Properties of Concrete and Reinforcement

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary and properties related to concrete and reinforcement materials and their behaviors under load.

Concrete

A widely used building material formed by mixing aggregates, cement, and water then curing.

Reinforced Concrete (RC)

A composite material made of concrete and steel that provides tensile and compressive strength.

Characteristic Strength

The strength of materials below which a certain percentage of test results would fall, denoted as fk.

Compressive Strength

The capacity of a material to resist axial loads; typically assessed through 28-day cube tests.

Modulus of Elasticity (Ec)

A measure of a material's ability to deform elastically under load, usually linked with the concrete grade.

Creep

The tendency of material to deform permanently under the influence of constant stress over time.

Tensile Strength

The resistance of a material to breaking under tension, crucial for resisting shear and controlling cracks.

Dead Loads

Constant loads that do not change over time, primarily consisting of the weight of the structure itself.

Live Loads

Variable loads that depend on occupancy or use, changeable over time, and uncertain in magnitude.

Environmental Loads

Loads affected by environmental conditions such as wind, snow, and seismic activities.

Characteristic Load (Fk)

A load value such that a certain percentage of loadings will not exceed it, vital for structural design.

Failure Modes in RC Structures

Refer to potential failure scenarios such as yielding of steel or crushing of concrete in overloaded situations.