Course101 : Construction materials

LECTURE NO.1INTRODUCTION TO CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Construction materials

INTRODUCTION

Any material which is used in construction of any structure is known as construction material.

The choice of material depends on : the size and nature of structure, its design, intended purposes, availability of resources location.

Usually construction materials are classified as natural synthetic materials

CONT..,Materials used in the construction: - Rock materials - Binder materials - Concrete materials - Ceramic materials - Other materials

BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Rock : one of the most solid and durable material used in

constructions,

Rock is a very dense material so it gives a lot of protection too.

Dry-stone walls have been built for as long as humans have put one stone on top of another.

Mostly Stone buildings can be seen in most major cities, some civilizations built entirely with stone.

COMPACT ROCKSStone blocks of Limestone, Marble, Granite, Slate, etc.

Cutted in square shape.

Medium size without cutting.

Ashlar

Masonry

STONY MATERIALS (I)

In walls… In pavimentation…

Cobblestone

Flagstone

DISINTEGRATED ROCKSVariable sizeFragments.

Sillares

STONY MATERIALS (II)

Clay Aggregate

Fragments from the action of break down of other rocks. They can be thin or thick.

Very little rock grains, chactericed by their property of absorbing water.

AGGREGATE Collective term for sand, gravel and crushed stone mineral

materials in their natural or processed state Roads and highways constitute the largest single use of aggregate

at 40 percent of the total

•When they’re mixedwith water, they becomedoughty.•When they dry, they become strong.

It’s obtained from the heating of limestone.It’s used to paint walls or make bricks.

Powdered mineral used to cover walls and ceilings.

Lime

Plaster

COMPOSITE MATERIALS (I)

•.

•The most used type of cement is Pórtland. I’t amixture of lime and clay, from which we obtain clínKer,then it’s pulverized and it becomes cement.

COMPOSITE MATERIALS (II)Cement

•1-Quarry•2-Crushing•3-Prime matters•4-Grinding of materials•5-Homogenization•6-Heat interchange•7-Oven/ Cooler/ Clínker•8-Additions/ Grinding

Elaboration process of Cement

•9-Silos/ Bulk Cargo•10-Packagging/ Shipping

Mud and Clay : Mud and clay are the most commonly used materials

in residential buildings. Buildings made primarily of mud and clay can easily

tolerate many years. Using mud and clay in buildings is a very good option

for warm places Soil and especially clay is good thermal mass; it is

very good at keeping temperatures at a constant level.

Homes built with earth tend to be naturally cool in the summer heat and warm in cold weather.

Metals / Steel :

Metal is used as structural framework for larger buildings such as Skyscrapers, or as an external surface covering.

Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, and is the usual choice for metal structural building materials.

It is strong, flexible, and if refined well and/or treated lasts a long time.

The lower density and better corrosion resistance of aluminium alloys and tin sometimes overcome their greater cost.

•It’s used as framewok of concrete, but also for pillars and framework for roofs.

Copper

METALS Steel

Alluminium

•It’s used for cross sections of doors and windows, handrails and closures.

•It’s used installations of water,gas and conditioning.

Wood : A natural material for building dwellings for thousands

of years,

Wood was also used to make Churches in the past.

Wood is an aesthetically pleasing material that never goes out of trend completely,

Wood obtained from certain plants is quite durable.

These days wood is mostly used for making cabinets, furniture or wardrobes.

Glass : Glassmaking is considered an art form as well as an

industrial process or material.

Clear windows have been used since the invention of glass to cover small openings in a building.

Glass is generally made from mixtures of sand and silicates, in a very hot fire stove called a kiln and is very brittle.

Very often additives are added to the mixture when making to produce glass with shades of colors or various characteristics.

The use of glass in architectural buildings has become very popular in the modern culture.

Plastic :

The term plastics covers a range of polymerzation products that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or fibers.

Plastics vary immensely in heat tolerance, hardness.

Plastic is a light, flexible substance, used mostly for piping in buildings.

Their name is derived from the fact that in their semi-liquid state they are malleable,(able to be hammered without break) or have the property of plasticity.

•It’s used in fewer constructions nowadays, but it’s used in roofs, doors, windows and covering of pavings and walls.

Wood

Plastic

•It’s more frequen to use this material nowadays. It’s used for conductions of water, electric cables and as insulator.

Glass

•It’s used in windows, doors, as decoration, in pavings, etc. It’s a mixture of soda, silica, lime and other substances.

Concrete : Concrete is made by mixing cement, sand, gravel and

water, while the structures are made using steel bars.

The most common form of concrete is Portland cement concrete, which consists of mineral aggregate (generally gravel and sand), portland cement and water.

