Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. A (> pecewven”™
Quezon City Ie co JAN

Seventeenth Congress
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 8871

Introduced by Rep. Scott Davies S. Lanete, M.D.

AN ACT ORDAINING STANDARDIZATION OF STEEL REINFORCING BAR
QUALITY IN HIGH RISE INFRASTRUCTURES TO RESIST AGAINST WIND
AND EARTHQUAKE IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippines sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an area in the basin of the Pacific
Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. Ninety percent (90%) of
the world’s earthquakes, and eighty-one percent (81%) of the world’s largest
earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. According to the Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology, intense earthquakes will inevitably hit the Philippines’
most densely populated areas and provinces. Such events will possibly collapse
buildings, and consequently cause a catastrophic loss of life.

Aside from the earthquake threat, about twenty (20) major storms batter the
Philippines each year. According to Time Magazine, the Philippines is “the most
exposed country in the world to tropical storms.” The high winds these storms bring
pose significant risks to the stability of tall buildings.

High rise infrastructure is highly vulnerable to wind and earthquake damage.
With the advent of exponential growth and industrialization, large portions of
Philippine metropoles are comprised of these structures. These massive buildings,
ranging from condominium residences, office buildings, or recreational malls, now
tower over millions of Filipinos, who live, work, shop, stroll, and play in them every
day.

In the construction of these tall structures, steel reinforcing bars (“rebars”) have a
critical role. Rebars impart toughness and resiliency to a building's concrete body. If a
building's rebars were to fail under the stress of an earthquake or a typhoon’s violent
winds, the building would shatter and crumble. In this regard, the Philippine steel


industry has long recognized that steel rebars in high-rises must meet a minimum grade
of 60 to ensure adequate safety.

In recent years, Quench Tempered (“QI”) or Thermomechanically Treated
(‘TMT’) rebars (collectively “QT rebars”) have become commonly used in the
construction of high-rises in the Philippines. However, QT rebars have a fatal flaw -
only the outer skin of the rebar meets the minimum grade. Once this thin skin is stressed
or damaged, whether through welding, rebending or threading, the rebar experiences a
critical loss of strength. Ironically, any high-rise construction process will inevitably
involve some degree of welding, rebending or threading of rebars. Therefore, any new
high-rise building building constructed with QT rebars could have its strength already
dangerously compromised.

In fact, the structural codes of seismically active countries, such as Taiwan,
Australia, and New Zealand, already prohibit or discourage the use of QT rebars in
high-rise buildings.

In contrast, higher quality microalloyed rebars have a consistent hardness and
toughness throughout their entire cross-section, not just the outer skin.

Hence, in order to mitigate damage and loss of life, there is a need to standardize
the use of high-quality rebars in all high rise infrastructures across the nation. The use
of higher quality rebars which are more resistant to the effects of wind and earthquakes
should be made mandatory in high-rise infrastructures. Furthermore, these rebars
should have embossed labels and grades (not merely color-coded) so as to ensure
quality control. After all, the safety and welfare of Filipinos should never be
compromised.

To attain these objectives, it should be the policy of the Government to promote

the welfare, economic progress, and industrialization of the country through #
standardization of steel reinforcing bar quality in high rise infrastructures.

(xe Davies S. Lanete, M.D.



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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS )
OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
Third Regular Session )

House of Representatives
House Bill No. Exe!

Introduced by Rep. Scott Davies S. Lanete, M.D.

AN ACT ORDAINING STANDARDIZATION OF STEEL REINFORCING BAR
QUALITY IN HIGH RISE INFRASTRUCTURES TO RESIST AGAINST WIND
AND EARTHQUAKE IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Wind &
Earthquake Resistance Standardization Act of 2019 (PWERSA).”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - Powerful earthquakes and typhoons pose a
constant threat because the Philippines sits on the Ring of Fire, and in the midst of the
Pacific cyclone corridor. In particular, high-rise structures are extremely vulnerable to
these natural disasters. Earthquakes and typhoons could knock down or damage
buildings, and possibly cause catastrophic loss of life. The use of high-quality rebars in
all high rise infrastructures across the nation would mitigate destruction and loss of life.
Thus, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the Government to prevent loss of lives
and limit earthquake and typhoon damage through the standardization of steel
reinforcing bar quality in high rise infrastructures.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in and for purposes of this Act, the
following terms, whether in singular or plural are hereby defined as follows:

a. “Certifying Authority” refers to the Bureau of Product Standards of the
Department of Trade and Industry.

b. “Steel industry” refers to the group of persons, entities, or enterprises engaged in
the preparation, smelting, crushing, soaking, blooming, slabbing, melting, firing,
rolling, casting, shaping, plating, galvanizing of steel and all other processes
involved in transforming raw materials into semi-finished steel products and/or
semi-finished products into finished steel products.


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c. “Steel manufacturers” refer to any person, whether natural or juridical, that
manufactures, produces, or otherwise causes the manufacture or production of
steel and steel products within the steel industry.

d. “Steel importers” refer to any person, whether natural or juridical, that bring in
steel from a foreign territory into Philippine territory, whether for consumption,
warehousing, or admission within the steel industry.

e. “Reinforcing bar (rebar)” refers to a steel bar or mesh of steel wires used as a
tension device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures to
strengthen and aid the concrete under tension.

f. “High rise structure” refers to any multi-story building or structure with an
occupied floor located more than 23 meters (75 feet) above the lowest level of fire
department vehicle access, or the ground floor, whichever is more accessible.

g- “Quench Tempered (QT) or Thermomechanically Treated (TMT) rebars” are steel
rebars manufactured by rapid cooling of plain low carbon steel by a fine water
spray or otherwise rapidly cooled by liquid, resulting in a quenched surface
which is tempered by the heat of a red hot core.

h. “Microalloyed (MA) rebars” refer to rebars which derive strength from alloying
materials such as, but not limited to, vanadium and carbon, and consists of a
uniform material cross section manufactured from steel billets.

i. “Mislabeling” refers to the embossing or labelling of steel grades or types which
do not reflect the actual grade or type of the steel, or otherwise indicating steel
grades and types which are false, or indicating a steel grade or type which is
different from that of its original raw material;

j. “Cyclic loading test” refers to the application of repeated or fluctuating stresses,
strains, or stress intensities on the rebars.

k. “Grade 60 rebar” refers to steel rebars which offer a minimum yield strength of
60,000 pounds per square inch, or 420 megapascals on the metric grading scale,
which features a continuous line system, with one line running along the length
of the bar which is offset a minimum of five spaces from the center.

