SAUDI Metal Coating Company (Sacco), which claims to be the world’s largest rebar coater, reports excellent business over the past three years with sales virtually doubling year on year.

“We are currently working on a lot of projects and hence believe this year will be a good one for Sacco,” says Mathews Varghese, a spokesman for Sacco.
Sacco offers an effective solution to protect steel reinforcing bars from corrosion with its high-quality premium fusion-bonded epoxy-coated rebar (FBECR), both as straight and fabricated products.
“Technical studies have proved that corrosion of steel reinforcement is the cause for early deterioration and failure of concrete structures. Corroded iron exerts tremendous pressure on the concrete, causing the concrete to crack and spall, allowing even greater access of corrosive agents to the steel and accelerated deterioration of the structure,” he points out.

Electrochemical corrosion process

Why FBECR?
To avoid concrete failures and extend the life expectancy of concrete structures, various methods and technologies were researched and developed. Engineers and researchers have proved that fusion-bonded epoxy coating is the most practical and scientific way for protecting steel reinforcement against corrosion, he says. “Its over-25-years of use in North America and the Middle East has confirmed that the concrete structures utilising FBEC rebars have shown excellent results against concrete failure, spalling or cracks due to corrosion.”
The advantages of FBECR include provision of good bonding with concrete; permanent protection against corrosion; elimination of maintenance cost; and extension of a structure’s life expectancy at minimal additional cost, he adds.
Sacco was the first Saudi company licensed in 1985 to protect steel reinforcing bars from corrosion using the fusion-bonded epoxy coating method. It commenced commercial operation in its first plant in Dammam in 1992.
The company owns the first fully-integrated plant of its kind in the Middle East for producing FBECR and operates sophisticated state-of-the-art plant and machinery for manufacturing and marketing of standard and custom-fabricated items for the construction industry in the region.
The company’s product line includes FBECR; black reinforcing bars; fabrication (cut and bend) of coated rebars; and fabrication (cut and bend) of black rebars.
Sacco’s epoxy-coated and fabricated rebar products covers a large number of applications needed for environmental protection and strength and is popular in both the domestic and export markets, he adds.
Sacco became the world’s largest rebar coater when it installed its third coating line last year. The second and third line can coat 18 bars at a time, each up to 15 m long and all three lines together can coat more than 200,000 tonnes per year.
Its automated production facilities are run by a team of expert technicians to ensure customer satisfaction and to respond to the changing needs of customers.
“The company has adopted and implemented a quality management system (QMS) as per ISO 9001:2000 to ensure that the FBECR meets the highest level of customer satisfaction,” says the spokesman.
Its deformed reinforcing bars are manufactured as per ASTM A-615 Grade 60; coating application is as per ASTM A 775/Saudi Aramco standards 09-SAMSS-106, and Sabic Engineering Standards B51 S01 and B51 S02; and fabrication (cut and bend) as per ASTM D-3963.
“Our products fully meet customers’ needs and the large number of repeat orders stand testimony to our customers’ trust in the company. We are proud of our in-house expertise in the production of fabricated items as per customer’s requirements. The wide range of steel rebar sizes commonly required is available in stock to meet urgent needs,” he says.
Sacco’s products are widely accepted throughout the Middle East, and are approved by: Saudi Aramco; Royal Commission Jubail and Yanbu; Saline Water Conversion Company (SWCC); Saudi Electric Company; Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic); Saudi Telephone Company; and other ministries in the Gulf region.
“Currently, the major projects that Sacco is supplying to include Aramco’s Manifa Causeway project (24,000 tonnes); SWCC’s Shoiaba Power Plant (8,000 tonnes); Jeddah Municipality’s drainage project (25,000 tonnes); and Ministry of Transportation’s roads and bridges project (20,000 tonnes),” Varghese says.
“Some of the outstanding projects that Sacco has supplied to in the past include Aramco’s Khursaniah Gas Plant, in 2006; all major road bridges in the kingdom; King Abdulla University; and the olefins plant in Yanbu.”
Speaking about the current downturn that has affected global economies worldwide, Varghese says: “In Saudi Arabia, the effect of global recession is not as acute as in other countries. However, the price of steel is already made low to combat recession. We are trying to promote the use of epoxy steel where uncoated is specified in the private sector.”

Mechanism of protection