When it comes to the types of building materials that are used all over the world, one of the most abundant ones that you will find is reinforced concrete. Concrete on its own can be surprisingly brittle and has only a limited number of useful applications. When this concrete is reinforced with steel, it can be used for any number of things, walls, columns, foundations, frames, slabs and much, much more. It is an important material that is often used as the preferred material during construction with steel. This is mainly as a result of its versatility, resistance to fire and corrosion – which can lead to maintenance costs that are negligible, and adaptability.
On its own concrete is only a strong material against the forces of compression it exhibits low ductility and tensile strength. If it is to withstand the tensile and shear forces that are placed upon it, reinforcement is needed. Because it bonds well with the concrete, this is why steel is used. It is also important to remember that steel contracts and expands at similar rates under a range of temperatures making it even more versatile. They are materials whose composition compliments each other making them an ideal match for the construction industry. The resulting steel reinforcement has been used all over the world to create some particularly impressive structures.
What applications might it be used for?
Steel reinforced concrete has a wide range of applications and can prove to be a very useful building material to architects in any number of designs.
On the very basic level, it is a practical material to use for the construction of roof slabs, floors, beams and columns in both commercial and residential structures. In the form of reinforced concrete grid squares, which are made up of slabs and beams, it is used as the floor covering of choice in a larger building, such as a conference hall, where it is essential to have column-free space.
Bridges
For bridges of small, medium and even long spans, the use of steel-reinforced concrete is incredibly popular. It gives a result that is aesthetically very pleasing to the eye and is a much more economical structure when compared to the alternative bridges constructed of steel which require a considerable amount of upkeep by way of painting to protect the metal. Because modern concretes have been significantly developed, the durability and strength that they have mean they have a much wider application.
Roads
This type of concrete is also used in the construction of roads as they need to be incredibly durable to stand the continual movement of heavy traffic over their surface. It is also a valuable construction material in the building of airport runways and boat slipways.
Domes
While flatter structures may be what immediately comes to mind when you think of steel-reinforced concrete it can also be used for structures such as the large domes that you might see on water tanks and even sports stadiums. Because the steel can be formed in such a way that the appropriate shape can be created around it, this makes it an ideal material for this purpose. It makes the ideal material to consider when constructing overhead and ground tanks and hydraulic structures such as gravity and arch dams as well.
With such a wide variety of applications, it is not surprising that as technology allows for even more advances in the field of steel-reinforced concrete, more and more ways of using it are being found. We look forward to seeing new and innovative uses for this versatile material.