Rebar is placed every ____ ft

• A. 6 ft
• B. 2 ft
• C. 3 ft
• D. 4 ft

Answer: (B)

In reinforced concrete, how far apart the bars are placed controls how well tensile forces are carried and how cracks are kept small. For a typical slab, the reinforcing bars are arranged in a regular grid with spacing about two feet on center. This two-foot spacing provides a practical balance: it’s dense enough to distribute bending and shrinkage stresses effectively, while still allowing for proper concrete cover, bar size, and constructability. If you spread the bars six feet apart, or even three or four feet, the reinforcement becomes too sparse to control cracking and carry loads adequately for a standard slab. Of course, exact spacing depends on loads, bar diameter, cover requirements, and codes, but two feet is the common teaching example for regular slab reinforcement.