Advantages and Disadvantages of Reinforced Concrete

Following are Advantage of reinforced concrete

➤It has a relatively high compressive strength.

➤It has better resistance to fire than steel.

➤It has a long service life with low maintenance cost.

➤In some types of structures, such as dams, piers, and footings, it is the most economical structural material.

➤It can be cast to take the shape required, making it widely used in precast structural components. It yields rigid members with minimum apparent deflection.

Disadvantage of reinforced concrete

➤It has a low tensile strength of about one-tenth of its compressive strength.

➤It needs mixing, casting, and curing, all of which affect the final strength of concrete.

➤The cost of the forms used to cast of concrete placed in the forms.

➤It has a low compressive strength as compared to steel (the ratio is about 1:10, depending on materials), which leads to large sections in columns of multistory buildings.

➤Cracks develop in concrete due to shrinkage and the application of live loads.