Rebar in Coils — B500A / B500B Reinforcing Steel Coil
Rebar coils in diameters 6–16 mm, hot-rolled and cold-rolled, DIN 488 / EN 10080 compliant. Purpose-built for automated stirrup benders, mesh welding lines, and continuous reinforcement processes. Available with Mill Test Certificate EN 10204 3.1 and full export documentation.
What Are Rebar Coils and Why Use Them?
Reinforcing steel coil — commonly called rebar coils or wire rod rebar — is hot-rolled or cold-rolled deformed reinforcing bar wound onto a spool or formed into a ring coil rather than cut to fixed lengths. The continuous, uncut feed eliminates bar-end waste and allows automated fabrication machinery to run at high throughput without manual re-loading.
Compared with straight bar stock, rebar coils are the preferred input material wherever steel is processed through powered decoiling and straightening lines: automated stirrup / link benders, mesh welding machines, and continuous beam-cage production cells. For on-site bending of straight bars to designed shapes, see our cut-and-bend rebar service.
Key Advantages of Coil Form
- Continuous feed — no bar-end interruptions; machines run uninterrupted between coil changes.
- Higher machine utilisation — automated decoilers feed directly into straightener/cutter or stirrup bender heads.
- Reduced handling labour — one coil (~2–3 t) replaces hundreds of individual bars.
- Compact storage footprint — coil rings stack efficiently and occupy less floor area than equivalent straight bar bundles.
- Minimal end waste — continuous stock means near-zero off-cut loss when cuts are programmed by CNC.
Available Grades: B500A and B500B Reinforcing Steel Coil
Both DIN 488 / EN 10080 weldable reinforcing steel grades are available in coil form, with distinct ductility and application profiles.
B500A — Normal Ductility Coil
Minimum yield strength 500 MPa. Strain-hardening ratio k ≥ 1.05; uniform elongation Agt ≥ 2.5%. B500A is the standard grade for cold-rolled reinforcing coil and is the principal feedstock for welded mesh production and lighter stirrup bending. Its tighter ductility class makes it suitable for elements where seismic demand is not the governing criterion. Compliant with DIN 488-1 and EN 10080.
Compare with B500B bar →B500B — High Ductility Coil
Minimum yield strength 500 MPa. Strain-hardening ratio k ≥ 1.08; uniform elongation Agt ≥ 5.0%. Hot-rolled B500B coil provides higher ductility for demanding applications including seismic zones and elements subject to cyclic loading. Used in automated stirrup benders producing closed links for columns and beams. The German legacy designation BSt 500 S corresponds to B500B characteristics.
Full grade comparison →Diameter Range: 6–16 mm Reinforcing Steel Coil
Rebar coils are available in the diameters most commonly processed by automated fabrication machines. Larger diameters (20 mm and above) are generally supplied as straight bar due to the significant spring-back forces involved in decoiling; for those, see our B500B straight bar page.
| Diameter (mm) | Weight (kg/m) | Cross-Section (mm²) | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 0.222 | 28.3 | Light mesh, ties, spacers |
| 8 | 0.395 | 50.3 | Stirrups, mesh, slab reinforcement |
| 10 | 0.617 | 78.5 | Stirrups, mesh, wall reinforcement |
| 12 | 0.888 | 113 | Beam stirrups, column links |
| 14 | 1.21 | 154 | Heavier column links, beam cages |
| 16 | 1.58 | 201 | Heavy stirrups, structural elements |
Weight per metre calculated by formula kg/m = d²(mm) × 0.00617 per DIN 488. Coil ring weight is typically 2–3 tonnes per unit; confirm exact coil weight for your machinery capacity when requesting a quote.
Hot-Rolled vs Cold-Rolled Reinforcing Steel Coil
Understanding the production route helps specify the right coil for your fabrication process and structural requirement.
Hot-Rolled Coil
Produced by hot-rolling steel billets at temperatures above 1,100 °C, then coiling while still above the recrystallisation temperature. Hot-rolled reinforcing coil retains the superior ductility characteristics of B500B — higher Agt and a more pronounced yield plateau. After decoiling and straightening, the bar returns very close to its original straight mechanical properties. Hot-rolled coil is the preferred choice for structural elements with high ductility demand, seismic applications, and heavy-diameter stirrups (12–16 mm).
