We prepare the schedule. We do not supply, cut or bend steel — and we have no steel to sell you. Our bar bending schedule goes to whichever fabricator you choose, or to your own site bending yard.
That distinction is worth stating plainly, because almost everyone else offering BBS in this market also sells rebar. Buildesk prepares bar bending schedules for contractors in Dubai and across the UAE: bar marks, shape codes, cutting lengths, bending dimensions and weights, scheduled to BS 8666 or to whatever standard your specification names.
Why an independent schedule is worth more
A schedule written by a company that also sells you the steel has an interest in the tonnage number. A schedule written by a technical office does not.
Take our BBS to three fabricators and compare their quotes on identical quantities. That is a like-for-like comparison you cannot get when the schedule and the supply come from the same party.
Who does what
| Stage | Who does it | Buildesk |
|---|---|---|
| Structural design drawings | Your consultant | No |
| Bar bending schedule, cutting and bending lengths | Technical office | Yes |
| Rebar shop and placement drawings | Technical office | Yes |
| Steel supply, CNC cut and bend | Rebar fabricator | No |
| Site fixing | Your team | No |
What you receive
- Bar mark — unique reference per bar type, matched to the placement drawing
- Shape code — to BS 8666, with the bending dimensions A/B/C/D as the standard defines them
- Bar diameter and count per mark and per element
- Cutting length — calculated with bend deductions and hook allowances shown, not hidden
- Bending radius / mandrel size appropriate to the bar diameter
- Weight per mark and total tonnage by diameter, so procurement can order against it directly
- Formats — Excel for the fabricator, PDF for submission, DWG for the accompanying placement drawings
Which standard we schedule to
We schedule to BS 8666 by default, because that is what UAE fabricators’ cutting and bending lines are set up for. If your project specification calls for ACI 315 / SP-66 conventions, or names the older BS 4466 shape code table, we schedule to that instead. Tell us the specification clause and we match it.
Worth knowing: BS 4466 was superseded by BS 8666, but it still appears in older UAE specifications. If your document names it, that is not necessarily an error — but it is worth confirming with the consultant before fabrication starts, because the shape codes are not identical.
Note also the layers are different things: the Dubai Building Code aligns concrete design with ACI 318. That is the design code, not a scheduling standard. Material grade is separate again — typically BS 4449 or ASTM A615 Grade 60 depending on the specification.
Elements we schedule
- Raft foundations, pad footings, strip footings and pile caps
- Columns and shear walls, including starter bars and lap zones
- Beams — main, secondary, tie and plinth
- Slabs — solid, flat, ribbed and post-tensioned zones
- Staircases, landings and ramps
- Retaining walls, basement walls and water tanks
- Lift pits, sumps and manholes
- Boundary walls and external structures
How we reduce your rebar wastage
A schedule that ignores stock lengths generates offcuts nobody can use. We check cutting lengths against the standard stock lengths your fabricator supplies, so bars are grouped to reduce short offcuts where the design allows.
We also check lap lengths against what the design actually requires, rather than applying a blanket allowance — over-lapping is invisible on the drawing and expensive in the yard.
What the schedule does not include: tying wire, chairs, spacers and supports. These are consumables, priced separately, and we say so rather than letting you discover it at ordering.
What we need from you
- Structural drawings — DWG preferred, scaled PDF workable
- The current revision status, and any pending consultant comments
- The specification clause naming the bending standard, if you have it
- Your fabricator’s standard stock lengths, if you know them
- Your deadline
Turnaround and pricing
[To be completed with real turnaround bands and the pricing basis — per tonne, per drawing, or per element.]
Recent project
[To be completed with one real project: structure type, tonnage scheduled, turnaround, outcome.]
Frequently asked questions
Do you supply steel?
No. We prepare the schedule. You buy your steel from whoever you choose, and our schedule works with any of them.
Is this bar bending machine rental?
No. We do not rent or sell bending machines. We produce the schedule that tells a machine what to bend.
Does BBS here mean Behaviour-Based Safety?
No. On this page BBS means Bar Bending Schedule — the reinforcement document. The safety acronym is a separate field entirely.
Can I take your schedule to my own fabricator?
Yes, and you should. It is your document. Most UAE fabricators accept a BS 8666 schedule in Excel directly into their cutting line.
Which standard applies to a Dubai project?
Usually BS 8666 for scheduling. Check your specification preamble — if it names ACI 315 or BS 4466, send us the clause and we schedule accordingly.
What happens when structural drawings are revised?
We update the affected bar marks and reissue, identifying what changed so your fabricator does not re-cut bars that were already correct.
Do you also do the rebar placement drawings?
Yes. Placement drawings and the schedule from the same office means the bar marks on the drawing and in the schedule agree — which is not always true when they come from different parties.
Send your structural drawings
Send the drawings and the deadline. We will confirm what we can schedule, in what time, and what it costs.
