For a couple of hundred years, reinforced concrete remains the flagship construction for strength and durability. But the construction market is constantly in search of new materials that could surpass these structures in quality and cost. Now the usual steel reinforcement begins to confidently crowd out PKA - polymer composite reinforcement. The demand for this material is growing exponentially, but at the same time there is a lot of controversy about how much the PKA is worthy of its steel sister.
Read in the article
- 1 About the advantages of composite reinforcement
- 2 What composite rebar manufacturers don't like to talk about
- 3 What is the bottom line: PKA or steel?
About the advantages of composite reinforcement
The main advantage of the PKA is, perhaps, its price. Yes, the cost of this reinforcement is almost half that of steel, this significantly reduces the cost of construction, especially at facilities where there is a need for large volumes of reinforcement.
The second clear advantage of PKA over steel is ease of use, namely low weight and excellent flexibility. Where a crane is required to move the reinforcing frame or materials for it, two people can handle it without much physical training. Plus, the lightening of the weight has a beneficial effect on the entire structure, especially when it comes to floors.
This reinforcement is easy to cut - unlike steel. And yet - these fittings are sold in coils, that is, they have an almost unlimited length. This avoids unnecessary joints and overlaps, saves costs.
What composite rebar manufacturers don't like to talk about
First, anchoring the PKA is impossible. It does not bend, like steel, into a hook, does not hold in a loop, does not flatten into a tip with a fungus. All this does not allow to strengthen the structure using such reinforcement.
It is believed that the PKA twitches inside concrete under tensile stress, despite the ribbed surface and gritty abrasive.
The modulus of elasticity of polymer reinforcement is 4 times lower than that of steel, so, according to the strength of materials, it is necessary to increase its diameter by 4 times relative to steel, and this is already unprofitable, considering the cost of such frame.
Well, it would be unfair not to say that PKA cannot be compared with metal in terms of thermal stability. 13 minutes of heating to +87 ° C lead to the collapse of structures. However, firefighters will tell you that in the event of a fire, if the foundation has heated up to +100 ° C, nothing will remain from the walls either, the brick will crumble under your fingers. So the lack of heat resistance is a dubious drawback.
What is the bottom line: PKA or steel?
As a result, it is better not to use polymer reinforcement in vital structures. It is great for reinforcement slab foundations, roads and pedestrian sidewalks where there is only light traffic. The use of PCA in such facilities will really help save money, but when building residential facilities, it is better to give preference to time-tested steel. Maybe someday plastic concrete will be invented, which can be tightly reinforced by PKA, but so far steel - and only steel - is a guarantee of strength.
In addition - some more useful information in this video:
What do you think, can polymer reinforcement fully replace steel? Share your opinion in the comments!
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