All thread rod as rebar

[UncleSam]

Yeah if you are building a bridge over a river don’t use it. For a garage floor you are 1000000000000000% fine. People are extreme and don’t understand that the addition of that steel will make the concrete stronger and regardless of the alloy or the no-perfectly-ideal profile isn’t going to matter. If you are that concerned about where you are placing a lift or something then add a few sheets of highway mesh overlapped that is wired to the threaded Rod. Wire all the threaded Rod together with galvanized rebar wire and use the proper shoes to raise off the ground, make sure your have contacted the soil base properly, and you are several times as strong as concrete without the added steel and you are several hundreds or thousands richer. when I see people get in a panic about a garage floor and comments like this, I become acutely aware that they haven’t lived long enough or poured enough concrete to even understand what makes a good concrete job and ultimately there are many other factors that will lead to either success or failure and most of them are dependent on the preparation of the pour and the way the masons do their work. Is the concrete evenly thick? Is it high quality and high tensile strength? Is it kept wet for a period of time, is it poured in the right temperature conditions, is the base compacted properly? Etc. the use of this somewhat weaker steel isn’t going to destroy your floor which will probably be very overbuilt for whatever use you intend even without the steel if done properly by skilled hands. Most of us don’t have tractor trailers or giant 40,000 lb equipment in our garages.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I can bend 3/8 rebar across my knee up to about 180 degrees. Not sure I could do that with all thread. Never tried.

The two have different compositions. Not sure if that affects strength, or if it matters. I'd guess if you tried to bend all thread too tight, it would snap like a bolt.

But I'd be tempted to use it if it was free.

I live right near a T post steel mill. They make grade 80 rebar here too. If you are a real HE MAN and could bend it, it will snap. 1/2" nope, not bending that. I have a big Klein rebar bender, it don't want none of that grade 80. I've about ruined it trying. I've cut some with a torch and used it as a punch. Chewed up the face on an Estwing hammer. Those hammers are tough.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

No way I'd use all thread as rebar. All thread can be used for other things. I'd buy all you have.

 

[kyryder]

At a work project they were going to put several hundred feet of all thread rod in the dumpster as the job was complete. Most is in 12 foot long sticks. Most 1/2 inch, some 3/8s. I have no near future use for it but have a concrete project coming up. Can I use it instead of rebar for the concrete?

I would sell the all thread, it's so commonly used it should be easy to sell.
I would use rebar, and concrete with fiberglass strands from the plant.
My biggest concern would be the all thread rusting over time, expanding and cracking the concrete. If you think concrete with rebar is expensive, it's much cheaper than tearing out cracked concrete, rusty all thread and starting over.

 

[Sprinkler Fitter]

I should have been more specific. This is for a slab pour that will be inside and really have nothing heavy on it.

My question to you is what is this concrete slab for? If you’re putting a house on it, I’d suggest no. Rebar is significantly stronger and able to support the stress and movement of the concrete more than these rods. However, if it’s purpose is something else, say a patio or for a barn or parking structure, go ahead.

I have to question what is the concrete project. There are projects that I would have no issues with using the all thread. Then there are projects that I would not consider putting all thread in at all.
I have used all thread for lots of projects, and 1 point I can tell you for a fact is that at 3/8” and 1/2” all thread, it will bend a little bit and then break unless you change its tensile strength usually with heat. Rebar is a relatively soft tensile and easily bent.
As for fencing and such in place of concrete wire as mentioned fence is flexible although probably not as strong as it tends to be thinner.

Yeah if you are building a bridge over a river don’t use it. For a garage floor you are 1000000000000000% fine. People are extreme and don’t understand that the addition of that steel will make the concrete stronger and regardless of the alloy or the no-perfectly-ideal profile isn’t going to matter. If you are that concerned about where you are placing a lift or something then add a few sheets of highway mesh overlapped that is wired to the threaded Rod. Wire all the threaded Rod together with galvanized rebar wire and use the proper shoes to raise off the ground, make sure your have contacted the soil base properly, and you are several times as strong as concrete without the added steel and you are several hundreds or thousands richer. when I see people get in a panic about a garage floor and comments like this, I become acutely aware that they haven’t lived long enough or poured enough concrete to even understand what makes a good concrete job and ultimately there are many other factors that will lead to either success or failure and most of them are dependent on the preparation of the pour and the way the masons do their work. Is the concrete evenly thick? Is it high quality and high tensile strength? Is it kept wet for a period of time, is it poured in the right temperature conditions, is the base compacted properly? Etc. the use of this somewhat weaker steel isn’t going to destroy your floor which will probably be very overbuilt for whatever use you intend even without the steel if done properly by skilled hands. Most of us don’t have tractor trailers or giant 40,000 lb equipment in our garages.

The first quote he said what it was for last week.

 

[MT Kioti]

I've been in construction inspection for 40 years.

Rebar is high carbon, graded and generally at least 40 grade usually 60 grade. (Very hard, very strong). All thread can come in different grades, but generally the off-the-shelf stuff is mild steel, same as a grade 2 bolt (different grading system).

While using this in your concrete won't do any harm, it won't replace rebar for adding additional strength. In other words. If you need rebar, use rebar as well.

 

[5030]

When I poured the 40x40 addition on my shop, I used cattle panels which I had on hand after we sold off all the stock for matting. Been in there over 10 years now and no cracks anywhere.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I thought concrete reinforcing rods / mesh or whatever needed to be flexible / limp / droopy / soft or whatever.

Isn't threaded rod stiff / brittle compared?

I guess a lot depends on application of concrete for strength / support or whatever.

If for a 20 sq foot pad to put pool equipment on or landing at bottom of deck stairs no problems would be my guess.

If something larger / more structural like a bridge deck or shop floor for heavy equipment I wouldn't take the risk.

So no help here. My guess is it would depend on what the application and criticalness of project is.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Concrete is great for withstanding compression, steal is only added to take care of the tensile force and reduce the propagations of cracks and the concrete displacement ...

 

[Baldbigears]

Galvanized or coated I would say no. Rebar is bare, uncoated steel for a number of reasons.