Decks & Docks Lumber Company Now Fabricates Custom Stirrups

Decks & Docks Lumber Company now bends rebar to spec for custom stirrups. Stirrups are bent pieces of rebar that form a cage around which concrete is poured for structural components like beams and seawalls.

What are rebar and stirrups?

You’ve probably seen steel rods sticking out of concrete when passing any bridge construction, but what exactly are those rods and how do they fit in to marine construction?

Those rods are “rebar,” which is short for “reinforcing bar,” and they do just that: reinforce – typically concrete. But why does concrete need reinforcing? It is strong on its own, right? Well, yes and no. Concrete IS strong when it comes to pushing in on itself (“compression” for you physics junkies), but it is not so strong when it comes to being pulled on (“tension”).

How does rebar work with concrete?

Enter steel rebar. “The sum is greater than the parts,” could not be illustrated no more perfectly than by the union of steel and concrete. Concrete: strong resisting compression, weak resisting tension. Steel: strong resisting tension, weak resisting compression. And best of all, both concrete and steel expand and contract at about the same rate under the same conditions.

The best demonstration of this combination is on a traditional seawall. On one side, you have water pushing (compressive force) the wall. On the other side, you have an anchor pulling (tensile force) on the wall. Marrying steel and rebar is the best combination to battle mother nature’s forces – the concrete carries the compressive load and the rebar carries the tensile load.

Bending rebar

The texture of rebar helps it bind to concrete, but it’s not necessarily in there forever. Under high stress, rebar can be pulled out concrete, causing the structure to collapse. To prevent that, rebar is bent and hooked at the ends to lock it around the concrete and other rebar. The outer bent pieces of rebar that form the cage are called stirrups. The compressive force of the concrete pushes on the stirrups to keep them in place.

The exact dimensions stirrups are specific to each job. And while it is possible to bend rebar manually, it is a time and labor-intensive process. Enter Decks & Docks – always working to save our customers time and money. We have invested in a computerized rod bender that creates stirrups to our customers’ exact specifications. Every stirrup is therefore identical in size, creating the most structurally-sound frame for concrete structures. And your custom stirrups are delivered directly to your Florida job site – bent, and ready to go, for only pennies more than rebar rods that require manual bending.

Rebar and stirrups for all contractors

Rebar and stirrups are used not only for seawalls, but for bridges, floors, and other structures.  Decks & Docks Lumber Company sells rebar and stirrups to any spec for your job – whether you are a marine contractor, general contractor, or specialized tradesman. Because of the engineering involved in designing stable concrete structures, homeowners should not attempt to design or build concrete walls themselves.

Contact Decks & Docks Lumber Company

Whether you are a contractor sourcing a seawall or other concrete project, or a homeowner in need a concrete wall and  help finding a specialist  – contact one of our locations today and we will get you one step closer to getting your project completed.