The management of steel reinforcement is not an area that is traditionally associated with IT innovations, but with the arrival of the SteelPac suite of products in the Middle East this is all about to change, according to Constructive Technologies, the creator of the software.

The SteelPac tools enable the creation, and subsequently the seamless transfer, of electronic bar bending schedules between all members of the reinforcement supply chain.
SteelPac products are used widely in the UK by consulting engineers, contractors on site and the reinforcement suppliers themselves. Bar bending schedules can be prepared quickly and accurately with automatic weight and cut length calculations. SteelPac also offers compatibility with all major CAD type packages and can import schedules created in this manner.
Crucially, all schedules created or imported are automatically validated against the relevant standard and any problem bar marks or other errors are immediately highlighted for correction. This eliminates the need for extensive manual checking and prevents errors being discovered by the supplier and the potential delays that can follow.
John Steele, general manager of Douglas OHI, has pioneered the use of SteelPac in the Gulf for the company's project in Oman for the Diwan of Royal Court Affairs.
Steele comments: "Upon implementing the SteelPac system, the benefits were immediate. Bending schedules are created much more speedily and accurately. Under and over ordering has been eliminated and this has improved scrap and waste levels, delivering hard cost savings.  Information is clearer and readily available at the push of a button to steel fixers, engineers and the QS (quantity surveyor) alike. This has enabled us to offer a much faster response time to queries from the client and other interested parties, and therefore improving our service."
Following this successful launch project, software house Constructive Technologies is now introducing SteelPac across the entire Gulf region. The rapid adoption of SteelPac by UK contractors is also expected in the region, as contractors see a requirement to take control of their reinforcement needs in order to eliminate costly errors, waste, and duplication of effort that occurs today.
Reinforcement suppliers also benefit from SteelPac, so much so that every major rebar supplier in the UK has invested in the system in order that it is  able to receive steel fabrication notices electronically, says Constructive Technologies. Bending schedules can also be quickly and accurately created, with fully automated validation, and with the ability to electronically issue for approval, if required.
Constructive Technologies is now pleased to announce full compatibility between SteelPac and Ariadis production software which has been in use in the region since 1994.
Kelvin Dagless of Corporate Technology says: "With Ariadis now being compatible with the SteelPac technology, I believe that this will be the catalyst for manufacturers and contractors working together and achieving shorter ordering and supply times without the risk of error. In addition to this, SteelPac also gives both parties a complete history of what has been ordered, and what remains to be ordered - with SteelPac even being sensitive to revision updates."
Although the technology is relatively new to the region, SteelPac has been thoroughly 'tried and tested' in the UK on a significant number of the UK's largest projects. Contractors such as Laing O'Rourke, Carillion, PC Harrington, Costain, Sir Robert McAlpine and AMEC - to name just a few - all see the benefits.
According to Andrew Woolnough, managing director of Constructive Technologies: "The beauty of the new system is that the technology is so easy to use that training of even computer-shy people is complete within a couple of hours.cost savings, therefore, become available immediately."
Contractors, reinforcement suppliers and consulting engineer who are involved with reinforcement can now take advantage of a real improvement in working practice with the SteelPac solution.