Jozua Smit

Reinforced concrete is created by pouring concrete over steel bars (rebar) or welded steel mesh. While concrete is extremely strong in compression, it has low tensile strength, meaning it cannot handle stretching or bending forces well on its own. By combining steel reinforcement with concrete, engineers and builders create slabs, beams, and other structural elements that are both strong and durable.

Steel and concrete expand and contract at similar rates, which makes the combination particularly effective. The embedded steel reinforces the concrete, allowing it to withstand loads and stresses that plain concrete alone could not handle. This is why reinforced concrete is a cornerstone of modern construction.

When was it first used?

The use of steel to strengthen concrete has been around for more than a century. Francois Coignet is credited with using iron-reinforced concrete to construct a house in Paris in 1853. Some historical accounts suggest that variations of this technique may have

Lintels are used to bear the load of building material above door and window openings. In Australian trade the choice has always been picking between steel, timber beams (LVL’s) and concrete lintels for construction.

At Statewide Building Products we specialize in providing steel lintels as part of our structural steel range as it offers the following advantages.

• Steel lintels offers better load bearing capabilities in some cases
• Steel lintels are lighter than concrete to transport and manage on the building site
• Steel lintels offers great tensile strength
• Steel lintels are designed to not be seen
• Galvanized steel lintels are ideal in coastal areas as they are known to last up to 70 years before showing signs of corrosion due to environmental elements (when exposed) 

In modern construction, steel lintels are used when using brick or wood as building material. Irrelevant of the building product used, you always need to consider the following when ordering lintels.

• Is the wall internal or

Anyone who is in the planning stages of any building project knows that the most important part of managing the project, is managing the cost of the project.

At Statewide Building Products, we provide building cost estimations based on the building plans provided to us and assist our customers in making sure they get the best possible quotation based on their requirements.

Building plans provided allow us to determine the type of products and quantity to quote on for your project’s reinforcing, Roof beams, Lintels ,T-Bars, Columns, Doorframes and plasterboard requirements, to name but a few of the areas we cover.

When it comes to items such as steel lintels and universal beams we are able to keep cost lower as we can cut and supply to length. This removes the cost of buying in bulk and sitting with an unused leftover material once the build has been completed.

How to make use of our Estimation Service

By providing your building plans, we can determine the types and quantities of materials

There is a common misconception that cracked walls are always the result of poor construction practices or inadequate reinforcement during the building process.

While there are situations where workmanship or materials may be at fault, the reality is that cracks are a normal part of most buildings, and in many cases, no one is to blame. In this article, we explore why cracks occur and how to determine whether they are cosmetic or a sign of something more serious.

Why do cracks occur?

When cracks appear in walls or floors, the immediate assumption is often that the building materials have failed. In truth, concrete comes with two unavoidable guarantees: it will harden, and it will crack.

Cracking occurs due to a combination of factors, including:

• Thermal expansion and contraction
• Drying shrinkage as concrete cures
• Internal or external restraints
• Subgrade movement or soil settlement
• Applied structural loads over time

Because these influences often act together, cracking is not unusual and

Welded wire mesh is a metal wire screen used for reinforcing in the building industry. It is made up of low carbon steel wire. Statewide Building Products supplies Galvanized, Rectangular, 100, 200 and 300mm square welded wire mesh in the Perth and Western Australia region. Our range of products are ACRS Certified and AS/NZS 4671 Compliant.

The AS/NZS 4671 compliance sets out specifications for Australian and New Zealand Steel reinforcing materials (bars, coils and welded mesh). Requirements for chemical, mechanical and physical properties for three different strength grades and the three different ductility classes are also covered.

The ACRS Certification is a quality compliance scheme. It is designed to assure the quality of materials specified and delivered to site, irrespective of origin, are not eroded through the supply of potentially non-complying materials.

At Statewide Building Products the certification and compliance of our reinforcing materials are as important to us as our