ABSTRACT
The idea of incorporating steel reinforcement in concrete structural elements originated in the mid-19th century, with a patent for the technology granted to its inventor, Joseph Monier, in 1867 [1]. The invention eventually radically extended the way in which concrete could be used in structures. The high tensile strength and ductility of steel transformed a material that could otherwise only be loaded to any great extent in compression into one that can be used structurally in flexure and, in some applications, direct tension.
