What Are Rebar Sticks?
The word “rebar” is actually derived from a shortened version of the term “reinforcing bar”. Rebar sticks are just a variation of the term, and are quite simply, a common steel rod or bar used for reinforcement in concrete or asphalt pourings. Typically, a group of such rods form a grid to reinforce concrete and masonry structures such as sidewalks, streets, parking garages and bridges. Usually formed from mild, unfinished steel, rebar sticks have a series of ridges that provide better adhesiveness in binding them to the concrete, using friction to gain strength.
The reason rebar sticks need to be incorporated in masonry is because, though concrete is very strong in compression, it possess almost no strength in tension. The inclusion of rebar helps to strengthen the core of cast concrete, support the load and distribute it more evenly throughout the structure.
While there are other materials available that could provide sufficient tensile strength to reinforce concrete, steel and concrete have similar contracting and expanding behaviours caused by changes in temperature, translating into minimal stress for the concrete structure as the two materials react so similarly. Incorporating a different, reinforcing material could be potentially disastrous if the expansion properties of the reinforcement bars were to expand or retract dramatically under environmental duress.
Common rebar is highly susceptible to rusting and thus, unsuitable for projects where the concrete is exposed to salt water, as in marine applications or high-corrosion environments. As rust is greater in volume than the steel in the rebar sticks, it will eventually cause severe internal pressure on the surrounding concrete, resulting in cracking, splintering, and over time, a good chance of structural failure. Rebar sticks fashioned from stainless steel, fiber-reinforced polymer or bars coated in an epoxy resin, are employed in these situations.