ABSTRACT
HrsEARLYCAREER Reinforcedconcreteisanindispensablemodernbuildingmaterial,fundamentaltothecon-
structionofawidevarietyofengineeringstructures.Theprinciplewhichliesbehinditisthatof embeddingmetalinconcreteinsuchawaythatthetwomaterialssharetheloadinanefficient manner.Forexample,inabeamsubjectedtobending,themetalisplacedinapositiontotake mostofthetensileforces,leavingtheconcretetoresistthecompressiveforces.Various,somewhatprimitiveattemptstocombineconcreteandironweremadeinthefirsthalfofthenineteenth century,!buttheearliestevidenceofwhatcanbeconsideredreinforcedconcreteinthemodern senseisinaBritishPatentdated1854,andthecreditforthisachievementrestswithahitherto obscurefigureinengineeringhistory,W.B.Wilkinson,aplastererandconcretemanufacturer ofNewcastle-upon-Tyne.
