Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) vs Plain Cement Concrete (PCC)
Reinforced Cement Concrete
Reinforced Cement Concrete is a masterpiece of modern engineering—a marriage of concrete’s mighty compressive strength and steel’s unmatched tensile capacity. Imagine concrete as a fortress wall that can resist crushing, and steel bars as internal sinews that absorb bending and stretching. Together, they form a single, resilient structural element.
Key Features
- Composite action: Concrete (≈30–50 MPa compressive strength) bonded to steel (yield ~415 MPa).
- Ductile behavior: Controlled cracking and energy dissipation under load.
- Design flexibility: Sections sized & reinforced to match bending, shear, axial demands.
- Covers: Minimum concrete “cover” shields steel from corrosion and fire.
Advantages
- Ultra‐high load capacity in bending, shear and axial directions.
- Excellent durability—lasts decades with minimal maintenance.
- Fire‐resistant shell: concrete insulates steel when properly covered.
- Unlimited shape possibilities—arches, curved slabs, shell roofs.
Disadvantages
- Complex formwork and skilled labor for accurate rebar placement.
- Cost escalation: steel reinforcement and longer construction time.
- Corrosion risk: inadequate cover or poor concrete quality can lead to rebar rust.
- Cracking: service cracks must be controlled via reinforcement detailing.
Plain Cement Concrete
Plain Cement Concrete is the humble but vital cousin—pure concrete without steel reinforcement. It relies solely on its own compressive strength to bear loads. Think of PCC as a solid pedestal: it doesn’t flex or bend, but it can endure heavy vertical pressure, provided it remains tension‐free.
Key Features
- Simple mix: cement, clean water, sand & coarse aggregates in ratios like 1:3:6 (cement:sand:gravel).
- Typical compressive strength: 15–30 MPa (depending on mix design).
- Minimal tensile capacity—any flexural or tensile forces lead to cracking.
- Quick to cast and cure, requiring less skilled labor than RCC.
Advantages
- Cost-effective: no reinforcement steel needed.
- Speedy execution: simpler mixing, placing and finishing.
- Good compressive strength for pavements, leveling beds, sub-bases.
- Low shrinkage compared to higher-strength mixes.
Disadvantages
- Zero tensile resistance—cracks under bending or lateral loads.
- Not suitable for structural members (beams, columns, slabs that bend).
- Prone to surface defects (plastic shrinkage cracks) if curing is poor.
- Limited lifespan under dynamic or impact loading.