What is a spacer? Important points about the use of plastic spacers

In this article, you will get acquainted with the nature and application of concrete spacers and we will review the impact of using different types of plastic concrete spacers during the life of structures. We will also cover other issues such as ceramic tile spacer and concrete spacer price.

What is a spacer? Important points about using a plastic spacer

Did you know that according to official studies, for every 2 mm reduction in the minimum required concrete coverage, the life of the structure is reduced by 10 years !? What do you know about the role of spacers or plastic spacers in countering the threat of corrosion and oxidation of iron in concrete structures? In this article, you will get acquainted with the application of concrete spacers and types of plastic spacers in the construction industry in a simple and comprehensive way.

This word (spacer) is derived from the meaning of space and giving space or spacing. In the standard definition, any part that is used to create and maintain the required distance between the formwork and the rebar during concreting operations is called a spacer.

Plastic spacer with other names such as rebar spacer, rebar cover and… is also called among users.

In short, the main task of spacers is to create a suitable distance between the ground or concrete forms with rebars and reinforcement, as well as to maintain the form and structure of reinforcement during concreting operations. There are other types of spacers that are used to create space between ceramic tiles, which we will discuss. But what is the reason for maintaining this distance? You will read the rest of this article.

The reason for using plastic spacers

Uses of plastic spacers are divided into two categories: concrete spacers (including foundation spacers, column spacers, etc.) and ceramic tile spacers (ceramic tile crosses).

Concrete spacer:

Reinforced concrete with steel rebars is one of the most widely used building materials; But one of its main drawbacks is the impact of the environment and external conditions, which greatly reduces the strength and longevity of the structure. The plastic spacer provides the conditions for the rebars to be as far away from environmental factors as possible and to be surrounded by a concrete cover.

In fact, oxygen and humidity can reduce the properties of rebar by accelerating corrosion. In wet conditions, atmospheric moisture passes through the concrete cover and reaches the steel rebar. The chemical reaction of these agents with the rebar causes its surface to oxidize and the rebar to rust.

Increasing the volume due to rust rebar presses the concrete cover out and causes it to crumble.

Concrete crushing, in addition to reducing the effective thickness, reduces the cross-sectional coverage of the rebars, which in turn reduces the strength of the reinforcing rebar, thus reducing the bond between the steel and the concrete and increasing the possibility of slippage.

This process, in addition to damaging the beauty of the exterior surfaces, greatly weakens the concrete structure and causes huge economic losses.

اCeramic tile spacer:

There is another type of spacer that is used to modify the spacing process in ceramic tiles. Ceramic tile spacer is also known as cross space or ceramic tile cross. Smoothing the distance when laying tiles, ceramics, stone and brick facade, creating a very beautiful appearance at the end of the work, creating regular seams and corners with equal distances, placing the tiles in a row and regularly to create an integrated coating, the most important application Types of ceramic tile spacers. The price of a tile cross is so low and economical that today most of the old and modern tile makers abandon the old methods and use the tile cross to create the most accurate distances between the tiles.

Use of spacer in Iranian weather conditions and rust in the heart of concrete

Problems related to rust in salt environments, such as desert and coastal areas, which are not uncommon in our country, are very acute and serious; Because salts accelerate the corrosion of reinforcing rebars. Corrosion problems are also very common in tropical areas where most of the rainfall occurs in a short period of the year, especially in residential and industrial structures.

According to official published studies, every two millimeters reduction in the minimum required concrete coating reduces the final life of the structure by 10 years.

In structures made of reinforced or prestressed concrete, the thickness of the concrete cover placed on the steel reinforcement rebar has a great effect on the durability of the structure as well as its degree of protection against fire.

In short, the spacer performs several basic tasks, the most important of which is to create a suitable distance between the formwork and the rebar to completely cover the rebar with concrete; Thus, the contact of the rebar or metal structure with oxygen and destructive conditions affecting corrosion and oxidation is close to zero.

Now, according to the environmental conditions and the size of the structure, the appropriate spacer for each part of the project must be selected and used. Spacers are very diverse according to the different needs of builders. From commonly used types such as hard spacers, to other types of foundation spacers and reinforcement spacers such as wheel spacers, ceramic tile spacers, maxi fixed spacers, fixed clamp spacers and dozens of other types, have been designed and produced by specialists.

rpco Company, manufacturer of concrete spacers and tile spacers with the best quality available in Iran

rpco Company, with years of experience and expertise in the field of construction industry and production of plastic spacers, has become one of the brilliant names among the activists in this field. The perfect design and production of plastic spacers, the expertise of our experts, which has brought rpco's trust and customer satisfaction for many years.

To learn more about the types of spacers and rpco products and the price of concrete spacers, you can use the pages of this site or contact our experts who are ready to advise and answer all your questions.