In 1854, William B. Wilkinson built the first concrete house in England, which was a servant's cottage.
The structure was constructed using unreinforced concrete, a blend of cement, water, and aggregate like sand and gravel.
When subjected to bending or stretching pressures, unreinforced concrete can easily break due to its strength in compression but weakness in tension.
Joseph Monier invented reinforced concrete in 1867, adding steel rods or mesh to unreinforced concrete for increased tensile strength and durability.
The first reinforced concrete house was built in 1875 by American mechanical engineer William Ward in Port Chester, New York.
Ward's house is still standing today, and it is considered to be the oldest surviving reinforced concrete house in the United States.
Concrete buildings gained popularity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Today, concrete is a globally popular building material.
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