There’s a crisis in the home construction industry, and it’s a combination of many different factors, from affordability to sustainability to a growing labor shortage. These urgencies have been compounded to make driving efficiency and innovation more critical than ever.

Fortunately, there’s a solution that’s proven, respected and the ‘not-so-secret’ solution to contractors across North America. It’s Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction, and it has become a sustainable, durable and affordable cornerstone of modern home construction.

But like all other concrete applications, the success of ICF depends significantly on the reinforcement material used within the concrete. Unfortunately, concrete reinforcement installation has been the bain of every laborer’s existence, that is until Helix Micro Rebar emerged. 

It’s a groundbreaking one-inch, twisted, all-steel reinforcement mixed with concrete prior to placement to create a singular durable material. Here’s why Helix Micro Rebar is such a game-changer for ICF while resulting in more sustainable homes.

Reduce Your New Home Construction Time

Rebar installation is an incredibly labor-intensive process involving tying and placing the bars before pouring the concrete. This can be particularly cumbersome in the confined spaces of ICF construction. 

Helix Micro Rebar reduces this issue by being mixed directly into the concrete, significantly reducing labor time and costs. And let’s be honest – rebar installation is the least fun aspect of ICF construction.

Contractors can now complete projects faster while also improving concrete’s durability and allowing installation crews to move on to the next phase of the project sooner. 
Helix Micro Rebar helped popular YouTube Handeeman replace all the horizontal and corner rebar for an ICF home. And the results were shocking!

Helix Micro Rebar Makes ICF Blocks Even Easier to Install

Traditional rebar installation requires lugging long lengths of rusty metal, careful placement and many hours of work. 

Helix Micro Rebar simplifies this process by mixing directly into the concrete mix, eliminating the need for manual tying and positioning. This not only reduces the workload for crews but also decreases errors. For contractors, this means a smoother workflow and simpler job site logistics.

Listen to what other ICF professionals are saying about Helix Micro Rebar with a listen to the recent “Build With ICF” podcast, joined by Helix Steel’s very own Erica Marr.

Improve Job Site Safety

Storing, handling, cutting and installing traditional rebar is ripe for safety risks, including cuts, strains and other injuries from working with heavy and long steel materials in awkward positions. 

Helix Micro Rebar is mixed directly into the concrete at your batch plant, allowing your crews to work more efficiently and safely, keeping your job site safer while removing a major safety issue.

The Concrete Reinforcement That Adapts to ICF Complexities

ICF construction can involve unique layouts, which can make traditional rebar placement challenging.

Since Helix Micro Rebar is uniformly integrated into the concrete mix, it can adapt to any angle/design/size, no matter the complexity. This means that you will receive the same amount of strength, safety, sustainability and support without requiring custom configurations.

Increase Crew Satisfaction and Resource Allocation

Crews love building with large Lego blocks but not so much installing rebar. By eliminating the bending, cutting and tying of rebar, Helix Micro Rebar reduces the physical strain on installation crews. 

Contractors can then also use their resources more effectively, focusing their construction crew on other aspects of the build instead of labor-intensive rebar tasks. Additionally, the reduced workload on physically demanding tasks can contribute to higher job satisfaction and retention.

Learn more about the ‘how-to’ of Helix Micro Rebar for ICF here.

Sustainability Benefits

All of these benefits are great on their own, but there’s yet another powerful reason to choose Helix Micro Rebar. It reduces your overall steel use, minimizes waste, and, thus reduces the carbon footprint of the entire home.

And as you may know, if you’re already an ICF convert, ICF is a far more efficient way to build, lowering household heating and cooling costs by a large margin for the entire lifespan of the building. Let’s make a difference for our environment together!

Contractors Who Know Trust ICF With Helix Micro Rebar

For contractors and installation crews, Helix Micro Rebar offers a totally new and jobsite-alterign way to complete ICF construction. By saving time, simplifying installation, increasing sustainability and improving safety, it allows projects to be completed better in every way.

For your next ICF project, trust the ICF experts and use Helix Micro Rebar makes the job easier, safer, and more cost-effective—helping you deliver high-quality results every time.

American engineers have ever-demanding tasks involving concrete while making the structures they design stronger, more durable, and overall ‘better’ than ever before. To accomplish this, engineers need to embrace innovation and rethink processes. They need to consider a better way to build with concrete.

