The Critical Relationship between Steel and Concrete: When engineering a lasting, durable foundation or a towering commercial high-rise, the structural integrity of the building relies heavily on a symbiotic relationship between two vastly different materials: concrete and steel. Concrete possesses immense compressive strength, meaning it can support incredibly heavy downward weights without crushing. However, concrete is brittle; it possesses almost zero tensile strength, meaning it can easily snap when pulled or bent. To counteract this, structural engineers use Thermo Mechanically Treated (TMT) steel reinforcement bars to absorb the tensile forces. But for these two materials to function together as a …