Reinforced Concrete

 

 

What is Reinforced Concrete

Concrete is the combination of aggregate and cement where cement is used as the binding material between the aggregates. This combination has got high compressive strength along with very low tensile strength. But structure members also need to sustain in tensile stresses. For an example, a beam in a building undergo both tension and compression. Compression arises on the upper face of the beam whereas tension develops in the bottom face.
If only cement concrete is used that will be good enough to withstand the compression but as it cannot take tension, failure will be initiated in the bottom face. Eventually, the total failure of the member will occur. To reduce this problem, steel bar is inserted on the tension zone of the member as steel has got very high tensile strength. Now the member can now resist compression and tension in combination of steel and concrete as the compression will be taken by concrete on the upper face and tension will be taken by steel on the lower face. Whole system will behave as one in resisting loads of the structure and the concept of reinforced concrete arises. So the reinforced concrete or reinforcement concrete is defined as the combination of steel and concrete which can take both tension and compression arises in a member as one.


For a strong, ductile and durable construction the reinforcement needs to have the following properties at least:

• High relative strength 
• High toleration of tensile strain 
• Good bond to the concrete, irrespective of pH, moisture, and similar factors 
• Thermal compatibility, not causing unacceptable stresses in response to changing temperatures. 
• Durability in the concrete environment, irrespective of corrosion or sustained stress for example. 

Weight of Reinforced Concrete Structure

The unit weight of reinforced concrete is around 150lb per cubic feet. This high density increases the total dead load of the reinforced concrete structure significantly which may be equal or more then the targeted live load. Thus, lack of safety and cost may arises with this high weight of the reinforce concrete as the total structural load is increased.

History of RCC in Construction

François Coignet was a French industrialist of the nineteenth century, a pioneer in the development of structural prefabricated and reinforced concrete. Coignet was the first to use iron-reinforced concrete as a technique for constructing building structures. In 1853 Coignet built the first iron reinforced concrete structure, a four story house at 72 rue Charles Michels in the suburbs of Paris.

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