BACKGROUND OF REINFORCEMENT CONCRETE

REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAME CONSTRUCTION

BACKGROUND

Reinforced concrete is one of the most widely used modern building materials. Concrete

is “artificial stone” obtained by mixing cement, sand, and aggregates with water. Fresh

concrete can be molded into almost any shape, which is an inherent advantage over

other materials. Concrete became very popular after the invention of Portland cement

in 19th century; however, its limited tension resistance prevented its wide use in building

construction. To overcome this weakness, steel bars are embedded in concrete to

form a composite material called reinforced concrete.

Developments in the modern reinforced concrete design and construction practice were pioneered by European engineers in the late 19th century. At the present time, reinforced concrete is extensively

used in a wide variety of engineering applications (e.g., buildings, bridges, dams).

The worldwide use of reinforced concrete construction stems from the wide availability

of reinforcing steel as well as the concrete ingredients. Unlike steel, concrete production

does not require expensive manufacturing mills. Concrete construction, does, however,

require a certain level of technology, expertise, and workmanship, particularly in the

field during construction. In some cases, single-family houses or simple low-rise residential

buildings are constructed without any engineering assistance.

The extensive use of reinforced concrete construction, especially in developing countries,

is due to its relatively low cost compared to other materials such as steel. The cost of

construction changes with the region and strongly depends on the local practice. As

an example, a unit area of a typical residential building made with reinforced concrete

costs approximately US$100 /m2 in India, US$250/m2 in Turkey, and US$500/m2 in Italy.

With the rapid growth of urban population in both the developing and the industrialized

countries, reinforced concrete has become a material of choice for residential

construction. Unfortunately, in many cases there is not the necessary level of expertise

in design and construction. Design applications range from single-family buildings in

countries like Algeria and Colombia to high-rises in Chile, Canada, Turkey, and China

(Figure 1). Frequently, reinforced concrete construction is used in regions of high seismic

risk, such as Latin America, southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast
Asia.

Figure 1: Typical residential RC

frame building in Turkey (WHE
Report 64, Turkey)