Reinforced concrete

Rebar in place for reinforced concrete

Reinforced concrete is concrete with long bars inside to make it stronger. The reinforcing material has greater tensile strength than concrete has. Usually the bars are steel. Galvanizing saves the steel from rusting and corrosion. In rich countries, almost all concrete in buildings and roads is reinforced. Reinforced concrete is stronger, and can be even stronger if the steel is stretched to make prestressed concrete.

The basic principle behind reinforced concrete is to embed steel reinforcement bars, also known as rebars, within the concrete to provide additional strength and resistance to tensile forces. The concrete acts as a compressive material, while the steel reinforcement handles the tensile forces.

Reinforced Concrete Media

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  The novel shape of the Philips Pavilion built in Brussels for Expo 58 was achieved using reinforced concrete

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  François Coignet House at 72 rue Charles-Michels, Saint Denis

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  House built by Coignet for his factory workers at 59-61 rue Charles-Michels, Saint Denis

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  Rebars of Sagrada Família's roof in construction (2009)

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  Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is made of reinforced concrete clad in a mosaic of thousands of triangular soapstone tiles.

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  Two intersecting beams integral to parking garage slab that will contain both reinforcing steel and the wiring, junction boxes and other electrical components necessary to install the overhead lighting for the garage level beneath it.

• A short video of the last beam being placed on a raised road, part of a new road near Cardiff Bay, Wales

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  Photo of concrete spall from ceiling in the interior of an office unit located at Blk 38, Defu Lane 10 in Singapore (captured on 14 July 2022)

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  Concrete wall cracking as steel reinforcing corrodes and swells. Rust has a lower density than metal, so it expands as it forms, cracking the decorative cladding off the wall as well as damaging the structural concrete. The breakage of material from a surface is called spalling.

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  Detailed view of spalling probably caused by a too thin layer of concrete between the steel and the surface, accompanied by corrosion from external exposure.