Cold-Rolled / Cold-Worked Coil
Cold-rolling or cold-drawing reduces the wire cross-section below the recrystallisation temperature, introducing work-hardening that raises yield strength while slightly reducing ductility. Cold-rolled coil typically meets B500A ductility class and is widely used for welded mesh production, small-diameter stirrups (6–10 mm), and applications where the lower Agt threshold of B500A is acceptable. The deformation pattern (ribs) on cold-rolled bar is produced by the roll tooling rather than during hot-rolling.
Both routes produce ribbed/deformed bar profiles that satisfy the bond requirements of DIN 488 and EN 10080. Specify your required ductility class (B500A or B500B) and we will confirm the appropriate production route and available diameters.
Coil Weights, Decoiling & Straightening
Practical logistics and machine compatibility for reinforcing steel coil supply.
Typical Coil Ring Weight
Standard reinforcing coil rings are typically supplied at 2–3 tonnes per coil, though exact weight depends on diameter, producer, and agreed packing specification. Confirm your decoiler’s maximum spool capacity before ordering — lighter coils (around 1–1.5 t) are available for smaller machines upon request.
Decoiling
Coil is unwound from the ring using a powered or passive decoiler (pay-off reel or straightening decoiler). Powered decoilers with driven rollers are preferred for heavier diameters (12–16 mm) to manage spring-back forces. The decoiler feeds directly into the straightener/cutter unit or the stirrup bender head at a controlled rate matched to machine cycle time.
Straightening
A multi-roller straightener removes the residual set (curvature) introduced by coiling. Well-calibrated straighteners restore bar straightness to within DIN 488 tolerances. After straightening, the bar passes through a measuring encoder before the cut-off unit or bending head, enabling precise CNC-controlled output lengths and bend dimensions.
Applications for Reinforcing Steel Coil
Where rebar coils deliver the highest value in structural and precast fabrication.
Automated Stirrup & Link Benders
CNC stirrup benders consume reinforcing coil directly, cutting and bending closed links, open stirrups, and complex multi-bend shapes to programmed geometry in a single pass. Coil feed eliminates bar-end stoppages and enables unattended overnight production runs. Our stirrups and cut-and-bend page covers fabricated output in more detail.
Mesh Welding Lines
Welded reinforcing mesh machines draw longitudinal and transverse wires from dual-axis decoilers and resistance-weld them at programmed grid intersections. B500A cold-rolled coil is the standard feedstock. Finished mesh panels are stacked and shipped. For pre-welded standard panels, see our reinforcing steel mesh page.
Continuous Reinforcement & Beam Cages
Precast concrete manufacturers use coil-fed automated cage-welding and beam-cage lines to produce column cages, beam cages, and pile cages at high volume. Continuous coil feed allows cage lengths of 6–18 m to be produced without bar splices in the longitudinal direction, improving structural continuity.
Precast & Filigree Slabs
Lattice girder production machines and filigree slab lines use coil-fed diagonal wire and chord wire. The coil format is essential to the speed and geometry precision of these lines. For lattice girder elements themselves, see our lattice girders page.
Infrastructure & Civil Works
On large infrastructure projects — bridges, tunnels, retaining walls — coil-fed mobile bending plants are deployed on-site or in nearby fabrication yards, supplying a continuous flow of cut-and-bent stirrups and links directly to the fixing gangs without intermediate bar-count handling.
Export & Project Supply
Rebar coils are shipped seaworthy in steel-strapped ring bundles or on purpose-made pallets, container or break-bulk. Full export documentation — Mill Test Certificate EN 10204 3.1, Certificate of Origin, CE/Declaration of Performance — is available. Export and delivery details →
Rebar Coils vs Straight Rebar — Which to Specify?
Both product forms comply with DIN 488 / EN 10080 and are structurally equivalent once installed. The choice is driven by your fabrication process and site logistics.
- Choose coil when you operate or supply automated stirrup benders, CNC cut-and-bend lines, mesh welding machines, or cage-welding plants — and for diameters 6–16 mm.
