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Difference Between Pre-stressed Concrete & Reinforced Concrete

Similarities

Reinforced concrete and pre-stressed concrete both have steel bars or wires embedded to
bolster the material's weakness under tension, but the types of steel and the uses of the
concrete are different. Concrete reinforcing steel is either solid bars with ribs on them, referred
to as reinforcing bar or rebar, or a wire or metal mesh. Pre-stressed steel is solid bars or
bundles of wire installed under tension.
Reinforcing Uses

Typical uses for reinforced concrete are street and highway paving, sidewalks, foundation walls
and slabs and almost any other solid concrete form where most of the pressure will be
compression. The reinforcing adds tensile strength to allow a concrete slab, for instance, to flex
slightly without breaking apart. The type of reinforcing will vary. Patios and sidewalks may use
wire mesh; highways and other large paving projects use heavy steel bars placed in a crisscross
pattern to add tensile reinforcing.
Pre-stressing

Pre-stressed concrete is just that -- concrete formed under stress. Steel bars or wires are placed
in a form and stretched or stressed with forces on each end pulling on them. When the tension
is released, the steel will try to return to its original form. When concrete is poured around the
stressing bonds before pressure is released, it creates tension; when it is released the steel's
tendency to try to resume its original shape adds a compressive force to the concrete laterally,
giving it strength to span distances.
Pre-stressed Uses

Pre-stressing is used mainly to make beams and piers in such construction as highway
overpasses and commercial buildings. It enables a concrete beam to support weight between
piers on either side; without such reinforcing, concrete's lack of tensile strength would cause it
to collapse without support in the middle.
How to Reinforce

Architects, engineers, highway designers, structural builders and other professionals use
precise calculations to determine the loads on concrete and the strength required.

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Homeowners can seek expert advice or use "Kentucky windage" on small projects. If the surface
to be covered in concrete is flat and level with basically even downward force throughout, it
probably needs no reinforcing or simple wire mesh, much like wire fencing. If the surface is
unlevel or weights will not be evenly distributed, as in a slab for a building where the outer
walls will exert greater weight pressure, the concrete needs reinforcing. When in doubt,
reinforce.
Reinforce Two Ways

Reinforcing may be installed horizontally or vertically. Concrete walls, in a basement or a house

foundation, need reinforcing bars both ways, because a house will exert uneven pressure both
horizontally and vertically. Flat surfaces, like driveways and patios, generally need only one
direction of reinforcing, although highways and other large surfaces require bidirectional
reinforcing because weights and pressures are applied in more than one direction.

Three Ways to Stress Concrete

There are roughly three ways that concrete can be stressed into having more tensile strength.
First, pre-tensioned concrete refers to a procedure whereby tensile rods are put in place first
and tightened, followed by concrete pouring. When the tensile rods are loosened, the static
friction of the rods against the load ensures compression, increasing tensile strength. However,
this method can be problematic because it requires sturdy anchoring before pouring, which
sometimes is impossible. This method is common with prefabricated building elements.
Secondly, compression can be applied after pouring concrete using bonds. Tendons are
threaded through the material, which are tightened using hydraulic jacks once the concrete is
dry. These tendons are then wedged into position. This is a common method. Finally,
compression can be applied after pouring concrete, without bonds -- in other words, tensile
cords can be individually placed to allow freedom of movement and are only connected to the
concrete with steel anchors along the perimeter. This is another common method, although the
main disadvantage is that a cable can burst out of the slab, such as during repairs, if the
anchoring system fails.

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Advantages of Pre-stressed Concrete

Pre-stressed concrete shows several advantages that make it a useful building material. Prestressed concrete cracks less frequently and can be made into thinner, stronger slabs, highly
important in high-rise building floors. Thinner slabs in high-rise buildings mean additional floors
for the same or lower cost. By increasing tensile strength and therefore maximum span length,
pre-stressed concrete increases the amount of usable floor space in buildings. Furthermore,
joints between slabs require maintenance and are costly; by enabling longer slabs and thinner
floors, joints can be used less frequently, saving on construction and maintenance costs.

Disadvantages of Pre-stressed Concrete

Concrete is naturally very strong against compression but not so strong in tension.
Consequently, builders and engineers often use reinforced concrete, which contains steel rods
or rebar to lend it additional strength. One type of reinforced concrete is called pre-stressed
concrete, because stresses induced by steel cables in the material help to counterbalance
tensile stress.

Basics

Pre-stressed concrete features steel cables or tendons that have been stretched so they pull
inwards on the concrete and compress it. When the concrete comes under a tensile stress like
the force of gravity on a concrete beam, for example, the compression induced by the steel
tendons helps hold the beam together against the tensile stress. This is much like the way you
can carry a stack of books held horizontal by applying pressure to both ends.
Expense

Pre-stressed concrete is more expensive than traditional building materials. It's even more
costly than other kinds of reinforced concrete; not only are additional materials involved but
the extra equipment needed to stretch the steel before pouring the concrete adds to the cost.
Using pre-stressed concrete in a case where additional tensile strength is unnecessary -- in a
concrete floor at ground level, for example -- would raise the project costs without conferring
any real benefit.

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Complexity

When pouring concrete, you use forms to ensure the concrete adopts the right shape as it
hardens. Pre-stressed concrete requires more complex formwork, so it has less design flexibility
than other kinds of reinforced concrete, which often makes design more challenging.
Moreover, the margin for error in preparing pre-stressed concrete is much smaller than other
more conventional materials, so more care and caution must be exercised in construction.
Considerations

Lifting precast metal members into place usually requires large cranes; these also add to the
cost of construction. With all of these disadvantages in mind, however, it's important also to
note that pre-stressed concrete has some important benefits. Its superior strength in tension
permits engineers to design longer unsupported spans. Ultimately, the choice between prestressed and conventional reinforced concrete should be made based on the type of project
and the properties it requires.
Advantages and Disadvantages in Reinforced Concrete

Reinforced concrete is mixed with steel to make it stronger, more durable and less likely to fail.
The material is commonly used in buildings to make the structure able to withstand high
amounts of stress and weight. Construction workers use reinforced concrete in walls, beams,
foundations and columns.

Strength

Compared to regular concrete, reinforced concrete has more strength and durability. Because
the concrete is fabricated with steel, it's able to withstand high pressure before it becomes
damaged or weakened. Much of the stress in a building is transferred to the steel, which takes
the pressure off the concrete. This allows reinforced concrete to carry much more weight than
regular concrete.
Flexibility

In addition to having additional strength, reinforced concrete is also flexible. During the
construction process, the flexibility in reinforced concrete helps the structure take shape and

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decreases the tension in the foundation. BuildingWithBrick.org writes that the high degree of
elasticity in reinforced concrete allows the material to be deformed without worrying about any
serious consequences.

Cost

One of the major disadvantages of reinforced concrete is the cost involved in the fabrication
process. Incorporating steel fibers into a cement mix is very labor intensive, which makes it
much more expensive than regular concrete. Workers need to mix, cast and cure the concrete,
which can extend the construction process and may force a project to go over budget and
behind in schedule.
Strength

When compared to steel, reinforced concrete has a low rate of compressive strength.
According to AboutCivil.com, the ratio is about 1:10 for reinforced concrete compared to steel.
The low rate of compressive strength may cause cracks to develop within the foundation of a
building. Cracks are often caused by moisture, which causes the material to expand and shrink,
and leads to major problems down the road.

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