AR 3261- ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES

I. Introduction to Reinforced Concrete

Concrete and reinforced concrete are used as building construction materials in every
country. Reinforced concrete is a dominant structural material in engineered construction.
The universal nature of reinforced concrete construction stems from the wide availability of
reinforcing bars and of the constituents of concrete (gravel or crushed rock, sand, water, and
cement), from the relatively simple skills required in concrete construction, and from the
economy of reinforced concrete compared with other forms of construction. Plain concrete
and reinforced concrete are used in buildings of all sorts, underground structures, water
tanks, wind turbine foundations and towers, offshore oil exploration and production
structures, dams, bridges and even ships.
Concrete is a mixture of sand, gravel crushed rock, or other aggregates held together with a
paste of cement and water to form a rocklike mass. One or more admixtures are added to
change certain characteristics of the concrete such as its workability, durability, and time of
hardening.
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Reinforced concrete is a combination of concrete and steel wherein the steel reinforcement
provides the tensile strength lacking in the concrete. Steel reinforcing bar is also capable of
resisting compression forces.
Concrete and steel reinforcing work together in reinforced concrete structures. The advantages of
each material seen to compensate for the disadvantages of the other. Concrete lacks tensile strenght
while steel compensates for the tensile strength. The two materials bond together very well so there
is little chance of slippage between the two materials and they will act together as a unit in resisting
forces. The excellent bond obtained is due to the chemical adhesion between the two materials, the
natural roughness of the bars and the closely spaced rib-shaped deformations rolled on the bar
surfaces. Reinforcing bars are subjected to corrosion, but the concrete surrounding them provides
them with excellent protection.

Advantages of Concrete as a Structural Material

Reinforced concrete may be the most important material available for construction. It is used in one
form or another for almost all structures. The success of this universal construction material can be
understood quite easily if its numerous advantages are considered. These include the following:

 It has considerable compressive strength as compared to most materials.

 It has great resistance to the actions of fire and water. During fires of average intensity,
members with a satisfactory cover of concrete over the reinforcing bars suffer only surface
damage without failure.
 Reinforced concrete structures are very rigid.
 It is a low-maintenance material.
 It has a very long service life. It can be used indefinitely without a reduction of their load-
carrying abilities. This can be explained by the fact that the strength of concrete does not
decrease with time but actually increases over a very long period due to the lengthy process of
the solidification of the cement paste.
 It is the only economical material available for footings, basement walls, piers, and similar
applications.
 It has the ability to be cast into an extraordinary variety of shapes from simple slabs, beams, and
columns to great arches and shells.
 A lower grade of skilled labor is required for erection as compared to other materials such as
structural steel.

Disadvantages of Concrete as a Structural Material

To use concrete successfully, the designer must be completely familiar with its weak points as
well as its strong ones. Among the disadvantages are as follows:
 Concrete has a very low tensile strength, requiring the use of tensile reinforcing.
 Forms are required to hold the concrete in place until it hardens sufficiently. Falsework or
shoring may be necessary to keep the forms in place for roofs, walls, and similar structures until
the concrete members gain sufficient strength to support themselves. Formwork is very
expensive.
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 The low strength per unit of weight leads to heavy members. This becomes an increasingly
important matter for long-span structures where concrete’s large deadweight has a great effect
on bending moments. This is also an important consideration for tall buildings and long-span
structures.
 The properties of concrete vary widely due to variations in its proportioning and mixing. The
placing and curing of concrete is not as carefully controlled as the production of other materials
such as structural steel and laminated wood.
 Shrinkage and creep are also issues in using concrete.

TIMELINE OF CONCRETE & CEMENT HISTORY

 3000 BC - Egyptian Pyramids

The Egyptians were using early forms of concrete over 5000 years ago to build pyramids. They
mixed mud and straw to form bricks and used gypsum and lime to make mortars.
 300 BC - 476 AD-Roman Architecture
The ancient Romans used a material that is remarkably close to modern cement to build many of
their architectural marvels, such as the Colosseum, and the Pantheon. The Romans also used
animal products in their cement as an early form of admixtures. Admixtures, additions to the mix
used to achieve certain goals, are still used today.
 1824-Portland Cement Invented
Joseph Aspdin of England is credited with the invention of modern Portland cement. He named his
cement Portland, after a rock quarry that produced very strong stone.
 1836-Strength Testing
In 1836, the first test of tensile and compressive strength took place in Germany. Tensile strength
refers to concrete's ability to resist tension or pulling apart forces. Compressive strength refers to
concrete's ability to resist compression or pushing together forces. Both tensile and compressive
strength is expressed in pounds per square inch (psi).
 1889- Alvord Lake Bridge
Alvord Lake Bridge was built in 1889 in San Francisco, CA. This bridge was the first reinforced
concrete bridge, and it still exists today, over one hundred years after it was built!
 1891- Concrete Street
In 1891, the first concrete street in America was built in Bellefontaine, Ohio. This is a modern photo
of the historic street. Today, pervious concrete is being advocated as the best, and most
environmentally friendly, surface for streets.
 1903-The Ingalls Building
The first concrete high rise was built in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1903. The Ingalls Building, as it is called,
has sixteen stories, making it one of the great engineering feats of its time.
 1908-Concrete Homes
In 1908, Thomas Edison designed and built the first concrete homes in Union, New Jersey. These
homes still exist today. Edison envisioned that his design would meet great success and that before
no time everyone in America would be living in a concrete home. However, his vision did not
become a reality as soon as he expected; in fact, concrete homes are just starting to gain popularity
now, one hundred years later.
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 1913-Ready Mix
The first load of ready-mix was delivered in Baltimore, Maryland in 1913. The idea that concrete
could be mixed at a central plant, then delivered by truck to the job site for placement,
revolutionized the concrete industry.
 1936-Hoover Dam
The Hoover Dam, completed in 1936, is located on the Colorado River, bordering Arizona and
Nevada. Up to this time, the dam was the largest scale concrete project ever completed.

Steel Structures Vs. Concrete Structures

Point of
Concrete structure Steel Structure
difference

The durability of
The concrete structures steel structures is adversely
Durability
are more durable affected by weather
conditions and rusting

Steel Structure can

The concrete structures
Earthquake withstand earthquakes
are brittle so they are
resistance more effectively than
less earthquake resistant.
concrete structures

In comparison to the
Load carrying steel, the load-carrying The load-carrying capacity
capacity capacity of the concrete of steel structure is good
is low.

The scrap value of The scrap value of steel is

Scrap value
concrete is nil good

The self-weight of The steel is 60% lighter than

Self-weight
concrete is more the concrete

The foundation for the

concrete structure should The steel structure can be
Foundation
be strong because of the made without foundation
larger weight of concrete

Construction The concrete structure The steel structures are fast

time generally needed 28 days in their erection and can be
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before they are ready to used soon after their

use erection

It requires less skilled It requires more skilled

Labor
labor labor

The cost of construction The cost of construction is

Cost
is less more

The joints such as

construction joint, The steel component are
expansion joint, joined by using rivets,
Joining
contraction joint, etc are welding, nuts & bolts, etc. in
needed in concrete steel structure
structure