For many people, concrete and reinforcing steel simply go hand in hand. But is that always necessary?
Unreinforced concrete walls can be used more frequently—provided they are carefully designed in advance.
What are the concrete benefits?
- ♻️ CO₂ savings due to reduced use of reinforcing steel
- ⏱️💰 Cost and time savings during construction
Currently, interior walls are the most common application.However, if they serve a bracing function, local reinforcement is required at the wall ends to cover tensile forces.
👉 “Unreinforced” therefore does not mean completely free of reinforcement.Local arrangements remain in place—as shown in the attached floor plan of an example project 📐.
In the coming weeks, we’ll delve deeper into:
- Part 2 – Design & biaxial concrete behavior
- Part 3 – Concrete CO₂, cost, and time savings