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Advantages of reinforced concrete
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Reinforced concrete also has greater compressive
strength as compared to most other materials used for construction
besides good in tension.
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It has better resistance to fire than steel and capable of resisting fire for a longer time.
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It has long service life with low maintenance cost
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In some types of structures, such as dams, piers and footings, it is the most economical structural material
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It can be cast to take the shape required , making it widely used in pre-cast structural components
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It yields rigid members with minimum apparent deflection
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Yield strength of steel is about 15 times the
compressive strength of structural concrete and well over 100 times its
tensile strength
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By using steel, cross sectional dimesions of structural members can b ereduced e.g in lower floor columns
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Less skilled labor is required for erection of structures as compared to other materials such as structural steel.
Disadvantages of reinforced concrete
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It needs mixing, casting and curing, all of which affect the final strength of concrete
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The cost of the forms used to cast concrete is relatively high
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It has low compressive strength as compared to steel (the
ratio is about 1:10 depending on material) which leads to large sections
in columns/beams of multistory buildings
Cracks develop in concrete due to shrinkage and the application
of live loads