Helix Steel is leading the way in showcasing to engineers that Helix Micro Rebar, a revolutionary concrete reinforcement, is ‘paving’ the way to success for engineers and the remarkable projects they design.

Why Upgrade Concrete Reinforcement?

Concrete is literally the foundation of modern infrastructure, from roads and bridges to buildings and tunnels. However, traditional concrete reinforcement, such as rebar, has significant issues.

Rebar is heavy, corrodes and is challenging to install. Although it is used throughout the construction industry as a standard way to keep concrete together, it is impossible to reinforce every square inch of concrete, which can result in premature cracking. 

Engineers love concrete and already embrace remarkable admixtures to form the perfect mix, and more recently, they are flocking to Helix Micro Rebar, the advanced reinforcement alternative that is transforming the industry.

Why is Helix Micro Rebar the Answer to Engineers’ Dilemmas?

Helix Micro Rebar is a high-strength, twisted steel micro-reinforcement mixed into concrete to create concrete that can increase concrete’s fatigue resistance by up to 300% and flexural strength by up to 33%.

Helix Micro Rebar gives greater flexibility in design and construction. Engineers’ designs can be greatly optimized, whether it’s to create stronger concrete or even reduce the amount of concrete needed, such as in slabs-on-grade applications.

“Our experience with Helix Micro Rebar reinforcement sets us apart from our competition. It has helped to grow my business more than I could have possibly imagined.”

— Omar Abu-Yasein, PhD, PE, CEO

A&A Engineering

Engineering a Stronger, More Resilient Future

Helix Micro Rebar’s unique twisted design makes the difference. The helical form and large quantity create a uniform network of reinforcement throughout the concrete, improving the resistance to cracking and deformation. 

Helix Micro Rebar applications are better equipped to withstand the tests of time. This not only improves the performance of buildings and infrastructure but also reduces the frequency and cost of repairs and maintenance, leading to long-term savings for builders and owners.

Code to the Core

The first to market with approval for structural applications, Helix Micro Rebar meets ACI, the IBC and IRC through its two evaluation service reports from ICC-ES and IAPMO-ES.

Evaluation Report (ER-279)

Helix Steel 5-25 Evaluation Report (ER-279) specifically addresses both above and below-grade walls built in accordance with the IBC, IRC, ACI 318 and ACI 332. 

The ISO/IEC 17065:2012-compliant ER-279 provides engineers, contractors, code officials and owners assurance of Helix Steel code compliance and design, installation and field quality assurance instruction.

Simplified Design with ICC-ES

Helix Steel and ICC-ES have developed a design that uses linear elastic design along with simple flexural testing (ASTM C78). ICC-ES ESR-3949 provides an alternative approach for structural concrete and should be used for Helix Micro Rebar reinforcement design when it is specifically required by building jurisdictions. This approach is applied to structures that meet the limitations of ACI 318-14, Chapter 14.

Concrete Reinforcement Built for Engineers

Helix Steel doesn’t just deliver a better product for engineers, but we’re here to back it up with everything we have.

A Team of Concrete Experts to Back You Up

We have in-house engineers who provide technical support for designers and engineers who want to use Helix Micro Rebar. We will convert drawings and provide suggestions, and (depending on your location and project scope) we can be on site for pour days. We also have a team of industry and application experts.

Dosage Calculator

We have a web application that helps engineers identify dosage rates for Helix Micro Rebar reinforcement. Remember that our team is always here to help with design.

Online Training

Our courses can give you RCEP-accredited Continuing Education credits and cover Helix Micro Rebar best practices across all aspects of completing a project. We also host engineer-focused Lunch & Learn sessions to give deep into customized presentations on your unique business and needs. (Plus, we cover the food cost!) 

Publications for Engineers

We’ve assembled papers and articles detailing how Helix Micro Rebar has been proven in testing labs and in the field. Read more.

Making Construction Practices Easier

You’ve heard it all before – construction projects need to be more efficient. A major product leading the charge in this efficiency is Helix Micro Rebar, which can be incorporated directly into the concrete mix, simplifying the job site by having the mixing take place at your batch plant. This not only speeds up project timelines but also reduces labor costs and logistical challenges.

