The tired big bad wolf finally left the third little pig's house.
After making sure that everything is safe and sound, the first and second little pigs asked the third one, "What materials you use for your house that it can't be shaken by the wolf?"
The third little pig answered, "I use the brick wall and reinforcing steel bars to strengthen the structure of the house."
Reinforcing Steel Bars for Stronger Building Structures
What lesson can we take from the story that we've probably heard over and over again since we're little? That strong building structures can protect us.
When we see modern buildings in progress, we can see long steel bars around the site. Some of us might be familiar with that reinforcing steel bars. But why do we use them? Are those "thick wires" better than the traditional wooden structures?
For example, the foundation - the first key to a building's strength. There are various materials used for building foundation since the first time human built their own home. From stones to woods to bricks to concrete, the materials we use are based on availability of materials and technology. As the name suggested, reinforced steel bars are used to reinforce the strength of concrete. They are to concrete as bones to muscles.
Reinforced steel bars are essential elements for modern structures, from small columns for houses to the mega structures like bridges and dams. Their size varies depends on the usage. That's why as one of the leading manufacturers, Cakra Steel produces many variants of steel bars, ranging from 6 mm diameters to 50 mm. All meet international standards including SNI, British, Japan International, American, and New Zealand.
The Making of Reinforced Steel Bars
Reinforced Steel Bars are recycled from steel products. Used steel products are collected and melted, mixed, and chemically enhanced to meet a certain standard. Then the melted steel is cast into the desired form. The end product is tested to make sure it meets the required standard.
It's environmentally friendly and long-lasting.
Concrete Muscles and Steel Bar Bones
Sure, you can build a construction just by sticking bricks using portland cement. Or even casting pure concrete in the form of a bridge, for example; but just like strong muscles without bones, the structure won't be strong enough. A simple push with some strength behind it will be enough to make the structure crumble.
Concrete is naturally strong to handle compressive force but weak against tensile force. Reinforced steel bars fill in the void by giving concrete additional tensile strength. The combination, often called reinforced concrete, creates an ideal structure that is strong in both compressive and tensile sides.
Reinforced Steel for Houses
To put it simply, reinforced concrete is used in the frame of the house, from the foundations, columns, beams, and floors. For practical and economical reasons, most roof structures are using C, H, or O profile steel bars instead of reinforced concrete. But the roof structures are sustained by reinforced concrete.
Reinforced Steel Bars for Mega Structures
Houses are not the only thing that can take the advantages of reinforced concrete strength. Mega structures such as roads, bridges, and dams also rely on that combined strength to hold the dynamic loads of moving cars or water.
Strong, Efficient, and Budget Friendly
Reinforced concrete is really the solution for strong, efficient, and budget friendly structure. It's highly durable, long lasting, and require minimum maintenance. That's why the combination is the popular material choice of modern structure.
With that being said, we can't just pick any steel bars to use. There are considerations such as quality, durability, and cost. That's why choosing reinforced steel bars from Cakra Steel is the best option as the higher quality products will actually save you a lot, from time, construction, manpower, and money.