CHAPTER 2

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

MATERIALS

The building code provides that; “materials for building construction must have a certain quality
and physical properties to be structurally sound.”

 The materials must be able to carry load or weight without changing in shape
permanently.
 Deformation of the materials may occur when load is applied, but must return to its
original position when the load is removed.
 If a material is not elastic and deformation is present in the structure after removal of the
load, repeated loading and unloading will eventually increase the deformation to the point
where the structure would become useless.
 All structural materials must possess elasticity within a certain defined range of loading. If
the loading is increased above that range, two types of behavior may occur- brittle and
plasticity.
 When brittle, the materials will break suddenly. When plastic, the material will flow to a
certain load that will ultimately result to fracture.
 The ultimate strength of a material is measured by the stress at which fracture or failure
occur.

The second important property of a building material is its stiffness. This property is defined by
the elastic modulus or the ratio of stress (force per unit area) to the strain (deformation per unit
length).

The elastic modulus therefore, is a measure of the material resistance to deformation under
load. For two materials of equal area under the same load, the one with higher elastic modulus
has the smaller deformation.

Structural steel with an elastic modulus of 2,100,000 kg/cm 2 is 3 times as stiff as aluminum; 10
times as stiff as concrete, and 15 times as stiff as wood.

MASONRY MATERIALS

Masonry materials are classified as natural or manufactured products. Natural materials are
stone, marble, granite, sand, gravel and the like. Concrete hollow blocks and mud bricks are
classified as manufactured materials.

TOOLS

Is defined as implements used to modify raw materials for human use. It is considered as
extension of the hand thereby increasing speed, power, and accuracy regarded as man’s partner
in his struggle for survival.

EVOLUTION OF TOOLS

The first tool used by man was certain natural object by hand called “pebble stone”. This simple
primitive tool was improved by the attachment of handle made of split wood or bones into useful
splinters. It was during the 1st millennium B.C. when the Egyptians first introduced the use of
copper as human tools and was improved later with the introduction of bronze metal.
Importance of Tools

Through the use of tools, man was able to advance their craft in making refined works as
evidenced by the many existing magnificent art and structures in past and present.

Comparatively, works of the past builders could be assessed far behind that of the present in
terms of quality and time of work involved. The difference could be attributed mainly to the kind
of tools used and technology applied. Thus, the advantages derived in working with good tools
can be enumerated as follows:

 Efficiency
 Accuracy
 Quality of the work
 Speed of work

These advantages however, depends upon the following considerations:

 Availability and sufficiency of materials

 Experience and skill of the workers in their respective field.
 Tools and equipment of good quality and standard make.

CLASSIFICATION OF TOOLS

Construction tools are categorized into six functional groups:

 Striking Tools
 Cutting Tools
 Boring Tools
 Torsion Tools
 Measuring Tools
 Holding Tools

Tools maybe classified according to the different kinds of trade involved, namely:

 Carpentry Tools
 Masonry Tools
 Tinsmith Tools
 Painters Tools
 Plumbing Tools
 Electrical Tools

CARPENTRY TOOLS

Carpentry Tools are Classified According to Functions.

 Guiding and testing tools

 Marking tools
 Measuring tools
 Holding tools
 Toothed cutting tools
 Sharp-edge cutting tools
 Rough facing tools
 Smooth facing tools
 Boring tools
 Fastening tools
 Sharpening tools
 Working bench

GUIDING AND TESTING TOOLS

 Straight Edge
  Square
 Level
 Bevel

Straight Edge – a tool used to guide pencil or scriber in marking straight line.

Square – Is a 90˚ standard right angle tool used for marking and testing work.

Square is classified into the following types.

 Try or Trying Square – is a square with blades ranging from 6 to 12 inches.

 Miter Square – is a square with blades permanently set at 45 degrees
 Combined Try and Miter Square – is a combination of 45 and 90 degrees in one setting
 Combined Square – is similar in appearance with try square only that the head can slide
and clamp at any desired distance of the blade. It is also provided with a miter and level
guide.
 Framing or Steel Square – so called as it is used effectively on various framing works.
 FRAMING SQUARE

DIFFERENT PARTS OF FRAMING SQUARE:

 Body – is the longer and wider part of the square.

 Tongue – is the shorter and narrower part.
 Face – is the side of the square visible when the tongue is held by the left hand with the
body pointing to the right.
 Heel – the point at which the tongue and the body meet on the outside edge.

Level – is used for both guiding and testing the work to a vertical or horizontal position

Plastic hose with water – one of the best and accurate tool for guiding work in
establishing a horizontal level.

Sliding T-Bevel – is like a try square with sliding and adjustable blade that could be set
to any angle other than 90 degrees.
 Miter Box – is a device used as guide of the hand saw in cutting objects to form a miter
joint.

Plumb Bob – is a metal tool used to check a vertical line. The word plumb means
perpendicular to a horizontal line.

MARKING TOOLS

Chalk line and Reel – is used for marking a very rough work.
Lead Pencil – with round head is also used for marking rough word.

Scratch Awl – is used in marking a semi-rough work.

Scriber – is used in marking fine work. Scriber is made of hard end steel with a sharp
point designed to mark fine lines.

Compass – is a tool used to describe an arc or circle.

Divider – is used in dividing distances into equal parts from an arc, circumference
including straight lines.

MEASURING TOOLS

The different types of measuring tools used in building constructions are popularly known
as “Rule”. They are:

Two-foot four folding rule – is made of four fold blade connected by three hinges
spaced at 6 inches (15 cm) apart generally used for measuring short distances.
Extension Rule – used to measure inside distances like doors, windows, inside cabinets,
etc.

