Steel Buyer Guides

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For importers & contractors

Pipes, wire, rebar and sections — practical buying guides

Binding Wire per Ton of Rebar: How to Estimate Tie Wire for a Site

How many kg of binding wire per ton of rebar? Work it out from bar size, spacing and tie type, with worked tables for slabs and a site ordering checklist.

Seamless vs ERW Pipe for Oil & Gas Water Lines: When It Matters

Seamless vs ERW pipe for firewater, produced water and injection lines: design code joint factors, API 5L PSL1/PSL2, sour service and a buying checklist.

Solar Mounting Steel: C-Channel vs Square Tube vs Z-Purlin

Solar mounting structure steel compared: galvanized C-channel, square tube and Z-purlin by role, span, coating class and shipping, plus an EPC buying checklist.

Rebar Container Shipping: How Many Tons Fit in 20ft, 40ft or Bulk

How much rebar fits in a 20ft or 40ft container, why 12 m bars are a problem, bundle sizes, pieces per ton, and when break-bulk shipping makes more sense.

SAE1008 Wire Rod for Nail Making: What Drawing Plants Check

SAE1008 wire rod for nail and wire drawing plants: chemistry limits, how it compares with Q195 and SAE1006, rod size, coil checks and a purchase order checklist.

EN 39 Scaffolding Tube 48.3 mm: Type 3 vs Type 4 Explained

EN 39 scaffolding tube 48.3 mm compared: Type 3 (3.2 mm) vs Type 4 (4.0 mm) wall, weight per metre, steel grade, mixing rules and an import buying checklist.

IBR vs Corrugated Roofing Sheet: Profile Choice for Africa

IBR or corrugated roofing sheet for East and Southern Africa? Compare cover width, rib shape, minimum roof pitch, fixing, side laps and what to put on a purchase order.

Hot-Dip vs Electro-Galvanized Wire for Coastal Fencing

Why electro-galvanized fence wire rusts within a few seasons near the sea, how much zinc coastal fencing needs, and how to specify and check hot-dip wire.

Rebar Shipment Inspection on Arrival: Markings, Weight, Bend Test

A receiving routine for imported rebar: match bundle tags to the mill certificate, read the rolled markings, run a weight deviation check and a bend test on site.

BS 1387 Galvanized Pipe Weight Chart: Light, Medium, Heavy (kg/m)

BS 1387 / EN 10255 pipe weight chart in kg per metre for Light, Medium and Heavy class, ½" to 6", plus how to turn tons into lengths and check a quotation.

ASTM A500 Grade B vs Grade C Square Tube for Steel Structures

ASTM A500 Grade B vs Grade C square and rectangular tube: yield and tensile strength, chemistry, dual certification and when Grade C is worth ordering.

HRB400 vs B500B vs ASTM A615 Grade 60: Rebar Grades Compared for Importers

How Chinese HRB400/HRB500, British BS 4449 B500B and American ASTM A615 Grade 60 rebar compare on strength, ductility and markings, and when one can replace another.

BWG Wire Gauge Chart: Binding Wire Sizes in mm, Weight per km and Metres per kg

Complete BWG 8–22 wire gauge chart with mm diameter, kg per km and metres per kg, plus which gauge to use for rebar tying, fencing, mesh and nails.

BS 1387 vs ASTM A53 Galvanized Pipe: Which Standard Should You Order?

BS 1387 (EN 10255) and ASTM A53 galvanized pipe compared: wall thickness, threads, zinc coating and which markets use each. A practical guide for importers in Africa, the Gulf and Southeast Asia.