Editing Concrete (section)

=== Reinforced ===
{{Main|Reinforced concrete}}
[[File:O Cristo Redentor.JPG|thumb|upright|''[[Christ the Redeemer (statue)|Christ the Redeemer]]'' statue in [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil. It is made of reinforced concrete clad in a mosaic of thousands of triangular [[soapstone]] tiles.<ref name="brit">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Christ the Redeemer (last updated 13 January 2014) |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1435544/Christ-the-Redeemer |access-date=November 5, 2022 |last1=Murray |first1=Lorraine}}</ref>]]

The use of reinforcement, in the form of iron was introduced in the 1850s by French industrialist François Coignet, and it was not until the 1880s that German civil engineer G. A. Wayss used steel as reinforcement. Concrete is a relatively brittle material that is strong under compression but less in tension. Plain, unreinforced concrete is unsuitable for many structures as it is relatively poor at withstanding stresses induced by vibrations, wind loading, and so on. Hence, to increase its overall strength, steel rods, wires, mesh or cables can be embedded in concrete before it is set. This reinforcement, often known as rebar, resists tensile forces.<ref name="designingbuildings">{{Cite web|url=https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Reinforced_concrete|title=Reinforced concrete|website=www.designingbuildings.co.uk}}</ref>

[[Reinforced concrete|Reinforced concrete (RC)]] is a versatile composite and one of the most widely used materials in modern construction. It is made up of different constituent materials with very different properties that complement each other. In the case of reinforced concrete, the component materials are almost always concrete and steel. These two materials form a strong bond together and are able to resist a variety of applied forces, effectively acting as a single structural element.<ref name="Claisse-2016">{{Citation|last=Claisse|first=Peter A.|title=Composites|date=2016|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780081002759000383|work=Civil Engineering Materials|pages=431–435|publisher=Elsevier|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-0-08-100275-9.00038-3|isbn=978-0-08-100275-9|access-date=2021-10-05}}</ref>

Reinforced concrete can be precast or cast-in-place (in situ) concrete, and is used in a wide range of applications such as; slab, wall, beam, column, foundation, and frame construction. Reinforcement is generally placed in areas of the concrete that are likely to be subject to tension, such as the lower portion of beams. Usually, there is a minimum of 50&nbsp;mm cover, both above and below the steel reinforcement, to resist spalling and corrosion which can lead to structural instability.<ref name="designingbuildings" /> Other types of non-steel reinforcement, such as [[Fiber-reinforced concrete|Fibre-reinforced concretes]] are used for specialized applications, predominately as a means of controlling cracking.<ref name="Claisse-2016" />