Seismic-grade steel push gains urgency after Mindanao earthquake

Industry groups urge DTI to enforce updated standards and restrict induction furnace-produced rebars amid safety concerns.

Calls to mandate seismic-grade steel in Philippine construction are gaining urgency in the wake of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that recently struck Mindanao, with regional and local industry groups urging the government to immediately enforce updated standards and prohibit the use of induction furnace (IF)-produced rebars that they say could compromise structural safety during earthquakes.

Speaking at the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay, South East Asia Iron and Steel Institute (SEAISI) chairman and ASEAN Iron and Steel Council (AISC) president Ronald Magsajo urged the government to ban IF steel and implement updated seismic-grade rebar standards currently pending with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

IF technology was banned in China in 2017 due to quality and environmental concerns, resulting in the shutdown of an estimated 120 million to 150 million tons of steelmaking capacity. Some of the mothballed equipment was later exported to other regions, including Southeast Asia.

The AISC has repeatedly warned governments in the region about the risks posed by IF-produced construction steel, arguing that the absence of primary refining makes it difficult to remove impurities from steel scrap used in production. A task force formed after recent earthquakes in Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia reaffirmed concerns that IF-produced reinforcing bars may be unsuitable for critical construction applications.

Several countries in the region, including Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore, have already imposed restrictions on the use of IF steel in public infrastructure projects, he said. The call also comes after the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) urged the DTI to fully implement the updated Philippine National Standard for Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement (PNS 49:2026), which mandates the use of seismic-grade steel for reinforced concrete structures nationwide.

READ: