Stainless steel rebar is uncommon for the same reasons galvanized rebar and epoxy coated rebar are not common.
As materials they are massively more expensive than carbon steel and first cost matters because public infrastructure is financed with bonds and financial markets dictate bond terms of 30-40 years.
To put it another way, any belief that construction markets are inefficient is statistically a dunning-kruger to too many sigmas. Construction goes back at least as far as anything we call as civilization.
bell-cot · 2d ago
I might take the article seriously if it openly admitted that anti-rust coatings on rebar have been a thing for a century-ish, then talked honestly about which applications this new tech was actually better for.
One clear downside to stainless-coated rebar: During construction, rebar is very commonly welded. Welding stainless ain't just the same tools & techniques as welding conventional rebar. Plus, welding stainless gets you into chromium hazmat territory.
As materials they are massively more expensive than carbon steel and first cost matters because public infrastructure is financed with bonds and financial markets dictate bond terms of 30-40 years.
To put it another way, any belief that construction markets are inefficient is statistically a dunning-kruger to too many sigmas. Construction goes back at least as far as anything we call as civilization.
One clear downside to stainless-coated rebar: During construction, rebar is very commonly welded. Welding stainless ain't just the same tools & techniques as welding conventional rebar. Plus, welding stainless gets you into chromium hazmat territory.