1

THEORY REFERENCE NOTES

COURSE: B.Arch
SEMESTER: SEMESTER – 3
AUTHOR NAME: Ibrahim sir

BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION-3
CONTENT

S.No CHAPTERS PAGE#

1. UNIT:1: RCC 1-6

CREDITS

Source: Internet, Civil Content contributions:

engineering textbooks,
architectural textbooks,
JNAFAU library
Editor: Ibrahim sir
contributions
Vinayaka (Aditya Academy),
Neha (Maestro SPA), Chandini
(Woxsen SPA), Uma Maheshwari
(Aurora’s Design Institute)
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 1

UNIT-1
SYLLABUS:
Understanding the properties and characteristics of RCC. Its
advantages and disadvantages. Cast-in-situ and pre-cast
constructional methods in RCC.

What is RCC?:
RCC stands for Reinforced Cement Concrete. It is a mixture of
cement, fine aggregate, course aggregate and water along with
steel bars. Since Plain Cement Concrete is not strong to handle the
tensile load, the steel rods are also placed in order to enhance the
compressive and tensile load bearing capacity. RCC is used in
structural members like columns, beams, slabs etc where both
compressive as well as tensile forces develop.
The reinforcing steel is placed in the formwork and fresh concrete
is poured around it. This solidified composite mass is called as
Reinforced cement concrete and is abbreviated as R.C.C. Thus,
Reinforced cement concrete is a composite material which is
made up of concrete and steel reinforcement.
The steel reinforcement, generally in the form of steel bars are
placed in the tensile zone of the structure and take up the tensile
stresses. The use of reinforcement in concrete not only increases
its strength but also helps in preventing the temperature and
shrinkage stresses.
Characteristics of RCC:
a. It possesses a high compressive strength.
b. It is a corrosion resistance material and atmospheric agent
has no appreciable effect on it.

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c. It hardens with age and the process of hardening continues

for a long time even after the concrete has attained sufficient
strength.
d. It is more economical than steel.
e. It is a good fire resistant material.
f. It binds rapidly with steel.
g. It forms a hard surface, capable of resisting abrasion.
h. It should be capable of resisting expected tensile,
compressive, bending and shear forces.
i. There should be proper cover to the reinforcement, so that
the corrosion is prevented.
j. The hair cracks developed should be within the permissible
limit.
k. When it is fresh, it can be molded to any desired shape and
size.
l. Durability is very good.
m. R.C.C. structure can be designed to take any load.
Properties of RCC:
Reinforced concrete is a structural material, and a good one
should meet all the requirements ensuring its quality and
sustainability. Here are some of the properties of good R.C.C:
1. It should be capable of withstanding compressive, tensile,
bending and shear forces.
2. It should provide complete insulation against sound and
heat.
3. It should prevent corrosion by providing proper cover to the
reinforcement
4. It is weak in handling tensile forces. So, the reinforcement
steel must be placed in cement concrete at suitable places to
take up the tensile stresses.
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5. It should develop hair cracks within the permissible limit.

6. It should provide adequate control over the cross-sectional
requirements.
7. It has a tendency to be porous. This is due to the presence of
voids which are formed during and after its placing. The two
precautions necessary to avoid this tendency are as follows:
 There should be proper grading and consolidating of
the aggregates.
 The minimum water-cement ratio should be adopted.
8. Under the following two conditions, it has a tendency to
shrink:
 There is initial shrinkage of cement concrete which is
mainly due to the loss of water through forms,
absorption by surfaces of forms etc.
 The shrinkage of cement concrete occurs as it hardens.
This tendency of cement concrete can be minimized by
proper curing of concrete.
Advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages of R.C.C.:
a. Strength: R.C.C. has very good strength in tension as well as
compression due to the combination of reinforcement and
concrete.
b. Durability: R.C.C. structures are durable. If designed and laid
properly they can last up to 100 years.
c. Ability to mould: R.C.C. sections can be given any shape
easily by properly designing the formwork.
d. Ductility: The steel reinforcement imparts ductility to the
R.C.C. structures.
e. Economy: R.C.C. is cheaper as compared to structures made
entirely out of steel or pre-stressed concrete as its
maintenance cost is low.

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f. Transportation: The raw materials which are required for

R.C.C. i.e., cement, sand aggregate, water and steel are easily
available and can be transported easily.
g. Fire Resistance: R.C.C. structures are more fire resistant than
other commonly used construction materials like steel and
wood.
h. Permeability: R.C.C. is almost impermeable to moisture.
i. Seismic Resistance: Properly designed R.C.C. structures are
more resistant to earthquakes than other construction
materials.
Disadvantages of R.C.C. :
a. R.C.C. structures are heavier than structures of other
construction materials like steel, wood and glass etc.
b. R.C.C. needs lot of form-work, centering and shuttering to be
fixed, thus require lot of site space and skilled labors.
c. The cost of the forms used for casting RCC is relatively
higher.
d. Concrete takes time to attain its full strength. Thus, R.C.C.
structures can’t be used immediately after construction
unlike steel structures.
e. Reinforced concrete involves mixing, casting, and curing. All
of these steps affect the final strength.
Cast In-situ and Pre-cast constructional methods in RCC.
Cast In-situ method: Cast In-situ is a process in which casting is
done in forms in an open environment at the construction site
itself. It is the easy and conventional method that we have been
seeing for past decades. The cast-in-situ concrete is a standard
concrete which is poured into the specific formwork on the site
and cured to get the strength of RCC elements.

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Pre-cast method: Precast concrete is the new construction

technique that makes construction speedy and economical on the
large construction projects. It has many advantages over the cast-
in-situ concrete method for construction. The precast concrete is
transported to the construction site, lifted and positioned at the
predetermined place.
Differences between cast in-site and pre-cast concrete:
1. Casting of concrete:
a. Cast In-site:
i. In the cast-in-situ concrete, column, slab etc.
elements are casted on site in the open environment.
ii. As it is casted in an open environment, it is difficult
to control mix, placement and curing.
iii. Weather condition can delay the casting work.
iv. Elements must be casted immediately.
b. Pre-cast:
i. In the precast concrete, elements are manufactured
in a controlled casting environment.
ii. As it is casted in a controlled casting environment, it
is easier to control mix, placement and curing.
iii. Weather condition has no effect on casting work.
iv. Elements can be casted in advance and used only
when required.
2. Quality Control:
a. Cast In-site: Quality control and maintenance is difficult.
b. Pre-cast: Quality can be controlled and maintained easily.
3. Strength:
a. Cast In-site: In situ concrete construction is slow as
gaining of strength requires time.
b. Pre-cast: Precast concrete construction is quick as it can
be installed immediately and there is no waiting for it to
gain strength.
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4. Cost:
a. Cast In-site: It is cheaper form of construction for small
structures.
b. Pre-cast: It is cheaper form of construction if large
structures are to be constructed.

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