MANILA, Philippines — Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez wants to put an end to the prevailing debate over the safety of quenched-tempered (QT) steel, saying that experts and researches have already proven that it poses no risk for use in high-rise construction.
“The issue on QT steel has kept on coming back. It must be emphasized that technical experts and researches and product tests have proven that QT steel passed strict standard tests, and the technology in this type of steel has been adopted in almost all countries for over 20 years. Let the metallurgical engineers and experts talk,” Lopez said.
Lopez said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) remains firm in its stance that QT steel bar is safe for use in high-rise construction amid allegations surrounding its safety.
The DTI pointed out that the soundness and resiliency of a structure is not dependent on steel alone, but also on several other materials such as concrete, which is a composite material composed of coarse and fine aggregates bonded by cement and water.
“It possesses high compressive strength but is in need of reinforcement to increase its yield strength, and this is where steel bars come in. These are used to reinforce concrete enabling structures to serve their purpose, with safety as the main design consideration,” the agency said.
In terms of resiliency to earthquakes and other natural phenomenon, whether horizontal or vertical, the DTI said this is again not dependent solely on steel but also on multiple variables such as location, soil quality, land use practices, foundation, distance from the fault line, materials, application of earthquake resistant building codes and practices, size of structure, and design execution, among others.
“Collectively, these are considered to mitigate the effects of earthquakes. The nature of the earthquake also has an effect as its behavior can vary,” it said.
The DTI last week issued a statement saying that it found no factual or technical basis to support the allegation that QT steel is unsafe for high-rise construction after a series of talks with the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute, Philippine Constructors Association, Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines, and other relevant stakeholders.
The agency said studies and tests conducted by the Department of Science and Technology–Metal Industry Research and Development Center, DTI-Bureau of Philippine Standards, and the American Society of Testing Materials have affirmed its safety.
“The DTI upholds its commitment to ensure quality and safety of products, particularly construction materials used in the Golden Age of Infrastructure with the national government’s Build Build Build program,” the DTI said.