Advantages of Concrete

 Ingredients of concrete are easily available in most of the places.

 Unlike natural stones, concrete is free from defects and flaws.
 Concrete can be manufactured to desired strength with an economy.
 The durability of concrete is very high.
 It can be cast to any desired shape.
 The casting of concrete can be done in the working site which makes it
economical.
 Maintenance cost of concrete is almost negligible.
 The deterioration of concrete is not appreciable with age.
 Concrete makes a building fire-safe due to its noncombustible nature.
 Concrete can withstand high temperatures.
 Concrete is resistant to wind and water. Therefore, it is very useful in storm
shelters.
 As a soundproofing material cinder concrete could be used.

Disadvantages of Concrete

 Compared to other binding materials, the tensile strength of concrete is relatively

low.
 Concrete is less ductile.
 The weight of compared is high compared to its strength.
 Concrete may contains soluble salts. Soluble salts cause efflorescence.

Advantages of Reinforced Concrete

1. Reinforced concrete has a high compressive strength compared to other building

materials.

2. Due to the provided reinforcement, reinforced concrete can also withstand a

good amount tensile stress.

3. Fire and weather resistance of reinforced concrete is fair.

4. The reinforced concrete building system is more durable than any other building

system.
 5. Reinforced concrete, as a fluid material, in the beginning, can be economically

molded into a nearly limitless range of shapes.

6. The maintenance cost of reinforced concrete is very low.

7. In the structure like footings, dams, piers etc. reinforced concrete is the most

economical construction material.

8. It acts like a rigid member with minimum deflection.

9. As reinforced concrete can be molded to any shape required, it is widely used in

precast structural components. It yields rigid members with minimum apparent

deflection.

10. Compared to the use of steel in structure, reinforced concrete requires less skilled

labor for the erection of the structure.

Disadvantages of Reinforced Concrete

1. The tensile strength of reinforced concrete is about one-tenth of its compressive

strength.

2. The main steps of using reinforced concrete are mixing, casting, and curing. All of

this affect the final strength.

3. The cost of the forms used for casting is relatively higher.

4. For multi-storied building the RCC column section for is larger than steel section

as the compressive strength is lower in the case of .

5. Shrinkage causes crack development and strength loss.

Properties of Concrete

Strength and Durability

Used in the majority of buildings, bridges, tunnels and dams for its strength
Gains strength over time

Not weakened by moisture, mould or pests

Concrete structures can withstand natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes

Roman buildings over 1,500 years old such as the Coliseum are living examples of the
strength and durability of concrete

Versatility

Concrete is used in buildings, bridges, dams, tunnels, sewerage systems pavements,

runways and even roads

Low Maintenance

Concrete, being inert, compact and non-porous, does not attract mould or lose its key
properties over time

Affordability

Compared to other comparable building materials e.g. steel, concrete is less costly to
produce and remains extremely affordable

Fire-resistance

Being naturally fire-resistant concrete forms a highly effective barrier to fire spread

Thermal mass

Concrete walls and floors slow the passage of heat moving through, reducing
temperature swings. This reduces energy needs from heating or air-conditioning,
offering year-round energy savings over the life-time of the building

Locally Produced and Used

The relative expense of land transport usually limits cement and concrete sales to within
300km of a plant site.

Very little cement and concrete is traded and transported internationally

This saves significantly on transport emissions of CO2 that would otherwise occur
Albedo Effect

The high "albedo" (reflective qualities) of concrete used in pavements and building walls
means more light is reflected and less heat is absorbed, resulting in cooler temperatures

This reduces the "urban heat island" effect prevalent in cities today, and hence reduces
energy use for e.g. air-conditioning

Energy Efficiency in Production

Numerous studies have shown that typically more than 80% of a building's
CO2 emissions do not come from the production of the materials nor the actual
construction process; but rather from the use phase, which are mainly from the
combustion of fuels in heating systems and the generation of the electricity that the
building consumes for air conditioning, lighting etc.

Properties of Reinforced Concrete

Reinforced concrete refers to concrete that has reinforcements embedded inside. These
reinforcements are necessary because concrete cannot withstand tension and shear
stresses encountered in the everyday operation of the structure. Environmental factors
such as strong winds may cause large vibrations of a concrete structure and possible
damage if it does not have reinforcement material inside.
Although concrete has existed for thousands of years, reinforced concrete did not
appear until recently. In fact, reinforced concrete was first used by Jean-Louis Lambot in
1848, when he embedded iron bars and wire mesh in some concrete rowboats.