REINFORCED CONCRETE

Concrete is strong under compression, but relatively weak under tension; the reverse is true for steel. When the two are combined, one makes up for the deficiency of the other. When steel is embedded in concrete in a manner that assists it in carrying imposed loads, the combination is known as reinforced concrete. The steel may consist of welded-wire fabric or expanded metal mesh, but more often, it consists of reinforcing bars, commonly known as rebar.