After you pour the concrete on the rebar or wire mesh you have to reach in and make sure the concrete (and also people walking on the reinforcement) didn't push the rebar down to the ground. For reinforcement to work it has to be surrounded on all sides by concrete at least an inch or two (depending on aggregate size and cement density). You have to reach in and feel the rebar or mesh and make sure it is pulled up into the concrete sufficiently. Most guys just reach in and literally pull it up by hand or take a corner of a rake and yank it up.
If the reinforcement gets pushed to the ground, it will be ineffective and will get torn from the concrete very quickly after any tension load is placed on it.
If the reinforcement gets pushed to the ground, it will be ineffective and will get torn from the concrete very quickly after any tension load is placed on it.