Concrete is another material known for its durability

It is more convenient to use as far as portability and molding is concerned.

For a concrete construction of any size, as concrete has a rather low tensile strenght, it is generally strengthened using steel rods or bars (known as rebars).

•It’s a mixture of aggregates, composite materials (such as cement) and water.•Before it gets hard, it’s a doughty material and can be putted inside a recipient, like formings(

CONCRETE (I)

Mass ConcreteIt’s used for walls and cimentation.

CONCRETE (II)

Inside it , there are incorporated a structure of steel bars that can be tensed before the concrete gets hard (Pre-stressed concrete) or after it gets hard (Post-tensed concrete).

Reinforced ConcreteCellular Concrete (aerated)

Before it gets hard, we add to the doughty concrete some chemicals that create air inside the material, making it lighter and improving the isolation properties.

ASPHALT Also known as bitumen Dark brown to black Highly viscous Hydrocarbon produced from

petroleum distillation residue.  At least 80% carbon, which explains

its deep black color. Sulphur is another ingredient. Primarily used as a sealant for

rooftops and a durable surface for roads, airport runways, playgrounds and parking lots.

http://www.ekocozum.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/asfalt.jpg

ASPHALT Asphalt can be separated

from the other components in crude oil

By the process of fractional distillation, usually under vacuum conditions.

http://www.cranedigital.com/case_studies/oil_and_gas/

fractional_distillation_column2.jpg

GYPSUM. May also occur in a silky, fibrous

form Finally may also be granular or quite

compact.

http://www.warmtec.co.nz/mediac/400_0/media/variotherm3.JPG

USES OF GYPSUM Gypsum Board primarily used as a finish for walls and ceilings;

known in construction slang as Drywall Plaster ingredient. A component of Portland cement used to prevent flash setting of

concrete.

BRICK Masonry unit

http://www.urbanrevivals.com/images/brick/brick_all_web.jpg

CERAMIC MATERIALS (I)

Glazed Ceramic

•They’re prefabricated pieces of molded clay fired in kilns.

•The procces of elaboration has two parts: Mixture & Molding, and fire in continuous kilns.

Bricks

•Pieces of fired clay wich are prism shaped with, or without holes.

Tiles

•Pieces of fired clay used to cover roofs that make an isolation function.

•Squared pieces of fired clay wich the exterior part of them is covered with a cover which makes it impermeable and make it look nice. Used for covering walls in kitchens and bathrooms.

CERAMIC MATERIALS (II)

Porcelain

•It’s a mixture of clay, quartz and feldspar. Very resistant to erosion. Used to cover walls and paving.

Stoneware

•It’s a glazed ceramic material used for making sanitary elements for bathrooms.

STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION:Preparation of the area: First the area when we want to build has to be ready. We have to carry out demolition if there is any building and we have to level the soil with special

machinery.

Foundation: it is the placement of some structures under the ground to withstand the

building.

Elevation of the structure: it is the construction of the pillars and the plates

which form the floors of the building, they can be of steel or of reinforced concrete.

STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION IICoverage: it consists on covering the building with

materials like tiles or sheets of slate or zinc depending on the characteristics of the climate of the zone.

Placement of the pavement: it consists on placing materials on each one of the floors. These materials

may be stoneware, wood, marble…

Construction of the walls: in this stage the walls and partitions which close the building are built. These walls are used to isolate it from the exterior and to distribute the space of the interior. The walls are usually built with

bricks.

STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION III:Placement of installations: it is necessary

to place in the buildings water, gas and electricity supply, TV reception, air-conditioning installations, internet

reception, lifts…. Each one of these installations are carried out by different

crew of professionals.

Finishing works: in this stage are carried out works of painting, placing windows,

doors, wardrobes….

STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION IV:

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT:Construction equipment consists on compound machines

or vehicle machines. These machines make up the five equipment systems: implement, traction, structure, power train... Currently most equipment use hydraulics as a primary source of transferring power. The use of heavy equipment has a long history.

Examples of construction’s machinery:Excavators:An excavator is an engineering vehicle consisting of an

articulated arm.Excavators are used to dig and to move the earth which

has been dug.Bulldozers:A bulldozer is a machine used to push and level large

quantities of soil or sand.

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT II:Steamrollers:Steamrollers are a type of heavy construction machinery used for

flattening surfacesIn order to level the soil machines like bulldozers or steamrollers

are used.Trucks:A truck is a large motor vehicle commonly used for carrying goods

and materials.Cranes:A crane is a lifting machine equipped with a winder, wire ropes or

chains and sheaves that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally.

Concrete mixers:A concrete mixer is a machine that homogeneously combines

cement, aggregate such as sand or gravel, and water to form concrete.

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