Reinforced Concrete Arch

Abstract

Reinforced concrete has been used for only a fev years, but the law governing the combination of concrete and steel, although not absolutely fixed, is known with sufficient exactness to permit the design of nearly all classes of stucture with the assurance -- employing good materials and first class superintendence -- of permanent strength and durability. The concrete itself plays as an important a part as does the steel, and the variation in the strength and elasticity of this material under different conditions has sometimes been overlooked in the theoretical study of the the combination of concrete and steel. This has led to apparent discrepancies in tests made in different localities, and has retarded the formulation of exact principles and laws of reinforced concrete. The quality of the reinforced concrete depends almost entirely on the materials of which it is composecl -- cement, steel, stone, sand , and water. It depends to some extent on the surrounding conditions -- temperature and moisture. The materials and the conditions will be discussed in the next few pages. [From Introduction]