Why reinforcement is provided in concrete?
Why reinforcement is provided in concrete? – Reinforcement is provided in concrete to enhance its strength and durability. Concrete has a high compressive strength but relatively low tensile strength. It means it can resist compression forces, but it can crack or fail under tension or bending stresses. Reinforcement helps to improve the tensile strength of concrete and provide better resistance to bending, flexural and shear stresses.
The reinforcing steel used in concrete is commonly known as rebars, and it is placed in a pre-designed pattern to create a reinforced concrete structure. The rebars are usually made of high-strength steel and are placed in the concrete in a way that they can resist the tensile forces that the concrete cannot.
When concrete is loaded, the reinforcement bars absorb the tensile stresses and transfer them to the compressive zone of concrete, which is better suited to resist them. This combination of concrete and reinforcement provides a stronger and more durable material that can resist heavy loads and stresses without cracking or failing.
Reinforcement also helps to prevent the propagation of cracks in concrete, which is essential in structures such as buildings, bridges, and dams, where even small cracks can lead to catastrophic failures.
In summary, reinforcement is provided in concrete to improve its tensile strength, resistance to bending and shear stresses, durability, and resistance to cracking.
