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Stainless steel wires play a crucial role in modern construction and infrastructure projects. Made from steel alloys comprising chromium, these wires have excellent corrosion resistance, strength, and durability – making them ideal for use in concrete structures and buildings.

The Wire Rod Mill at Viraj is India’s largest and one of the world’s finest mills, with high-end automation facilities for bright bar manufacturers, solution annealing, soft annealing and pickling, resulting in wire rods of globally approved quality standards. Viraj manufactures stainless steel wires ranging from 0.08 mm to 16 mm. The products manufactured at Viraj are of globally agreed standards: ASTM, DIN, BS, JIS, NACE, AWS, GOST, etc., international standards and per specific customer requirements.

Testing Facilities at Viraj:

Our Wire Rod plant has state-of-the-art lab and testing facilities. Some of the critical testing facilities available at the plant are:

• Computerized Tensile Testing Machine
• Bend Testing
• Wrap Testing
• Torsion Testing Machine
• Hardness Testing Machine
• IGC Testing Facilities
• Cold Upset Test Facility
• PMI Tester
• Chemical Composition Analysers
• Radioactive Contamination Testing

Role of stainless steel wires in construction and infrastructure

Reinforced Concrete Structures: One of the most common uses of stainless steel wires is reinforced concrete. The corrosion resistance ability of these wires enables them to stand well even when exposed to chlorides or marine environments. Stainless steel reinforcement bars (rebar) and tension wires bring crack control, flexibility, and durability to concrete structures. Builders also rely on stainless steel fiber reinforcements as an alternative to traditional rebar, especially in locations prone to earthquakes.

Prestressed Concrete: Stainless steel strands and wires are preferred for prestressed concrete design. In this technique, the cables are stretched and anchored to introduce compressive stresses into the concrete. Since the wire remains free from corrosion damage, it can continue to provide tension to the concrete for decades. Bridges, nuclear containment structures, pipes, tank covers, and slabs are prestressed concrete applications using stainless wires.

Stay Cables: Vertical cables attach the road deck with pylons or towers in suspension and cable-stayed bridges. Stainless steel wires are used to construct these stay cables as they can withstand tension loading, vibration, wind effects and humidity. The light reflectivity of stainless steel also gives an excellent aesthetic appeal to the wires. Bridge builders further protect the stainless lines using HDPE or galvanized steel pipe coverings.

Structural Applications: Builders prefer stainless steel wires over other materials like mild steel for tension structural components. Austenitic and duplex stainless wire and strands also find application in areas with temperatures ranging between -200 to 300 degrees Celsius.

Masonry Reinforcement: Stainless steel wire meshes embedded within mortar joints are functional reinforcement materials for masonry walls. They enhance the structural integrity and shear strength capacity of brick, block, stone, and glass block walls. The non-corroding nature of stainless steel makes it suitable to withstand prolonged exposure to moisture from the mortar. Stainless steel wire manufactured at Viraj has been applied in various industries, from meshes and nets to fastening cables.

Stainless Steel Wires make modern infrastructure resilient and long-lasting. The stainless steel manufactured at the Wire Rod Mill at Viraj is majorly used in industries like shipbuilding, medical, agriculture, springs, vineyard, agriculture, chemical, petroleum, automobile, weaving braiding, fastener, food processing, paper mills, welding electrode, & household applications etc. At Viraj, we are moving towards advancements in steel melting, continuous casting, rolling, and wire drawing, allowing us to manufacture stainless steel wires in an economical and eco-friendly manner.