Introduction to Steel Reinforced Concrete

Steel Reinforced concrete is concrete in whichSteel concrete can fail due to insufficient strength,
steel reinforcement bars, plates or fibers haveleading to mechanical failure, or due to a reduction
been incorporated to build up a material thatin its durability. Corrosion and freeze may damage
would otherwise be fragile. In industrializedpoorly designed or constructed reinforced
countries, nearly all concrete used in constructionconcrete.
is reinforced concrete.Physical characteristics of steel reinforced
There are a number of building materials thatconcrete:o The coefficient of thermal expansion
have been found to be exceptional when it usedof concrete is similar to that of steel, eliminating
in the construction of buildings. One of theseinternal stresses due to differences in thermal
exceptional building materials is steel concrete.expansion or contraction.o When the cement
Steel-reinforced bridges are also among the mostpaste within the concrete hardens this conforms
common type of bridge built. In fact, the vastto the surface details of the steel, permitting any
majority of highway bridges is of this type and isstress to be transmitted efficiently between the
most frequently encountered along interstatedifferent materials.o The alkaline chemical
highways. For added strength and support, theenvironment provided by calcium carbonate
concrete used in constructing these bridges iscauses a passivating film to form on the surface
often reinforced with embedded steel bars whichof the steel, making it much more resistant to
are commonly called as rebar.corrosion than it would be in neutral or acidic
Steel concrete is a specific type that has hadconditions.
strong steel rebar or fibers added to it whileFiber concrete is also becoming an increasingly
dripping, creating a very strong type of concretepopular construction material due to its improved
that is able to withstand almost anything when itmechanical properties over non-reinforced
has dried. Because the results of using steelconcrete and its ability to enhance the mechanical
reinforced are so good for the strength of theperformance of conventionally reinforced
building, most modern buildings today use steelconcrete.
reinforced concrete in the construction process.