What Is Reinforced Cement Concrete Simple Explanation - civil engineer vijay technical

Reinforced Cement Concrete 

Definitions of Reinforced Cement Concrete

  

Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) is a composite buildings material consisting of structural concrete reinforced with a reinforcing material like steel. The most common reinforcements use is steel, due to its complimentary properties and its is called steel reinforced cement concrete or simply Reinforced Cement Concrete.

Steel bar embedded in concrete are called as ‘reinforcing bar or reinforcement’. You can read what makes steel suitable for reinforced concrete here. Reinforcing bar are available in two major grade, mild steel and high yield strength steels. Steel fabric mades from cold drawn steel wires welded to form a mesh are also used as reinforcement in RCC. Fiber reinforced concrete are also populars in construction industry.

Concrete RCC

Structural concrete is the most commonly used constructions materials, used up at a rate of about one ton for every living human being. Man use no materials other than water in such tremendous quantity. Concrete is the most importants buildings material, playing a part in all infrastructure project. Its can be molded into different shapes using suitable formwork.

Concrete is a heterogeneous mixture of cement, fine aggregate (sand), coarse aggregate (boulders or gravels) and water which solidifies into a strongs mass due to the Hydration of Cement. Aparts from these component, large numbers of additives called admixture are also added to enhance the properties of concrete likes workability, durability, time of setting etc.

Why is Reinforced Concrete betters than Concrete? 

Plain concrete is strongs in compressions, but it is weak in bendings. Too weaks that its tensiles strengths is around one tenth of its compressives strengths. When plain concretes members is subjected to bending, it develops cracks and ruptures. For the same reason plains concrete is not used where bendings action can occurs. Tensile strengths is defined as the ability to resist bendings force. Bendings forces causes tensiles stresses in flexural members like beams and columns. Plains concrete when reinforced with steel, which is more than hundred times stronger than concrete in tension, the overall capacity of plain concrete in bendings is enhanced.

The steel bars compensate the concrete’s incapability for tensiles resistance, effectively takings up all the tensions, actings monolithically with concrete. So, when concrete and steel bar combine to act againsts forces result in good strength. Similars to how human bone reinforces the flesh and mass around it.

Consider a simply supported beams carrying uniformly distributed loads over the whole span. When the loads is applied, the modes of deflection primarily occur is bendings. As a results, there will be compressions on the top of the beams and tensions at the bottom part. Since concrete is weaks in tensions reinforcing bar will be provided in the lower portion of the beam to avoid cracking of concrete in tensions zone.

  What is reinforcement concrete used for?

Reinforced concrete is used for all structurals members subject to bending. From simple building component like Beams, Columns, Slabs, shear walls and Foundations to heavy structure like bridge piers, girder and dam are constructed with reinforced cements concrete. Reinforced cements concrete can be insitu concreted or precast concretes.

What are the Advantages of reinforced concrete?

Concretes and steel bars: Since RCC have both the element with the propertie of concrete which is strong in compressions and steel good in tension it gives the advantage of boths.

Casted into any shapes: Fresh concrete will be in the forms of fluid and so it can be poured and casted into any shape. It give easiness to the engineers to decide the shapes of structure based on architectural aspects.

Resistant to fire and weather: RCC with proper covers will withstand to fire for about 3 – 4 hour. RCC will also survives any types of weather with proper quality controls and durability considerations.

Maintenance:  After the completions of works low maintenances is needed for concrete structure compared to the others (steel and timber) type of structures.

Availability: Steels and Concretes are a commonly used constructions materials and so it is easily available to prepare reinforced cement concrete.

Economical: It is economical compared to the other material like steel structure.

Challenges of using Rcc

Time: Longer duration is needed for this types of constructions. Reinforced concretes (RC) structures will attain its maximum strength only after 28 day. Therefore, it is a slow process and cannots be used for immediate work. Even though the strengths gain can be accelerated with admixture.

Require form work: The process of forming involves the constructions and removal of formwork. the proper form must be constructed at the particulars size and shapes and pouring of concrete is done. After hardening of concrete, the form are removed. For boths the process labor are labor intensive.