Ironworker (Reinforcing) Study Guide — Year 1

Year 1 Exam Topics

Study each topic below — these are the core knowledge areas tested in Year 1. Build a solid foundation here before advancing to Year 2 material.

📖Rebar Grades (Canadian)

📖Rebar Sizes

📖Bar Bending — Hooks & Stirrups

🏗️Concrete Cover Requirements

✂️Rebar Chairs & Spacers

Chairs support bottom steel at correct cover above formwork
High chairs: for large cover requirements (75 mm+); must be stable under foot traffic
Plastic-tipped wire chairs: standard for floor slabs — protect against corrosion path
Spacing of chairs: max 1.2 m for #15 and smaller; 1.8 m for #20 and larger

🦺Safety — Reinforcing Work

Impalement protection: cap all vertical rebar with mushroom caps or bend flat
Fall protection when working on rebar mats above 3 m — difficult; use safety nets/harness
Rebar bundles must be rigged securely — use spreader bars for long bundles
Hard hats, CSA safety boots, leather gloves required at all times

Study each topic below — these are the core knowledge areas tested in Year 1. Build a solid foundation here before advancing to Year 2 material.

📖Lap Splice Lengths — CSA A23.3

Class A splice (compression zone): 1.0 × ld (development length)
Class B splice (tension zone, <50% bars spliced at same point): 1.3 × ld
Development length (ld) depends on: bar size, concrete strength, cover, bar spacing
Staggering splices: offset by 1.3 × ld minimum to avoid stress concentration

📐Development Length Formula

ld = (0.45 × fy × db) / (λ × √f'c) — simplified formula per CSA A23.3
fy = steel yield (MPa), db = bar diameter (mm), f'c = concrete strength (MPa)
λ = concrete factor: 1.0 for normal weight, 0.85 for semi-low density
Reduction factors apply when: extra cover, more than required steel, ties present

📖Post-Tensioning vs Pre-Tensioning

Pre-tensioned: steel stressed before concrete is placed; prestress transferred by bond
Post-tensioned: steel stressed after concrete reaches strength; anchored at ends via hardware
Grouted tendons (bonded): grout fills duct after stressing for corrosion protection
Unbonded tendons: wrapped in grease and sheathing; no grout — monostrand common in slabs

📖Epoxy-Coated Rebar

Used in bridge decks, parking garages, marine structures — corrosive environments
Increased development length required: coating reduces bond strength (~25% longer ld)
Damaged coating must be repaired with approved epoxy touch-up stick before placing
Cannot mix epoxy-coated and uncoated bars in same splice — galvanic corrosion risk

🏗️Reading Structural Drawings

Structural drawing notation: "4-#20 T&B" = 4 bars, size #20, top and bottom
Section cuts show reinforcing layout through beams and columns
Bar marks (B1, B2, T1…): key to bending schedule — match mark to drawing location
Bending schedule gives: mark, bar size, shape code, cut length, and quantity

📖Placing Sequences

Footings first: place bottom mat, then top mat with correct cover and chair spacing
Walls: vertical bars first, then horizontal bars tied at every intersection
Beams: bottom steel with stirrups slid on; top steel last; ties at ends doubled
Columns: vertical bars in cage, tied with spiral or rectangular ties per drawing