Pros and Cons of Concrete

Here are some major Pros and Cons of Concrete Construction:

Pros of Concrete

Advantages of Reinforced Concrete for Pros and Cons of Concrete Analysis

1. The compressive strength of reinforced concrete is high compared to many building materials. For example, it is possible to construct more delicate structures and use smaller dimensions than masonry construction.
2. Reinforced concrete structures have a greater resistance to fire hazard. In fact, reinforced concrete can be considered the most ideal material for this situation. In the case of a normal fire, if the reinforced concrete element has enough concrete cover, it was determined that the migration did not occur and that only a superficial damage that could later be repaired easily occurred. On the other hand, steel and wooden structures, in particular, suffer from fire and become unusable.
3. Since reinforced concrete structures are more rigid than steel structures , for example , uncomfortable large displacements do not occur in use.
4. Maintenance of reinforced concrete construction is very low compared to wooden and steel construction and it is almost non-existent. Its weather resistance, water and moisture resistance is better than steel and wooden structures.
5. It is easier to understand the superiority of reinforced concrete structures in this regard, if it is remembered that steel structures need to be painted against corrosion or wood is protected from moisture .
6. Compared to other structures, reinforced concrete structures have a very long lifetime. Under normal conditions , it can be used indefinitely without losing anything from the reinforced concrete load bearing power. In reality, the strength of concrete does not decrease over time, on the contrary, it increases.
7. One of the most important features of reinforced concrete is that the material can be poured in many different ways such as flooring, beams, columns, arches and shells. Due to its ease of shaping, it provides aesthetically demanding architectural requests to be realized easily. For example, it is possible to obtain superficial bearing elements in different shapes by making the formwork in reinforced concrete .
8. It is economical as locally available materials such as sand, gravel and water are used in reinforced concrete . In addition, the required cement and reinforcement are used in a smaller volume of steel. Reinforced concrete construction is more economical than steel construction that can be projected instead. Reinforced concrete is the only material that can be used in basement, basement curtains, bridge pillars. The foundations and elements of steel and wooden structures that are in contact with the ground are commonly constructed as reinforced concrete .
9. Since the reinforced concrete structure is built as a monolithic structure , it is simple to create joining areas that require additional care in the arrangement of steel and wooden structures . While the monolithic feature of the reinforced concrete structure increases the degree of indeterminacy of the carrier system, it helps the elements to help each other in case of overload.
10. In reinforced concrete construction , less qualified staff is needed than for example steel construction. This contributes to the more economic construction of reinforced concrete .

Cons

Disadvantages of Reinforced Concrete for Pros and Cons of Concrete Analysis

1. Since the tensile strength of concrete is very low, it should generally be used with reinforcement.
2. In order to keep the fresh concrete in place until it hardens, scaffolding is needed to support the formwork . Formwork cost has an important place in reinforced concrete construction. Formwork and scaffolding material and the consumption for its preparation can approach half the total cost. This disadvantage can be reduced by bringing the elements to standard sizes and using molds that are more likely to be reused.
3. Low strength compared to the weight of reinforced concrete reveals heavy building elements. This affects the structure as a constant load and creates additional forces on the elements. In particular, in situations such as large span bridge beams and roofs, this situation is effective in deciding on material selection in terms of bending moment and normal strength in multi-storey high-rise buildings.
4. Besides the composition and preparation of concrete, its placement and maintenance during hardening are very effective. Since these processes are generally carried out outdoors at the construction site, the attention paid to steel carrier elements prepared in the workshop cannot be performed here. In order to eliminate this disadvantage, ready-mixed concrete is used and some reinforced concrete structural elements are brought to the construction site as ready.
5. It is possible to benefit from the material, especially after the end of the life of steel structures. When the functions of reinforced concrete structures are finished, it is almost impossible to use the material by demolishing it. In some cases, although it is not economical, the collapsed elements can be disintegrated and used as aggregates. Although it is not easy, it can be evaluated by removing the reinforcement. All these processes, especially the demolition of the reinforced concrete carrier system, are expensive. In order to avoid this disadvantage , it should be preferred that temporary structures are not reinforced concrete .
6. It is difficult to control the existence and adequacy of reinforcement, which is also effective in reinforced concrete structures . Although there are some approximate experimental methods, it is almost impossible to get detailed results. Therefore reinforced control of compliance of the project of reinforcement placed in the concrete is poured is very important. Similarly, in old buildings that do not have a project, bearing strengths can only be determined by a certain approximation, since the reinforcement status is not fully determined.
7. Since the strength of reinforced concrete building elements depends on the amount and place of the reinforcement in the concrete cross-section, it is difficult to strengthen the bearing system of reinforced concrete structures whose purpose is changed. In expanding the cross sections of the new elements and elements to be added, the carriage of the existing system should continue and the integration of existing and new elements should be ensured. In order to avoid this disadvantage, all changes that may occur at the project stage, including increases in load, should be considered.

Concrete is a composite material, comprising a matrix of aggregate (typically a rocky material) and a binder (typically Portland cement or asphalt), which holds the matrix together. Many types of concrete are available, determined by the formulations of binders and the types of aggregate used to suit the application for the material. These variables determine strength, density, as well as chemical and thermal resistance of the finished product. Aggregate consists of large chunks of material in a concrete mix, generally a coarse gravel or crushed rocks such as limestone, or granite, along with finer materials such as sand.

Pros and Cons of Concrete