Reinforced Concrete

To counteract the inherent brittleness of concrete and the relatively low tensile strength and ductility, concrete is reinforced with rebar (steel reinforced bars).  Without reinforcement, concrete has the tendency to crack or break when under high pressure conditions and shear stresses such as those caused by wind, earthquakes and other forces.   

Reinforcement also prevents excessive cracking that is a result of concrete shrinkage and temperature changes.  In addition the Portland Cement Association (PCA) states that, “Lateral reinforcement (stirrups, ties and hoops) are used to provide resistance to principal tensile stresses resulting from shear.  They also explain its use “in highly stressed areas of compression zones of columns beams and joints provide confinement,” which is especially important in structures that are located in seismic hot spots.     

To achieve the maximum performance required on specific construction projects, it usually only takes a relatively low percentage of rebar.  Industry standards state that a typical concrete beam requires about 1% of rebar to be added to the concrete.  For a column, it can take about 6% of rebar to achieve the required performance.  Furthermore, since steel is much more costly than concrete, rebar is an economical solution for providing strength, ductility, and durability to a structure.      

Reinforced concrete products can be precast and cast-in-place, and are used to construct slabs, foundations, walls, columns, beams and more.  In fact many of today’s concrete structures would not have been possible without reinforced concrete.  

At The Conco Companies, we supply the industry with precision-engineered rebar that is fabricated in our state-of-the-art facilities.  Using the latest technologies and outfitted with modern shear lines, benders and post-tension cable manufacturing equipment, we can meet the most exacting specifications.  Our highly skilled workers are trained on up-to-date technologies that make use of building informational modeling (BIM) and our advanced field fabrication tools ensure a high-quality installation job.    

The Conco Companies are a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western U.S.  We got our start in the Bay Area in 1959 by offering clients the best value on a wide range of concrete services and products.  Since that time, we have taken a leading role as one of the top concrete contractors in the region. We have four regional offices serving California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Colorado.

Source: cement.org/concrete-basics/buildings-structures/design-aids/reinforced-concrete