Quick answer: RCC stands for Reinforced Cement Concrete. It is concrete with steel bars cast inside it. Concrete is strong when it is squeezed but cracks when it is pulled or bent, and steel takes that pulling load. Together they carry the weight of a building, which is why the columns, beams, slabs and footings of most Indian houses are RCC.
If you are building a house you will hear “RCC” every day on site: RCC columns, RCC slab, RCC structure. This guide explains what it means, what goes into it, where it is used and how an RCC house is built.
What is RCC in construction?
RCC, or Reinforced Cement Concrete, is concrete strengthened with steel reinforcement. The concrete is a mix of cement, sand, coarse aggregate and water. Steel bars are tied into a cage, placed inside the formwork, and the concrete is poured around them. Once it hardens, the two act as one material.
Concrete resists compression well and steel resists tension well. A beam or slab bends under load, so its bottom is stretched and its top is squeezed. Plain concrete would crack along the bottom. The steel placed there takes the tension and the member holds.
An RCC house is a house whose structural frame, meaning the footings, columns, beams and slabs, is built in RCC. The walls between the columns are usually brick or block and carry no load.
Materials used in RCC
- Cement: binds the mix. See which cement is best for house construction.
- Sand (fine aggregate): fills the gaps between the stones.
- Coarse aggregate: crushed stone that gives the concrete its bulk and strength.
- Water: starts the chemical reaction that hardens the cement. Too much water weakens the concrete.
- Steel reinforcement: bars placed where the member is in tension. More on this in what reinforcement is in construction.
RCC mix ratios
The mix is written as cement : sand : aggregate.
| Mix ratio | Grade | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1.5:3 | M20 | Beams, slabs and columns in houses |
| 1:1:2 | M25 | Higher strength, for heavily loaded or critical members |
| 1:2:4 | M15 | General concrete work. It is below the minimum grade for reinforced members, so today it is used mostly for plain concrete |
For the quantities in each mix, see M25 concrete ratio and cement bags for 1 cubic metre of concrete.
Types of reinforcement
- TMT bars: Thermo-Mechanically Treated bars are the standard in house construction today. They have high tensile strength and good resistance to corrosion.
- Hot rolled deformed bars: bars with raised ribs on the surface that grip the concrete.
- Cold twisted deformed bars: bars twisted at room temperature to raise their yield strength. These are the older “tor steel” bars that TMT has largely replaced.
- Prestressing steel: high-strength steel used in prestressed concrete for long spans and heavy loads.
Properties of RCC
- High compressive strength: the concrete carries heavy loads.
- Tensile strength from steel: the bars resist bending and pulling forces.
- Durability: a well-made RCC structure lasts for decades with little upkeep.
- Fire and weather resistance: concrete protects the steel inside it from fire, rain and heat.
- Can be cast in any shape: the concrete takes the form of the shuttering it is poured into.
Advantages of RCC in building construction
- Structural stability: an RCC frame passes loads from slab to beam to column to footing in a clear path.
- Low maintenance cost: once built, it needs little attention, which makes it economical over the life of the building.
- Fire resistance: it holds up better in a fire than timber or unprotected steel.
- Design freedom: cantilevers, curved slabs and open floor plans are all possible.
- Materials and skills are available everywhere: cement, steel, aggregate and masons who know the work can be found in any Indian town.
Disadvantages of RCC
- Heavy: RCC weighs more than steel or timber construction, so foundations have to be sized for it.
- Labour-intensive: shuttering, bar bending, mixing, pouring and curing all need skilled workers and supervision.
- Shrinkage and cracking: a wrong mix or poor curing leads to cracks that shorten the life of the structure.
- Hard to alter: once cast, a column or beam cannot be moved without major work.
For a comparison with other systems, see steel vs brick vs RCC construction.
Where RCC is used in a house
- Footings: spread the column load onto the soil.
- Columns: carry the load down. See pillar construction for a house.
- Beams: plinth beams, floor beams and lintels. See types of beams.
- Slabs: floors and roofs.
- Staircases, water tanks and retaining walls.
What is an RCC slab?
An RCC slab is the flat reinforced concrete plate that forms a floor or roof. It rests on beams and columns and passes its load to them. The common types are:
- One-way slab: carries load in one direction.
- Two-way slab: carries load in two perpendicular directions. The difference is explained in one-way vs two-way slab.
- Ribbed slab: has ribs for extra strength in one direction.
- Waffle slab: has ribs in both directions.
- Corrugated slab: cast on a corrugated steel tray.
RCC vs PCC
PCC, or plain cement concrete, is cement, sand and aggregate with no steel. It is used for flooring, levelling courses and the bed under footings. RCC has steel and is used for the members that carry load: beams, columns and slabs. One is not better than the other; they do different jobs. The full comparison is in difference between PCC and RCC.
How an RCC house is built
- Structural design: an engineer works out the size of every footing, column, beam and slab and the steel in each.
- Footings: excavation, a PCC bed, then the footing steel and concrete.
- Columns and plinth beam: column cages are tied, shuttered and cast up to plinth level, and the plinth beam ties them together.
- Columns to slab level: columns are raised floor by floor.
- Beam and slab shuttering: formwork is fixed and propped, and checked for level.
- Steel fixing: beam and slab bars are placed with cover blocks under them so that the steel sits inside the concrete, not on the shuttering. Electrical conduits go in at this stage.
- Concreting: the slab and beams are poured in one go and compacted with a vibrator.
- Curing: the concrete is kept wet so that it gains strength.
- Removing shuttering: props stay until the concrete can carry its own weight.
Why curing matters
Curing means keeping the concrete moist and at a moderate temperature while it gains strength. Concrete that dries too early is weaker and cracks at the surface. Good curing is the cheapest way to get the strength you have paid for. The methods are covered in types of concrete curing methods.
What does RCC work cost?
The cost of RCC depends on the grade of concrete, the amount of steel the design calls for, the shuttering and the labour rate in your city. It is usually quoted per cubic metre of concrete or per square foot of slab. We have set out the working in what is the cost of an RCC slab per square foot.
If you are planning a house, our construction company team can prepare the structural design and a quantity-based estimate for your plot.
FAQs
What is the full form of RCC?
RCC stands for Reinforced Cement Concrete. It is concrete, made of cement, sand, aggregate and water, with steel bars cast inside it to take tension.
What is an RCC house?
An RCC house is a house whose load-bearing frame, the footings, columns, beams and slabs, is made of reinforced cement concrete. The walls between the columns are usually brick or block.
Which mix ratio is used for RCC?
1:1.5:3 (cement : sand : aggregate) is the usual mix for beams, slabs and columns in houses. 1:1:2 gives higher strength for critical members. 1:2:4 is a general-purpose mix used mostly for plain concrete.
Is RCC better than PCC?
They do different jobs. RCC has steel and is used for beams, columns and slabs that carry load. PCC has no steel and is used for flooring, levelling and the bed under footings.
Which steel is used in RCC?
TMT bars are used in most house construction today because they combine high tensile strength with good corrosion resistance. Hot rolled deformed bars, cold twisted bars and prestressing steel are the other types.
Why is curing important in RCC work?
Curing keeps the concrete moist while it gains strength. Without it, the concrete ends up weaker, shrinks and cracks at the surface, and the structure becomes less durable.
