Plaster of Paris on its own is not strong enough to withstand tension. So is concrete. In order to understand the effect of reinforcement in concrete, two square slabs of the same dimensions were made using plaster of paris (P.O.P). In one of the slabs, a wire mesh was inserted and precaution was taken so that it would not be seen from any side. This is analogous to reinforcement bars in a concrete slab. After the slabs were fully dry, they were dropped from a height of 5 feet.
Through this exercise, it is realised that with the embedding of the wire mesh, the structural strength of that slab increases and the amount of shattering reduces.