Mainova Coal Replacement Project, Frankfurt

Another milestone: foundations of the switchgear building constructed.

Reinforcing steel and concrete – two good buddies

Concrete is a great building material, but unfortunately concrete can only absorb large compressive forces. Concrete does not like tension loads at all.

Fortunately, it's the other way around for reinforcing steel, so the two materials complement each other perfectly.

Rebarring is an integral part of the concrete pouring process and involves the strategic placement of reinforced steel or mesh in fresh concrete to optimize the load-bearing capacity and longevity of concrete structures, especially under tension loads.

The selection and placement of reinforcing elements, such as rebars or grids, is done after careful calculation and consideration of the specific stress distribution in the structure. This ensures that the reinforcement is positioned where tensile forces could act, for example in beams, columns, or floor slabs.

During the concreting process, the fresh concrete is poured around the reinforcement in a controlled manner. This results in an excellent bonding effect between the concrete and the reinforcement, which significantly increases the load-bearing strength and capacity of the structure.

The precise placement and arrangement of the reinforcing elements requires a deep understanding of the structural requirements and is carried out by qualified professionals to ensure that the concrete structure meets the required engineering standards and is long-lasting.