Tools at a Glance: Rebar

Rebar is an essential part of cement construction and we’ll review why. This way you know why you should use it this tool in your next construction project.

What is rebar?

Rebar is the name of a reinforcing bar that strengthens concrete. It’s made from steel and has ridges so poured concrete can adhere to it easily. An advantage of stainless steel is that it’s also rust resistant.

Why should you use it?

Concrete is incredibly strong and holds weight very well when it’s compressed. But while its compression strength is extremely high, its tension strength is low. By adding this to your concrete, you can add to the concrete’s tension strength. Rebar absorbs the tension strength that concrete can’t, which helps prevent concrete from cracking or breaking.

Using this material in your concrete means your concrete doesn’t have to be as thick. It adds strength to concrete structures that would normally only be achieved by adding more concrete. So by using rebar instead of extra concrete, you can create an overall lighter structure.

Adding rebar to your project is also environmentally friendly. Since steel can be recycled after use, it lessens the total waste of a project. It’s also cost-effective, which means using this construction material can help you save money. Projects that use rebar help you measure out how much concrete you’ll need beforehand, so you can use ready-mix concrete and only pay for what you pour.

Where can you get rebar?

Elston Materials is Chicago’s #1 source for masonry construction supplies. So you can trust us for all your construction supply needs! You can view all of our products here.

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Cassie Vu