Welded Wire Reinforcement vs. Rebar

We are often asked what is better Welded Wire Reinforcement (WWR) or Rebar for slab reinforcement. Our answer is two fold. WWR is a great reinforcing material when it is placed properly in the slab. WWR comes in two forms, rolled wire reinforcement and sheet wire reinforcement. The rolled wire reinforcement is very difficult to place in the slab. It is walked on and pulled up from the bottom through the concrete to the center of the slab or there abouts. the truth of the matter is it usually stays on the bottom. It is hard labor to pull the wire up and to keep someone doing it while pouring concrete. On the filp side the sheet wire reinforcement comes in sheets of 8' x 20' and are stiff enough to be placed on concrete dobies or plastic chairs. This keeps the reinforcement at the right depth while placing the concrete. We typically recommend sheet wire reinforcement in larger jobs. Sheeted wire reinforcement can be used on any size job.

Rebar is a great slab reinforcement. It is just labor intensive in placing, and tying the laps and joints. Rebar is then placed on concrete dobies or plastic chairs and is usually spaced at 18"-24" on center each way, so it is easy to step around and easy to place concrete. Rebar is still used in the perimeter footer and the support footings beneath each column. We recommend the rebar on jobs under 15,000 s.f.