Identifying New, Used, and Counterfeit I-Beams

An I-beam warehouse operator unknowingly buys several size ۱۶ I-beams from an intermediary at a price slightly below the market rate. Two weeks later, a customer who had purchased those same pieces for the frame of a shed calls: on some of the pieces, filled-in hole marks and traces of old paint beneath fresh paint are visible. This is exactly what distinguishes I-beams from rebar: the greatest risk of fraud with I-beams is not reducing the diameter, but returning used I-beams to the market as new products.

Why Used I-Beams Have a Real Market

When a structure or shed is demolished, its I-beams usually remain intact and can be reused. This is not a problem in itself; the problem begins when these I-beams are sold as new products without informing the buyer. Because I-beams are expensive products, even selling a few used pieces at the price of new ones can generate a considerable profit for a dishonest seller.

A new I-beam has a uniform surface without dents; this single glance is your first filter.

I-Beam Roll Marking; It Is Not Like Rebar

An abbreviated factory mark is stamped on I-beams just as it is on rebar, but the marking system is different. For example, ESCO is the code used for products from Esfahan Steel. The important point is that used I-beams often either do not have this mark (because they were obtained from a cut or worn section) or have had the mark deliberately ground away and obscured so that their authenticity cannot be traced. The complete absence of a mark on an I-beam claimed to be new is, on its own, enough reason to ask questions.

A Few More Practical Signs

• Bolt marks or additional holes unrelated to the installation of a new structure.
• Flange edges that are slightly rounded or worn instead of having the sharp factory-made corner.
• The smell of fresh paint on a surface beneath which traces of old rust can be seen.

Why Checking Only the Weight Is Not Enough

Unlike rebar, where the more common form of fraud is reducing the diameter, a used I-beam can also have almost the correct weight because it is real steel of the same size; it has simply already been used. This means weighing alone will not reveal this type of problem. Visual inspection of the surface, edges, and factory mark, together with weighing, provides a more complete picture.

For Large-Volume Transactions, Ask the Seller for This

If you are buying a shipment from an unknown seller or intermediary, ask for a certificate of origin or the factory purchase invoice. A reputable seller usually has no problem providing this document; delaying or making excuses in this regard is itself a warning sign, exactly as when a seller evades providing a tensile test certificate.

Used I-beams are not always bad; sometimes a customer is specifically looking for a cheaper option for a non-structural application and knowingly buys one. The problem begins when this choice is made without informing them.