What are the benefits of steel reinforcement?
- It is easy to handle, manipulate and weld
- It is elastic and ductile
- Steel is resistant to rough conditions
- Steel is highly compatible with concrete
- It has a similar coefficient of thermal expansion
- Steel products are readily available
Steel is one of the most widely used products in the construction industry. It has many purposes. One in particular use is reinforcement. It’s in countless buildings to provide exceptional construction support for columns, foundations, walls, and the like.
But what are the benefits of using steel reinforcement? What properties and advantages does steel have that put it at the top of the list when it comes to reinforcement? Continue reading to learn more.
What is steel reinforcement?
Steel reinforcement is a process that uses steel reinforcement bars — more commonly known as rebars. In this process, rebar is planted in combination with plain cement concrete. This creates what we call “reinforced concrete.” Reinforced concrete is needed to create structures, called steel reinforced cement concrete structures (R.C.C).
As we mentioned earlier, steel reinforcement is often used to create foundations, bases, columns, walls, and the like. In most cases, the steel rebar is interconnected with other steel rebars within the concrete. This creates a framework that can give the entire structure more stability.
Why do we use steel reinforcement?
Steel reinforcement is a necessary step in constructing buildings. This is because, despite its strength in compression, concrete is very weak in tension. In simpler terms, concrete alone is more likely to crack or break off under tension loads.
So, to improve the tensile strength of a building, steel reinforcement is used. Embedding steel rebar is done carefully, creating a specific pattern to ensure a proper bond is made with the concrete. Engineers do this in such a way that the steel rebar takes on the tensile force, while the concrete takes up the compressive forces.
Doing this provides tensile strength to the concrete, allowing the structure to become strong in both tension and compression. Thus, the risk of concrete cracks under tension loads is reduced.
That said, why do we use steel above all other metals for reinforcement? Here is why:
It is easy to handle, manipulate, and weld
Steel products are generally very easy to handle, manipulate, and weld — both on the factory floor and job site. This makes fabrication and manufacturing much quicker and cheaper than most other metals.
Plus, standard steel rebar can be easily bent or formed on-site to meet the project’s shape size, and specification. So, even if you have standard steel rebar delivered to your job site, you can easily fabricate steel bars on an as-needed basis.
It is elastic and ductile
Steel rebar has a high modulus of elasticity — 200GPa (200 x 10⁹ N/m²). This helps the rebar stretch at very high tension loads without breaking. And, this allows it to regain its original shape once the tensile load is removed. Steel rebar is also very ductile. It plastically deforms under higher loads without a problem.
In simpler terms, steel rebar is favored because it remains elastic and ductile even under very heavy force or loads. It easily adapts to the load, bending or stretching as needed. After, it can easily snap back into its original shape, without deforming or breaking.
Steel is resistant to rough conditions
Steel in general is resistant to rough handling or conditions. The metal’s high strength allows it to withstand wear and tear. So, even if minor damage does happen during transport, storage, or installation on the site, it does not significantly affect its performance.
Steel is highly compatible with concrete
Compatibility with concrete is one of the most important things to consider on the construction site. Luckily, steel rebars are very compatible.
When steel rebar is placed on the formwork mold for the reinforcement process, it is so heavy that it won’t float in the unhardened concrete. So, workers don’t have to tie the material down or hold it in place during the concrete placing procedure.
It has a similar coefficient of thermal expansion
The way that construction materials react under heat also has to be considered. Steel and concrete also have a near-equal coefficient of thermal expansion. This is the rate at which they expand or contract when there are temperature fluctuations.
What this means is that, when exposed to higher temperatures, steel and concrete will both expand at more or less the same rate. As a result, there’s less chance of the steel detaching or breaking off from the concrete due to temperature changes.
Steel products are readily available
Steel is one of the most readily available metals on the market. The best steel fabricators, like Regan Industrial Sales, Inc., have more than enough material and manufacturing capacity to meet the demands of the construction industry. So you can rest assured that we’re always available to meet whatever needs your project has.
Plus, we offer many ready-built steel rebars for our customers. Using ready-built steel rebar eliminates the need for further forming or bending. This helps you cut down on construction time and costs, and minimizes the wastage of steel in bending and cutting.
Key Takeaway
All the benefits of steel reinforcement show that steel rebar is one of the most suitable materials for concrete construction. This is why they are considered the top choice for providing excellent support to concrete structures.
If you’re interested in reaping the benefits of steel reinforcement, work with Regan Industrial Sales, Inc.. We carry all the steel products — including high-quality steel rebar — fit for a variety of construction projects! Send us an inquiry today, and our team will be happy to reach out.
