materialsscienceandengineering: Composites: Reinforced Concrete Concrete on its own is a composite m
materialsscienceandengineering: Composites: Reinforced Concrete Concrete on its own is a composite material but it is sometimes mixed with other substances to improve certain properites. Reinforced concrete is typically defined as a concrete composite wherein the concrete is the matrix and the ‘fibers’, so to speak, are solid bars of reinforcing steel - or rebar, from reinforcing bars. Concrete on its own holds up incredibly well under compression but not so well under tension. Steel, on the other hand, has excellent comparative tensile strength. The combination of these two materials creates a composite that works well under tension and compression. Concrete is occasionally reinforced with other materials, such as plastics, or glass fiber reinforced concrete, but steel is the most common material used. Even though the additional of steel increases the strength, the metal within the cement can lead to problems, most notably what is known as concrete cancer or concrete disease. Concrete is a fairly porous material and water can seep through it, coming into contact with the steel and rusting the rebar inside. Rusted and decayed rebar can cause fatal weaknesses in structures. The environmental impact of concrete itself is also a concern. Applications of reinforced concrete are usually structural applications taking advantage of the increased strength. Sources: ( 1 - images 1 and 3 ) ( 2 - image 2 ) ( 3 - image 4 ) ( 4 ) -- source link