What is Reinforced Cement Concrete(R.C.C)?

Reinforced Cement Concrete (R.C.C) is a mixture of ordinary concrete with steel (Reinforcement). Concrete is strong in the compression zone and weak in the tension zone. Thus, Reinforced Cement Concrete is considered as ductile material. Therefore, to increase tensile strength in concrete, Steel is embedded into the concrete. Concrete material is versatile(able to adapt conditions) material for modern-day construction. However, by mixing well-proportioned quantities of Cement, Sand, Aggregates and water, Concrete is obtained in various grades like M20, M25 etc.

Reinforced Cement Concrete has the capacity to bear any structure’s imposed compressive loads, tensile stresses, and shear stresses.

Fig.1 RCC Beam with less deflectionPlain concrete is a brittle material as it cannot bear the tension force. In other words, when only compressive loads are acting on concrete, plain concrete is used. Most importantly, when the concrete undergoes tension forces, steel has to be provided at the tension zone.

Difference between Plain Concrete and Reinforced Cement Concrete

1. Plain concrete has a brittle nature. whereas, RCC possess Ductile nature.
2. Materials used in Plain concrete and RCC are the same. Except for steel in RCC.
3. RCC structure will have both tension and compression strength. But, Plain Concrete possess the only compression forces and a little tension force.
4. The cost of Plain concrete is less compared to RCC consisting of steel in it.
5. Deflection of Beam will be more in Plain concrete leading to fracture when the load is heavy.

Applications

1. Buildings
2. Highways
3. Tunnel Lining
4. Structures (from foundations to superstructure)
5. Dams
6. Irrigation canals
7. Drains and
8. miscellaneous concrete works

Advantages

1. It can be moulded in any form or shape.
2. Service or repairing cost is almost nill.
3. when comparing to other materials, It is cheaper.

Disadvantages

1. Require 28 days of time to attain required strength.
2. Admixtures can be added to the concrete to develop the strength in short span, which is expensive.
3. Requirement of labor to construct and dismantle the form-work.
4. Concrete’s volume fluctuates over time owing to shrinkage. If this is not correctly considered in the design, it may result in cracking.

In conclusion, Reinforced Cement Concrete can be used in any type of structure. It is reliable on its mix design.

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