Rebar Corrosion and Protection: Causes and Prevention
Rebar corrosion is the single most common and costly durability problem affecting reinforced concrete structures. When the steel reinforcement inside concrete rusts, it expands,…
Journal
Steel Grades in Construction: What the Numbers Mean
Steel grades describe the mechanical properties of a steel — chiefly its yield strength, tensile strength and ductility — along with its chemical composition.…
Concrete Admixtures Explained: Types and How They Work
Concrete admixtures are materials added to a concrete mix, in small quantities, to modify its properties in the fresh or hardened state. They are…
Fibre-Reinforced Concrete: How Fibres Strengthen Concrete
Fibre-reinforced concrete is ordinary concrete with short, discrete fibres mixed evenly throughout the matrix. Those fibres — steel, synthetic polymer, glass or natural —…
Self-Compacting Concrete: How SCC Works
Self compacting concrete, usually abbreviated to SCC, is a highly flowable concrete that spreads into formwork, fills every corner and encapsulates even densely packed…
High-Strength Concrete Explained for Buildings
High strength concrete is concrete engineered to reach a characteristic compressive strength well above the ordinary structural range, typically from around 50 to 60…
Engineered Wood Products: A Structural Guide
Engineered wood describes a family of structural products that take ordinary timber and reassemble it into something stronger, larger and more predictable than the…
Mass Timber and Cross-Laminated Timber Explained
Cross laminated timber, usually shortened to CLT, is a solid engineered panel made from layers of sawn lumber glued together with each layer running…
Cable-Stayed Structures and Bridges Explained
Drive across a modern long-span bridge and the chances are that the deck is held up by a fan of straight steel cables running…
Shell Structures Explained: Domes, Vaults and Hypars
An eggshell is a fraction of a millimetre thick yet surprisingly hard to crush in your palm. The reason is the same one that…
Tensile and Membrane Structures Explained
Stretch a fabric sheet tight between a few high and low points and you have the essence of a tensile structure: a roof that…
Space Frame Structures: How They Span Long Roofs
When you stand under the roof of an airport concourse, a sports hall or a large exhibition centre and look up at a regular…