Introduction - Design of Reinforced Concrete - page 2

The 71 story, 723-ft-high Peachtree Center Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. (Courtesy of Symons
Corporation.)
long period, measured in years, due to the lengthy process of the solidification of
the cement paste.
6. It is usually the only economical material available for footings, basement walls,
piers, and similar applications.
7. A special feature of concrete is its ability to be cast into an extraordinary variety
of shapes from simple slabs, beams, and columns to great arches and shells.
8. In most areas, concrete takes advantage of inexpensive local materials (sand,
gravel, and water) and requires relatively small amounts of cement and rein-
forcing steel, which may have to be shipped in from other parts of the country.
9. A lower grade of skilled labor is required for erection as compared to other mate-
rials such as structural steel.