SECTION 4. Minimum Steel Grade for High Rise Structures. - All high rise structures
shall make use of, at the minimum, grade 60 microalloyed steel rebars, which are
capable of passing the cyclic loading test.

SECTION 5. Cyclic Loading Test. The Certifying Authority shall prescribe the manner
and the parameters of the cyclic loading test, which shall be conducted on a random
sampling basis. The Certifying Authority may accredit independent, non-commercial
centers or institutions to carry out the actual testing. Upon passing the cyclic loading
test, the Certifying Authority shall issue a Certificate of Conformity to the steel
manufacturers or importers concerned. The Certificate of Conformity shall be
renewable at such times as may be determined by the Certifying Authority.


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SECTION 6. Certification of Conformity. - No Building or Construction permit shall
be issued, nor construction, conversion, repair, alteration, renovation, or alteration be
permitted until the person or entity that owns the high rise structure or causes such
aforementioned works upon a high rise structure possesses a Certification issued by the
Certifying Authority that the rebars to be used are in conformity with Sections 4 and 5
of this Act.

SECTION 7. Embossing of Manufacturer Label and Steel Grade. All rebars must have
their steel grade embossed distinctly and clearly on each rebar so as to properly identify
the quality of the steel. All steel manufacturers shall similarly emboss their name or
logo distinctly and clearly on each rebar, as well as the date of production of the rebar.
Painting or color-coding the steel grade, or other means of identifying the steel grade in
a manner that may easily be removed or changed, is expressly prohibited.

SECTION 8. Periodic and Random Testing. - The Certifying Authority shall have the
authority to periodically and randomly test steel rebar quality. The Certifying Authority
may take custody of rebars available in the market for this purpose.

SECTION 9. Prohibited Acts and Practices. - The following acts and practices shall be
prohibited:

a. Use of Quench Tempered or Thermomechanically Treated Steel Rebars in High
Rise Structures. - Using Quench Tempered or Thermomechanically Treated steel
rebars in high rise structures in any capacity;

b. Failure to Comply with Steel Grade Requirement. - Using rebars in any capacity
in high rise structures that fail to comply with the minimum steel grade
requirement as stated in this Act;

c. Failure to Emboss Manufacturer Label and Steel Grade. - Failing to emboss steel
grades for rebars distinctly and clearly on each rebar so as to properly identify
the quality of the steel, or failing to emboss the steel manufacturer's name or
logo, or date of production distinctly and clearly on each rebar;

d. Mislabeling of Steel Grade or Type - Embossing or labelling of steel grades or
types which do not reflect the actual grade or type of the steel, or otherwise
indicating steel grades and types which are false, or indicating a steel grade or
type which is different from that of its original raw material;

e. False Certification of Conformity. - Causing the issuance or presentation, or
attempting to cause the presentation of a false Certification of Conformity;

£. No Certification of Conformity - Causing or otherwise constructing, altering,
modifying, repairing, adding, renovating a high rise structure without a
Certification of Conformity;

g. Manipulation, Submission, or Tampering with Testing Result. - The
manipulation, submission, or tampering with the testing result as mentioned in


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this Act, or the submission of misleading, false or forged evidence of any kind to
the Certifying Authority or any accredited testing center.

SECTION 10. Enforcement of the Act by Officers of the Law. - It shall be the duty of all
duly constituted law officers of the national, provincial, city, and municipal
governments, or any political subdivisions thereof, to enforce the provisions of this Act
and to prosecute any person or entity violating the same.

SECTION 11. Penal provisions. - Any person, and in cases of juridical entities, its
board of directors and its officers, who shall violate any of the provisions of this Act
shall, without prejudice to violations of other laws and ordinances shall, upon
conviction, be sentenced to suffer imprisonment for not less than one (1) year and not
more than three (3) years, and shall pay a fine of Ten Million Pesos (PHP 10,000,000).

SECTION 12. Prescription of Offenses. - All offenses punishable under this Act shall
prescribe in ten (10) years.

SECTION 13. Application. - This Act shall apply to all high rise buildings and
structures constructed and any change or repair made thereon after the approval of this
Act. High rise buildings or structures constructed before the approval of this Act shall
not be affected thereby; Except, where their continued use or occupancy is dangerous to
life or limb; or where alterations, additions, conversions, or repairs are to be made
thereon, this Act shall apply only to such portions of the high rise building or structure
which have to be altered in order to effect such alterations, changes, or repairs.

Where the building is in the process of construction when this Act takes effect, the
construction of the portion or portions in violation of this Act shall be stopped until the
same shall have been altered to conform to this Act, unless such partial alteration will
impair the stability and safety of the whole or part of the structure, in which case, only
the remaining portions to be constructed shall conform to this Act.

SECTION 14. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act or the application of
such provision or circumstances is declared invalid, the remainder of the Act or the
application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected by
such declaration.

SECTION 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a national newspaper of general
circulation.