Course101 : Construction materials

LECTURE NO.1
INTRODUCTION 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.
STONY MATERIALS (I)
Stone blocks of Limestone,
COMPACT ROCKS Marble, Granite, Slate, etc.

In walls… In pavimentation…

Cutted in square shape.

Medium size without

cutting.
STONY MATERIALS (II)
Variable size
DISINTEGRATED ROCKS Fragments.

Clay Aggregate

Very little rock grains, Fragments from the action of

chactericed by their property of break down of other rocks. They
absorbing water. can be thin or thick.
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
COMPOSITE MATERIALS (I)
•When they’re mixed
with water, they become
doughty.
•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.

COMPOSITE MATERIALS (II)
Cement
•.

•The most used type of cement is Pórtland. I’t a

mixture of lime and clay, from which we obtain clínKer,
then it’s pulverized and it becomes cement.

•1-Quarry
•2-Crushing Elaboration process
•3-Prime matters
of Cement
•4-Grinding of materials
•5-Homogenization
•6-Heat interchange
•7-Oven/ Cooler/ Clínker •9-Silos/ Bulk Cargo
•8-Additions/ Grinding •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.
 Steel
METALS

•It’s used as framewok of concrete,

but also for pillars and framework
for roofs.

Alluminium
Copper
•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.

•It’s more frequen to use this

material nowadays. It’s used for
conductions of water, electric cables
and as insulator.

•It’s used in windows, doors, as

decoration, in pavings, etc. It’s a
mixture of soda, silica, lime and
Glass 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).
CONCRETE (I)
•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(

Mass Concrete
It’s used for walls and
cimentation.
CONCRETE (II)
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.

Reinforced Concrete

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).
ASPHALT
 Also known as bitumen
 Dark brown to black
 Highly viscous
 Hydrocarbon produced from
http://www.ekocozum.com/blog/wp-
petroleum distillation residue. content/uploads/2008/05/asfalt.jpg

 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.
ASPHALT

http://www.cranedigital.com/case_studies/oil_and_gas/fractional_distillation_column2.jpg
 Asphalt can be separated
from the other components in
crude oil
 By the process of fractional
distillation, usually under
vacuum conditions.
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) •They’re prefabricated pieces of
molded clay fired in kilns.

•The procces of elaboration has two

parts: Mixture & Molding, and fire in
continuous kilns.

•Pieces of fired clay

•Pieces of fired clay wich
are prism shaped with, or
without holes.
Glazed Ceramic
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)
Stoneware
•It’s a mixture of clay, quartz and
feldspar. Very resistant to erosion.
Used to cover walls and paving.

Porcelain

•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 II
Coverage: 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 surfaces
In 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.
THANK YOU