Bar Marking

There are a number of important ways to identify reinforcing bar from the production mill to the fabrication shop to the job site. This documentation and marking system helps provide a wealth of useful information about the manufacturing and composition of each bar of reinforcing steel.

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Reinforcing Bar Markings
Learn how to read bar markings.

Reinforcing Bar Identification

Each individual reinforcing bar is manufactured with a series of individual markings:

The top letter or symbol identifies the producing mill and deformation pattern.

The next marking is the bar size.

The third marking symbol designates the manufacturing material — usually either "S" for carbon-steel (ASTM A615) or "W" for low-alloy steel (ASTM A706).

Finally, there will be a grade marking (4 or 5, for 420 or 520) or by the addition of one line (420) or two lines (520) that must be at least five deformations long.

Bar Tags

Bar tags provide the key to identifying rebar. A typical bar tag shows the number of pieces in a shipment of each bar. It also shows that the materials used to manufacture the bar conform to ASTM standards for reinforcing steel.

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Mill Test Reports

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Mill Test Reports
See what mill test reports tell you.

Certified mill test reports typically accompany each shipment of reinforcing bars. The mill reports certify that the reinforcing bar conforms to the project specifications and reveals the chemical composition of the reinforcing bar.

Generally, reinforcing steel bars are either carbon-steel (conforming to ASTM A615) or low-alloy steel (conforming to ASTM A706).

Mill Test Report
See a sample mill test report. (PDF)

Reinforcing bars typically come in two primary grades: Grade 60, which has a minimum yield strength of 60,000 psi, and Grade 75, which has a yield strength of 75,000 psi. The metric equivalents for these are Grade 420, which has an equivalent yield strength of 420 MPa (megapascals) and Grade 520, which has an equivalent yield strength of 520 MPa.

	CRSI Manual of Standard Practice The Manual of Standard Practice has been presenting the standards of the reinforcing steel industry since 1927. Every architect, engineering firm, construction company and inspection office that is involved with reinforced concrete should own a copy.

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