Advantages and disadvantages of Reinforced concrete

Concrete is a material having similarity with stone. It is formed with the blend of cement, sand and gravel or other aggregate and water proportionately to solidify in forms of the shape as well as dimensions of the needed structure.

Reinforced cement concrete: Concrete is a breakable material. It is solid in compression but feeble in tension. In order to fortify and reinforce the tensile potency of concrete, steel is utilized. The steel should contain proper deformations to offer robust bonds and meshing of both materials. If it is fully encircled with the toughened concrete mass it develops an comprehensive part of the two materials that is called "Reinforced Concrete".

Reinforced Concrete belongs to a structural material, is extensively utilized in various types of structures.

Advantages of reinforced concrete:

* Reinforced concrete also offers superior compressive strength as opposed to various other materials utilized for construction besides good in tension.
* It provides greater resistance to fire as compared to steel and has the ability to prevent fire for a prolonged period.
* It has long tenure and little maintenance cost.

* In various structures like dams, piers and footings, it is considered as the most cost-effective structural material
* It can be cast to be converted with the preferred shape. It is extensively applied in pre-cast structural components
* It produces rigid members with least apparent deflection
* It produces the strength of steel that is about 15 times the compressive strength of structural concrete and well over 100 times its tensile strength
* With steel, cross sectional dimesions of structural members are significantly minimized e.g in lower floor columns
* Unskilled labors are needed for erection of structures as opposed to other materials like structural steel.

Disadvantages of reinforced concrete:

* It requires mixing, casting and curing and these have an effect on the final strength of concrete
* The cost of the forms necessary to cast concrete is comparatively high
* It contains low compressive strength as opposed to steel (the ratio is about 1:10 based on material) which cause large sections in columns/beams of multistory buildings.

Cracks build up in concrete because of shrinkage and the application of live loads.

Ref: www.aboutcivil.org