It’s also easier to use in a wide range of concrete applications, from ICF homes and foundations to warehouse slabs and multi-storey slabs, enabling architects and engineers to create designs without being constrained by traditional reinforcement methods.

A Highlight of Superior American Engineering Applications

Helix Micro Rebar has already been successfully implemented in a variety of projects across the globe. From roads and airports to industrial plants and commercial buildings, Helix Micro Rebar is proving its worth as a sustainable, cost-effective, and durable alternative to traditional reinforcement.

The Future is Here! Trust the #1 Alternative to Rebar

The future of construction here in America lies in more efficient, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and Helix Micro Rebar is at the heart of this transformation. 

We’re eager to continue working with engineers to create a future when concrete lasts longer, is easier to design and is easier to place.

Our patented Helix Micro Rebar concrete reinforcement is a bold step forward for engineers today for the applications of tomorrow. Are you joining the movement? There’s really nothing to lose. Send your project specs to our own in-house engineers to learn more about how there has never been a better time to think differently.

You can also easily specify Helix Micro Rebar. Learn more about this here, and access our CSI-formatted specification template.

If you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past 20 years, you may be delighted to know that the construction industry is pushing toward greener practices. This is great news, as many of the resources that the industry relies on are simply not renewable or are responsible for harm to our natural environment.

Game-changing products are now reaching the minds of contractors, engineers and developers – and approved for use throughout North America – that not only help to make our planet a tad more green but also help those who build the infrastructure humans rely on.

Helix Micro Rebar is such an innovation. It’s a one-inch concrete reinforcement that can reduce hundreds of thousands of pounds of steel in a single concrete slab. The tiny twisted-steel shape is the anti-rebar, the ultimate reinforcement that cuts costs, saves time, and as you could guess by the title of this article, reduces your project’s effects on the environment.

So, what’s the big deal with Helix Micro Rebar, and how does it contribute to a more sustainable America?

The Efficiency is in the Design

Helix Micro Rebar is mixed directly into the concrete prior to placement, providing multi-directional strength and creating a solid composite solution that greatly reduces the need for traditional rebar. 

This ‘tiny’ shift in approach reduces material use, transportation needs and labor costs—all of which contribute to a reduced carbon footprint. 

By improving the tensile strength of concrete, Helix Micro Rebar allows builders to use less material while maintaining high performance, reducing the volume of concrete needed for each project.

Project Highlight: Lake Havasu City Pavement Rehabilitation

Lake Havasu City in Northwest Arizona faces serious issues with its asphalt roads due to the extremely high desert temperatures. Since asphalt temperatures are 40 to 60 degrees hotter than the temperature of the air, damage to roads is frequent, especially in places where vehicles are braking and turning.

Seeking a more durable solution for one road in particular, Lake Havasu City chose Protek Construction to replace straight sections of asphalt with new asphalt, while high-wear-and-tear intersections would be replaced with concrete reinforced with Helix Micro Rebar. 

Each pour included a heavy dosage of 22-1/2 lb/yd of Helix Micro Rebar, ensuring enhanced durability and crack resistance for decades to come.

The switch to Helix Micro Rebar also resulted in a carbon footprint reduction of over 30%!

Doing a job faster and better with Helix Micro Rebar is one thing, but Protek greatly valued working with the Helix Steel professionals who understand the importance of putting their all into every project.
Read more about this fascinating infrastructure project here.

A Concrete Reinforcement That’s More Durable and Lasts Longer

Sustainable construction isn’t just about reducing immediate environmental impacts—it’s about creating structures that last. 

Buildings and infrastructure reinforced with Helix Micro Rebar benefit from superior crack resistance and increased durability, leading to a longer lifespan with less maintenance. 

This reduces the need for repairs and building replacement, further cutting down on resource consumption and waste over the concrete’s life.

Project Highlight: Pier 57 Ferris Wheel

Pier 57 is a Seattle waterfront location that’s favored by tourists and locals. It was lengthened to construct a 156 ft diameter Ferris wheel which opened in 2012. Helix Micro Rebar reinforcement was incorporated into the project design to fully replace the #6 rebar cages inside 53 piles. This application allowed the owner a significant reduction in material and labor cost.

