Reinforced Concrete Construction, aka RCC, has exponentially accelerated the projects of the Infra industry. More precisely, it has facilitated construction projects in India of mid & large scale. In fact, this technology has always acted as the building foundation of the construction industry.
Rightly so, this material is quite multifunctional, carrying the potential to withstand various loads.
Moreover, it is manufactured so as to be able to keep up with different environmental conditions. Besides, equipment like crane truck often helps in the transportation of this building material.
Are you an infra professional or an enthusiast interested in understanding different nuances of this building material? If yes, then you’ve landed on the right blog.
Throughout this article, we’ll help you explore why RCC construction continues to dominate the industry. Additionally, we’ll examine the recent developments in RCC concrete technology. Thereafter, we will delve into the major forms of RCC.
How is RCC Technology Facilitating Construction?
Below we have taken the topic further in discussing how this building technology is dominating the construction industry in India. Right from the longevity property, this material is quite cost-effective. Hence, let’s understand how this construction technology facilitates the Indian Infrastructure industry.
- Strength and Durability:
To begin with, the RCC is quite exceptional in terms of longevity & strength. These properties fuse, making the material a reliable option among infra professionals. Its benefit is quite evident as RCC is a mixture of concrete & steel reinforcement. The former makes the fabric quite compressive.
On the other hand, the latter provides tensile to this material. Both these properties make the RCC capable of withstanding bulky loads while resisting cracks. Overall, this makes the material suitable for a wide range of construction projects. For example, including bridges, high-rise buildings, dams, and foundations.
- Cost-effectiveness:
In comparison to other building materials, RCC is quite cost-efficient. Additionally, concrete is relatively inexpensive and widely available. Besides, steel reinforcement can be easily fabricated to cater to the entire project’s requirements.
Additionally, the structure of this material needs less to quite minimal maintenance. All these properties hence ensure the reduction in long-term costs.
- Fire Resistance:
Now, this is yet another major benefit of using this building material in India. This is because concrete is known to have inherent fire-resistant properties. Hence, this counts as the top choice for structures requiring increased fire safety.
Subsequently, commercial & residential building projects make the most use of RCC. Besides, the presence of steel further aids in sustaining the structural integrity of any building during a fire.
- Multifunctional:
This building material provides greater flexibility in terms of design. This means that workers can mould the material into desired shapes & shapes. This, as a result, helps architects envision & create aesthetically pleasing & innovative building structures.
In particular, this versatility of RCC constitutes its dominance in modern Indian architecture. Rightly so, this new-age architecture type demands inventive yet complex designs.
Tracing Developments in RCC Concrete Technology
In the previous section of the blog, we discussed the efficacy of this building material. Now, let’s take the discussion ahead by understanding the recent development associated with RCC.
- High-performance Concrete (HPC)
This is one of the breakthrough revolutions in the field of RCC technology. HPC to define is a specialized type of concrete incorporating additives and admixtures to enhance its properties.
Additionally, this concrete exhibits extreme strength, durability, and workability. This is in comparison to the properties of conventional concrete. Wondering how RCC has such spectacular power? This is possible due to a precise mix of design & advanced quality control measures.
Moreover, it is also because the concrete comprises supplementary cementitious materials. This includes fly ash and silica fumes. More importantly, the introduction of HPC has opened up new possibilities for RCC construction.
Consequently, this has led to the facilitation of longer spans & narrower sections. Additionally, it has also contributed to increasing the resistance to environmental factors.
- Self-compacting Concrete (SCC):
This is yet another major development contributing to the RCC technology. To illustrate, this self-compacting concrete is quite flowable. This, as a result, helps in filling even the most intricate formwork. And the best part is it facilitates this task without using vibration.
Moreover, the material is capable of instilling self-compacting components with the help of a balanced mix design. Now this includes fine content, viscosity modifiers, superplasticizers, and so forth.
Overall, SCC significantly aids in improving the efficiency of construction projects. To substantiate, this technology has lowered the dependency on labour requirements. Consequently, this eliminates the need for compacting tools/machines. In a nutshell, this material ensures uniform concrete distribution.
- Fibre-Reinforced Concrete (FRC):
FRC has indeed aided construction projects in India, thanks to its excellent properties. To exemplify, this material incorporates discrete and small fibres into the mix. It’s done so as to improve the material’s mechanical properties.
Additionally, FRC is made by combining steel, synthetic polymers, glass, and at times jute or bamboo. Mentioning its attributes, the material comprises higher crack resistance properties.
Moreover, it’s highly malleable while being impact resistant as well. Furthermore, the material also is quite tough. Overall, the implication of this building material has induced the development of lighter & more resilient structures.
What are the Major Forms of RCC?
Having discussed the recent developments in RCC, let’s discuss in detail about the two main forms of this material.
- Cast-in-Place Concrete:
This is one of the major RCC forms. To illustrate, it involves pouring concrete into formwork at the construction site. As a result, this process gives room for flexibility in terms of design.
Subsequently, this facilitates the customization of structure as per the specific project requirements. In fact, this concrete is widely used in constructing foundations, beams, slabs, columns, and walls.
This material involves manufacturing concrete elements off-site. Thereafter, the produced product is transported and assembled at the construction site. Please note that the production of this concrete requires high precision & diligent QC.
Ensuring both these measures hence ensures uniformity in shapes & dimensions. Additionally, this particular form is best suited for building precast walls, columns, and beams. However, it also aids in the construction of facade panels.
Further interesting is the faster installation ability of precast concrete. As a result, the material reduces the dependency on labor while ensuring higher quality in construction. In fact, heavy-duty equipment like a rough terrain forklift can also be helpful in transporting RCC material in adverse road conditions.
We in this article walked you through the nuances of RCC technology in the infra industry. More specifically, we discussed its role in the construction industry. Hence, now that we have covered all our discussion areas let’s wrap up. And we’ll do so by recalling a few major points.
Final Thoughts
This RCC construction technology continues dominating the infra industry, specifically construction projects. This is certainly possible due to its inherent strength, cost-effectiveness, and versatility.
Moreover, this material is fire resistant, which further acts as a plus point.
Recent advancements in this concrete technology have further expanded the possibilities of facilitating RCC-driven construction. High-performance & self-compacting concrete are some examples.
Also, the major forms of this technology have given architects great success with envisioning flexible structure design in projects. Above all, let’s remember that with the advancement of these practices, RCC will undoubtedly continue to be a fundamental material. Moreover, it could even change the infrastructure landscape for years to come.