- Choose straight bar for diameters 20–40 mm, for direct placement without machine processing, or when site bending is manual. See our B500B straight rebar page for bar stock 8–40 mm in 6–18 m lengths.
- Consider cut-and-bend service if you require factory-bent shapes (stirrups, links, coupons) delivered ready to fix. See our stirrups and cut-and-bend page.
If your project requires both coil-fed machine-bent stirrups and straight main bars, we can co-ordinate a combined shipment with unified documentation. Use the quote form to specify both requirements together.
Frequently Asked Questions — Rebar Coils
What is the difference between rebar coils and straight rebar?
Rebar coils are continuous-length reinforcing bar wound into a ring coil typically weighing 2–3 tonnes, rather than cut to fixed stock lengths of 6–18 m. The coil format enables automated machines (stirrup benders, mesh welding lines, cage-welding plants) to run continuously without manual bar loading between each piece. Structurally, both forms are identical once installed in concrete — both are manufactured to DIN 488 / EN 10080 and meet the same yield strength (500 MPa), ductility, and bond requirements. The choice is a fabrication logistics decision, not a structural one. For direct placement or manual bending, straight bar is more practical; for machine-fed processing of diameters 6–16 mm, coil is the standard input form.
What grades are available in reinforcing steel coil?
We supply reinforcing coil in both B500A and B500B to DIN 488 and EN 10080. B500A (normal ductility, Agt ≥ 2.5%, k ≥ 1.05) is the standard grade for cold-rolled coil and mesh production. B500B (high ductility, Agt ≥ 5.0%, k ≥ 1.08) is available as hot-rolled coil for applications with higher ductility demand. B500C seismic grade is not normally available in coil form; for seismic projects contact us to discuss options. All coil is weldable per DIN EN ISO 17660.
What is the maximum diameter available in coil form?
We supply reinforcing coil in diameters 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 mm. Diameters above 16 mm are not normally produced in coil form for structural reinforcing applications: the spring-back forces at larger cross-sections make decoiling difficult and straightening unreliable. For diameters 20–40 mm, straight bar in lengths 6–18 m is the standard product. If your automated bender is rated for 16 mm coil, confirm the minimum bending radius in your machine specification when ordering.
What is the difference between hot-rolled and cold-rolled reinforcing coil?
Hot-rolled coil is produced at temperatures above 1,100 °C and wound while still above the recrystallisation point. It retains B500B-class ductility (Agt ≥ 5.0%) and is suitable for demanding structural and seismic applications. Cold-rolled coil is work-hardened below the recrystallisation temperature, raising yield strength through plastic deformation while reducing ductility to B500A levels (Agt ≥ 2.5%). Cold-rolled is the standard feedstock for mesh welding lines and small-diameter stirrups. For most automated fabrication applications, either production route can be specified — confirm your required ductility class (B500A or B500B) and we will confirm availability.
What documentation is supplied with reinforcing steel coil?
Each coil shipment is supported by a Mill Test Certificate to EN 10204 3.1 confirming chemical composition, mechanical properties (yield strength, tensile strength, elongation, k-ratio), and dimensional inspection results referenced to DIN 488. For export orders we additionally provide a Certificate of Origin, CE Marking / Declaration of Performance where applicable, a packing list, and commercial invoice. All documents are in English. Additional third-party inspection or specific project documentation can be arranged — specify requirements in your quote request.
Related Products & Services
B500B Straight Rebar
Hot-rolled deformed bar 8–40 mm, 6–18 m lengths. The workhorse product for structural concrete across all project types.
B500B Rebar →Reinforcing Steel Mesh
Standard and bespoke welded mesh panels — Q and R types — for slabs, walls, and industrial floors. Made from B500A coil feedstock.
Reinforcing Mesh →Stirrups & Cut-and-Bend
Factory-fabricated stirrups, links, and custom bent shapes to DIN 488 shape codes. Ready to fix on site.
Cut & Bend Service →Source German-standard rebar coils with full export documentation
Tell us your diameter, grade, coil weight, and destination port — we’ll respond with a detailed quotation including Mill Test Certificate and shipping terms.