Reinforced concrete Do you know why steel rods are put in concrete structures?
Concrete has high compressive strength (it can withhold large compressive tension) but has low tensile strength (flexibility in bending and elongating). To counteract low tensile strength of concrete, materials such as steel which are high in tensile strength and ductility, are added to resist tensile stresses in particular regions of the concrete that might cause unacceptable cracking or structural failure.

Learning objectives

After completing the topic, the student will be able to:

• Understand and employ the concept of elastic deformation to everyday science.
• Define, explore, illustrate and apply the concepts of stress, strain and Hooke's law to various daily life examples.
• Define, explore and relate surface tension, surface energy to various activities of everyday science.
• Examine and discuss the types of liquid flow and their corresponding flow rate.
• Discuss Reynold's number and Stoke's law with relevance to everyday science.