REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE AND ITS ADVANTAGES
Reinforced cement concrete (R.C.C) is the combination of ordinary concrete with the reinforcement to increase its compressive and tensile strength to a great extent. Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) is a composite building material consisting of structural concrete reinforced with a reinforcing material like steel. The most common reinforcement used is steel, due to its complimentary properties and it is called steel reinforced cement concrete or simply Reinforced Cement Concrete.
Advantages of reinforced concrete
Concrete and steel bars: Since RCC have both the elements with the properties of concrete which is strong in compression and steel good in tension it gives the advantage of both.
Casted into any shape: Fresh concrete will be in the form of fluid and so it can be poured and casted into any shape. It gives easiness to the engineer to decide the shape of structure based on architectural aspects.
Resistant to fire and weather: RCC with proper cover will withstand to fire for about 3 – 4 hours. RCC will also survive any type of weather with proper quality control and durability considerations.
Maintenance: After the completion of work low maintenance is needed for concrete structures compared to the other (steel and timber) type of structures.
Availability: Steel and Concrete are a commonly used construction material and so it is easily available to prepare reinforced cement concrete.
Economical: It is economical compared to the other materials like steel structure.
Rigidity: Reinforced Concrete members are good in rigidity due to their stiffness.
Challenges of using RCC
Time: Longer duration is needed for this type of construction. Reinforced concrete (RC) structures will attain its maximum strength only after 28 days. Therefore, it is a slow process and cannot be used for immediate works. Even though the strength gain can be accelerated with admixtures.
Requires form works: The process of forming involves the construction and removal of formworks. the proper forms must be constructed at the particular size and shape and pouring of concrete is done. After hardening of concrete, the forms are removed. For both the process labors are labor intensive.
Volume change: Concrete changes its volume with time due to shrinkage. This may cause cracking issues if not properly considered in design.
