ARS Group Introduces 550D – First of its Kind TMT Bars

KOCHI:
ARS Group has unveiled its latest innovation, the ARS CRS 550D. The new product is engineered to offer unparalleled corrosion and earthquake resistance for all types of constructions. What sets this product apart is its optimal ductility component, a feat never before achieved by any product in the retail market. With its exceptional features, the ARS CRS 550D promises to set a new standard in construction materials.

The group garnered significant attention in the construction sector with its innovative marketing and advertising approach, highlighting the lack of awareness regarding the quality of steel products among consumers. Their ‘know the truth’ campaign struck a chord with the market, leading to a shift in the perception of TMT bars purchasing. Setting a new standard, the group introduced QR codes on their products, allowing consumers to scan and verify that the TMT Bars met all required standards and contained the correct proportions of ingredients.

Taking their commitment to quality further, the group invested in mobile testing labs equipped with spectrometers, enabling on-site testing of steel at the consumer’s location. These tech- vans represent a pioneering initiative in India, ensuring transparency and reliability in the construction materials industry.

In July 2023, the Group undertook a campaign across South India with the tech-vans to create public awareness about TMT bars. During this campaign the tech-vans covered more than 2,34,223kms, carried out 28,770 tests absolutely free of cost and created awareness among 1,80,000 people on how to select
suitable TMT bars for their constructions. ARS conducts these tests worth more than 4 crore rupees free of cost to the public. Currently 13 state-of-the-art spectrometer-equipped tech-vans are touring South India.

Ashwani Kumar Bhatia, founder & managing director, ARS Group said, “There is a growing tendency for the general public to choose cheaper materials for their construction needs. Lack of awareness about the construction materials, non-availability of quality materials and finance are the factors behind such consumer trends.The unaware consumer falls in the price trap and purchases inferior quality materials obviously at a lower price.  This adversely effects the life of the construction. As public support for our initiative continues to grow, we are planning to involve 12 more technical vehicles in this campaign by March 2025.”

Talking about ARS CRS 550D, Bhatia said, “Our road campaign while creating public awareness, also gave us better insights into customer demand. ARS CRS 550D is the result of the insights garnered from the campaign. While products of this specification already exist in the market, they are used only for
large-scale constructions due to high costs. However, we are bringing this into the market at affordable costs so that retail buyers can create sustainable constructions that are suitable for future environments”.

Moorthy, technical director, ARS Group said, “The data collected on our campaign provided us with sharp sectorial insights. The public not only chose low-quality products because of low prices, but also sometimes bought sub-standard products paying a premium. In our tests conducted with samples from the market, 8 out of 10 samples failed due to Sulphur and Phosphorus content, which we found to be the main cause of corrosion. ARS Technical team has collected the TDS level of ground water in various points in Chennai and across South India, the results shows alarming levels of increase in TDS content ranging from 800 ppm to 10,000 ppm which is not suitable for any construction needs. Increasing levels of chloride ion in water used for construction was also a contributing factor to accelerate corrosion. Further the tests also reveal the prevailing conditions in construction across the length and breadth of the country, the initiation of corrosion in the structure happens within 10 years from the birth of the structure. From the coastal areas, up to a distance of about 60 km, quicker building erosion is a reality. Besides, Chennai metropolitan area is now listed under Seismic Zone 3. As a result of such factors, we are confident that the new ARS CRS 550D will have a positive impact on the construction needs of the public.”