Jihane El Hamzaoui, Bennaceur Ouaki, Ahmed FAIH
: Situated in a seismically active region, Morocco faces challenges in ensuring the resilience of its infrastructure. Developing reinforcing steels that can withstand seismic loads is therefore a key priority. The objective of this study is to explore potential improvements to Moroccan rebar as a preliminary step toward developing steels suitable for seismic applications. We started by examining the conventional rebars currently produced in a local steel plant, analyzing their mechanical behavior, microstructure, hardness, and inclusion content. The focus was on the two diameters, 10 mm and 16 mm, used in reinforced concrete structures across the country. To push performance further, we designed and tested several experimental steels with different manganese (Mn) levels. Manganese is known to improve steel toughness, and its effect was carefully studied in this research. Comparison with the BS 4449 standard indicates that the experimental steels meet preliminary requirements in chemical composition and basic mechanical properties, while further studies are needed to assess performance under cyclic or seismic loading. The preliminary findings suggest promising outcomes: steels with higher Mn levels showed fewer non-metallic inclusions and more homogeneous structures. This appeared to lead to better strength distribution across the steel section and improved surface hardness, providing a basis for future studies on cyclic loading and seismic performance. However, the conventional steels showed limits in ductility and uniformity, highlighting areas requiring further investigation. This study provides a preliminary characterization of conventional and experimental Moroccan rebars, forming the basis for further research to evaluate and improve seismic performance.