A total of 980 yd³ of concrete was placed by Manson Construction and pumped by Conco Pumping with concrete supplied by Cal Portland of Seattle. There were 23,420 lb of Helix Micro Rebar reinforcement added into the concrete at the batch plant that replaced all of the structural rebar cages.

Check out our project profile to learn more about the Pier 57 Ferris Wheel. 

An American Product That Expedites Construction and Improves Sustainability

The efficiency gained from specifying Helix Micro Rebar goes beyond reducing materials. By eliminating the need for rebar and mesh, concrete projects can significantly cut down on construction time. 

This not only saves labor but also reduces the emissions associated with longer construction schedules—less time on-site means less fuel consumed by machinery and fewer emissions from transportation.

Lower Your Project’s Carbon Footprint

Concrete production is one of the largest contributors to CO₂ emissions in the construction industry. By enabling thinner concrete slabs and reducing your steel reinforcement needs, we will help you to decrease the carbon footprint of your projects.

Implementing a product like this fits nicely with programs that guide and certify the sustainability and environmental performance of your project, like LEED, BREEAM, WELL Building Standard and Green Globes.

Helix Micro Rebar is More Than a Product; It’s a Rethinking of Concrete Innovation

Helix Micro Rebar is more than just a reinforcement product—it’s an essential tool for building a sustainable future through the construction industry.

We can need to do a better job of taking meaningful steps toward a greener, more efficient future. Reach out to Helix Steel to learn more about the benefits of innovative thinking.

The future of humanity’s information and communication is riding on engineers’ ability to design data centers that are constructed wisely and operate efficiently.

Engineers are now thinking more “outside of the box” and recognize the importance of exploring alternatives to the standard processes and materials that their predecessors used.

One such alternative is a tiny, one-inch solution called Helix Micro Rebar. Combined with thousands of others like it, this concrete reinforcement transforms concrete into a solid mass that reduces cracks and has many other efficiencies.

How Does the Helix Advantage Help to Engineer Better Data Centers?

Footings and Slabs That Can Take the Weight

Helix Micro Rebar improves the structural integrity of concrete used in data center construction. Its twisted steel design, dispersed throughout the concrete slabs and footings, offers far better crack resistance and load-bearing capacity than mesh or standard rebar.

For engineers, this means data centers can be built without sacrificing strength, leading to more efficient designs.

Data Center Construction Completed Sooner

As engineers are well aware, time is always a critical factor in data center construciton. By eliminating the need for traditional rebar placement, Helix Micro Rebar allows for faster construction.

Engineers, developers and contractors can have quicker completion times. This also means fewer delays, reduced labor costs and the almost unheard-of ability to meet tight deadlines.

Also expediting the timeline is that Helix Micro Rebar is often added at the ready-mix plant, reducing costs, limiting storage needs and saving valuable time. Clients of Helix Steel say they save one day of construction for every 10,000 square feet of rebar they replace with Helix Micro Rebar reinforcement. In the case of a large data center, those valuable days could expedite the entire project!

Reduced Steel Reinforcement and a Smaller Carbon Footprint

Not only can engineers enjoy a higher-quality concrete solution, but depending on the dosage of Helix Micro Rebar, the shear amount of steel reinforcement will also be reduced.

Traditional rebar contributes to significant carbon emissions during production and transportation. American-made Helix Micro Rebar, with its lower steel requirements, helps engineers to design ‘greener’ data centers that align with sustainability goals.

Engineers designing with sustainability top of mind can use Helix Micro Rebar to help achieve eco-certifications such as LEED and the WELL building standard.

Less Maintenance on Concrete Cracks

Engineers need to have a two-pronged approach to design: consider the needs of today while being proactive in addressing the concerns of tomorrow.

This is especially true for data centers, which must be reliable and cost-effective to maintain. Helix Micro Rebar increases the durability of the concrete, reducing cracking and corrosion. For engineers, this translates into longer-lasting facilities with lower maintenance needs.

Fewer repairs = fewer disruptions = long-term savings!

Data Center Engineers Wanted

Using Helix Micro Rebar in your data center design is an easy approach that supports concrete durability, project efficiency and environmental sustainability. 

If you want to lead the way in building better, stronger and greener data centers, let us know. Even better, register for a lunch and learn – we’ll connect you with a personal presentation best suited for your needs