."

DeArmond says he knows welded wire fabric is an under-considered component of modern construction and hopes that engineers and developers will start to look at it more. "The challenge lies in educating the engineers and the fabricators in the advantages of WWR and have them start thinking of how to use it when they are in their planning stages. Once they start thinking of WWR, it will appear in blueprint specs and then more people will start using it," he says. "Additionally, we need to educate people about the fact that WWR is no longer just light gauge material. In fact, some manufacturers are making sheets using wire up to 3/4" thick. If welded wire reinforcement isn't in the specs, people won't realize that there is a choice and won't take advantage of the better material. I think it's only a matter of time before people start to look at ways to save money during construction and will see WWR as a viable option."

The Wire Reinforcement Institute is the concrete construction industry's leading source for timely, objective and credible information on the uses and benefits of Welded Wire Reinforcement (WWR) mesh and related products. WRI's works closely with government agencies, allied industries and organizations to ensure the most accurate, up-to-date codes, standards, specifications and regulatory requirements. WRI works to promote the superior performance attributes of WWR products across the full range of reinforcement applications. For more information on welded wire reinforcement call WRI at (800) 552-4WRI [4974], or visit our website at www.wirereinforcementinstitute.org.

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