Steel fixers A–Z dictionary
UK trade reference · plain English
Steel fixing places reinforcement to the engineered detail before concrete is cast. Bar identification, position, cover and coordination matter even when they will later be hidden. A homeowner should know who supplies the design and inspection arrangements; a trainee should read schedules rather than infer an acceptable layout from a neighbouring project. This glossary is not a reinforcement design, lifting plan or authority to alter the engineer's requirements.
This A–Z combines useful technical vocabulary with links to full references where the article meets our depth and sourcing checks. An unlinked definition is intentionally kept here rather than turned into a shallow standalone page. Read a quotation against its actual scope: a familiar word is not a complete specification.
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B
- Bar mark
- An identifier connecting a reinforcement item to a schedule or drawing. It should be checked against the current revision rather than recognised from shape alone.
- Bending schedule
- Information specifying reinforcement items and their intended shape and dimensions. Changes need the proper design process rather than an improvised cut or bend on site.
C
- Chair
- A component supporting reinforcement in the designed position. Type and layout must suit the detail and construction loads; any convenient offcut is not automatically acceptable.
- Concrete cover
- The specified concrete dimension protecting or separating reinforcement from a surface. Correct spacing and support matter; a bar hidden below the surface is not necessarily correctly positioned.
L
- Lap
- An overlapping reinforcement arrangement designed to transfer forces. Length and location depend on the detail; this glossary gives no universal lap multiplier or permission to move it.
- Link
- A reinforcement component commonly enclosing or connecting longitudinal bars in a designed member. Its shape, spacing and anchorage must follow the actual structural detail.
M
- Mesh
- A reinforcement product with bars arranged in a grid. Grade, dimensions, laps, supports and position need specifying; one similar-looking sheet is not automatically interchangeable with another.
S
- Starter bar
- Reinforcement projecting or placed for connection with subsequent work. Position, protection and the intended connection need coordination before the first concrete stage is cast.
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Sources and further reading
Linked article sources support the technical background; informal usage is editorial and varies by region. Full specification and legal requirements must be checked in the original.
- Standards for Highways: current MCHW specification library
- GOV.UK: drainage guidance
- GOV.UK: structural building guidance for England
- HSE: excavation safety
- HSE: underground services
- National Careers Service: occupational routes and duties
- GOV.UK: structural guidance
- GOV.UK: LCRM, competence and investigation standards
Sources checked: 8 November 2026. General reference, not instructions for safety-critical DIY. National regulations and current standards must be checked for the project.
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