This is a question that many UK homeowners ask when having a terrace or driveway installed, and as concrete is a very hard substance, one would think it is strong enough as it is, without the need for added reinforcement. The fact of the matter is that concrete stand up very well to compression, when a heavy vehicle drive on to the surface, yet concrete lacks tensile strength and would crack when exposed to lateral stresses, and steel reinforcement (rebar) is added to give the structurally reinforced concrete in Skipton added tensile strength.
Steel Rebar
Commonly used in all types of construction, the steel rods are usually wired together to form a suitable framework, which is then inserted into the area to be concreted, and then the wet concrete is poured, and when it sets, the steel rebar gives it added strength. Steel rebar would be used when building:
- Driveways
- Patios
- Concrete pillars
- Bridges
- Roads
All concrete beams that support a structure would have steel rebar inserted to offer adequate tensile strength to the beam.
Steel Reinforcing Mesh
Often the support does not need to be that strong, so instead of using steel rods that are wired together, a special steel wire mesh is used, which can easily be cut to size. Domestic projects would make good use of steel mesh reinforcing, which can be purchased in sheet form, and this would typically be laid in an overlapping form into the area prior to the wet concrete being poured.
Large civil engineering projects would use thick steel rebar, which is wired into the correct shape and once the concrete hardens, you have a very strong combination.