Zigzag Rule - is available in 4ft and 6ft long commonly used by carpenters on rough
layout. There are three types of zigzag rule joints available:

 Concealed Joint
 Riveted Joint
 Springless Joint

Push-Pull Tape – is used to measure longer distances available from one meter to 50
meters long.
Slide Caliper Tape – is a special tool used to measure outside diameter of cylindrical
objects.

Marking Gauge – is a tool most appropriate in marking lines parallel with the edges of
wood.

HOLDING TOOLS

Is an apparatus used to accomplish fine carpentry and joinery works. The need for holding
the materials in place rigidly to work on has come up with the idea of making the simple
horse or trestle as presented in the following figure. Holding tools maybe classified
according to the service required such as:

Supporting – Carpentry works like sawing, chiseling planning and the like need support
to amply sustain the working operations. The horse or trestle is one example of holding
tools.
Retaining – Under this category, there are several kinds of holding tools regarded as
rigid and strong enough in pressing tightly the materials together.

 Clamp – is effective in tightly pressing pieces of wood or metal in making tenon,

mortise, and other joints.

 Vise – is a tool designed to hold a piece of material rigidly secured in place to

absorb severe blows.

TOOTHED CUTTING TOOLS

Toothed cutting tools are classified as:

  Saws
 Files
 Sandpaper

Saws:

Hand saw

Circular saw
 Band saw

Files and Rasp

Files – are metal tools of different shape and size used for abrading, reducing,
smoothening and cutting metal, wood or other materials.

Rasp – is a very coarse file that differs from the ordinary file with its teeth running across
the face of the file.
SHARP-EDGE CUTTING TOOLS

Chisel – is an indispensable tool in carpentry works considered as the most abused tool.
It is often used for prying, opening cases, screw driver and can opener.

Draw Knife – is a tool consisting of a large sharp edge blade having at each end a handle
at rough angles to the blade. It is used in trimming wood by drawing toward the user.

ROUGH FACING TOOLS

 Are “striking tools” used through a series of blows. They are considered as inertia tools.
The cut produced by these tools is conservable rough compared with that made by other
tools.

 Hatchet – is generally a utility tool used for sharpening stakes and cutting down
timber to rough sizes.

 Axe – is a tool used for splitting wood or hewing timber.

 Adze – is a hatchet with the blade direction at right angle with the handle.

SMOOTH FACING TOOLS

Regarded as “Guided Sharp Edge Cutting Tools”. These tools are actually chisels with frames to
guide and limit the cut in making smooth surface.
 PLANES

SPOKE SHAVE

BORING TOOLS

Boring or drilling tools are specially designed to make hole in wood or metal.

Brad Awl – is a small tool used for punching or piercing small holes. It is generally in starting a
nail or screw into hard wood.
Gimlet – is a tool used for boring holes by hand pressure.

Auger – is used for boring holes with a diameter ranging from ½’’ to 2’’. An auger that is
provided with a shank is called “bits”.

Reamer – is chiefly a machinist tool used in enlarging metal holes.

Twist Drill – was designed for drilling small holes. Twist drills are preferably used in cases
where the gimlets or the auger may cause splitting of the wood grain.
FASTENING TOOLS

Are used to fixed or connect parts of the work together with nails, screw, bolts, etc. The term
fastening is used to classify those tools employed in securing the member or parts of the
construction work.

Wrench – is a tool with handle and a jaw which may be fitted to the head of a nut used to
tighten or loosen bolts.

Screw Driver – is a hand tool with a head and shank used for turning screw.
SHARPENING TOOLS

Sharp tools assure the worker in accomplishing a refined quality of work.

Grind Stone – is a flat disc solid stone made of sand stone mounted on a shaft used for
sharpening, shaping, or polishing metal by turning.

Oil Stone – used after the grinding operation to achieve a smooth keen edge of the tool. Oil is
used as a lubricating medium in grinding.

Working Bench – is also an indispensible tool in carpentry operation classified as a shop tool.
MASONRY TOOLS

Roughing Up Tools – are those tools necessary in the process of preparing, arranging,
forming, laying, and shaping of bricks, masonry, blocks, and stones.

Surface Finishing Tools

Floats – are flat tools with handle at the back usually made of wood used to smooth or make
textured surface on cement or plaster.
Trowels – are flat hand tools used for applying, spreading and shaping plaster/mortar to
produce a relatively smooth finish on concrete surface in the final stage of plastering.

MISCELLANEOUS MASONRY TOOLS

There is so much duplicity in the functions of masonry tools. There are also tools which can easily
be fabricated by a prolific mason. Tools of this kind are those simple tools but are considered
worthy of notice since they accomplish an important task in making the rigorous work involved in
masonry simpler.

1. Spade - a basic construction tool used in many of the dirty work in the concrete mix or
plaster.

2. G. I. Pail- in the absence of a chute or a buggy, it is used as vessel in handling

especially in transferring concrete mix, mortar or plaster from the mixing board.

3. Mixing board- usually made of wood or concrete used for mixing' concrete in the
absence of a concrete mixer. This is usually fabricated on-site.

4. Mason's box - a shallow box, made of wood, used to contain mortar or plaster to make
it easily accessible to the mason.

5. Measuring box - a box, made of board or plywood with handle, used for measuring
sand, gravel etc. prior to mixing. This tool is also fabricated.

6. Rubber foam - used to obtain a fine-grained texture in plastering.

7. Painter's brush - its use in masonry work is similar to the foam.

8. Plastic or nylon string- used for marking and guiding the block laying, tile laying. etc.
to produce a uniform and straight course.

9. Aligning stick - various names can be attributed to this tool which is simply a straight
piece of lumber, more or less 1.50 m. long used in plastering and concreting the
pavement to assure alignment or a straight surface