Introduction to

Building Construction Materials

CL302

By:
Vineet Kothari
Assistant Professor
Civil Engineering Department
Institute of technology
Nirma University
Why will you learn this subject?
 Teaching Scheme

Exam Weightage Exam Hours

CE LP SEE SEE PRE
0.60 0.00 0.40 3 2

Lectures/wee : 3 Tutorials/week : 0 Practical/wee : 0 Credit : 3

k k
 Syllabus

Introduction: Importance & introduction to basic building materials and their suitability.
Physical & mechanical properties.

Stone: Definition, classification, quarrying and dressing, use, advantages, testing, common
building stones, characteristic of good building stone, deterioration, preservation, artificial
stone

Aggregates: Qualities, classification, sources, use.

Clay products: Brick: Introduction, constitutes, Manufacturing, classification, properties

and testing, special types of bricks, Substitutes for bricks: Concrete block, and special types
of bricks.

Tiles & Terracotta :manufacturing, types, earthenware and stoneware.

Lime: Introduction, classification, manufacturing, slacking, properties, tests, handling,
storage and uses

Cement: Introduction, ingredients, manufacturing, types and uses.

Mortar and plaster: Functions and qualities, types.

Timber: characteristics, classification, sources, structure and growth of tree, conversion of

wood, seasoning, defects, deterioration and preservation, special timber products and its
merits and demerits, use, common timber in India.
Metals: Ferrous : Introduction, types of iron, steel, manufacturing, market forms,
classification, uses, alloys; Non-ferrous metals: manufacturing, properties, uses and alloy
Corrosion of metal and its prevention.
Plastics: Definition, constituents, classification, properties, advantages and disadvantages,
commercial forms of plastics, use of plastics in construction, fiber reinforced plastics,
deformation of plastics.
Paint & Varnishes: Functions, ingredients, characteristics and types.
 Syllabus Covered by Prof. Vineet Kothari

 Timber
 Lime
 Plastic
 Insulating Materials
 Bituminous Materials
TIMBER
Content of Timber
 Introduction
 Advantages and disadvantages
 Some important terms
 Structure of tree
 Classification
 Defects
 Properties
 Conversion of wood
 Seasoning
 Deterioration
 Preservation
 Use of timber
 Special timber products
 Common timber in India
 Introduction
 Wood or Timber?

 Wood is usually used to refer to the material in its natural state...timber refers
to it after it has been modified by man

 Timber is the oldest material of construction

 First to be used by men for various purpose from ancient time to till date
 Only mature trees are cut for obtaining good quality timber, which is suitable
for construction purpose

 These types of tree having following parts:

Crown

Trunk (structural Timber)

Root system
 Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
 Natural material and renewable resources
 Easily workable
 Quickly transported
 Durable
 Light in weight but strong
 Fire resistance
 Good aesthetic view
 Properly protected timber give hundreds years of
service
 Repair, addition and alteration are easy
 Can resist corrosion
 Advantages and Disadvantages
Disadvantages
 Major Disadvantage is combustibility
 Conflagration hazard
 Ex- Forest fire

 Destroyed by decay of fungi and insects

 Swells and shrink with change in climate
This visitor centre in Tokyo
by Japanese architects
Kengo Kuma & Associates
looks like a stack of smaller
buildings with sloping roofs.
Named the Asakusa Culture
Tourist Information Center,
the building is located near
the outer gate to ancient
Buddhist temple Sensō-ji,
which was constructed in the
sixth century and is the
oldest of its kind in the city.
The Fogong Temple Wooden Pagoda of Ying
county, Shanxi province, China this fully-
wooden pagoda was built in 1056 AD during
the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty of China.
Some example
in India
 Some Important Terms

 Standing Timber

Timber available in living tree

 Green Timber

Freshly felled which has not lost much of its moisture

 Rough Timber

Timber obtained after felling tree

 Converted timber

Timber sawn in to various market sizes

 Dressed Timber

sawn to the exact required condition

 Structural Timber

Timber used in load bearing and framed structure

 Clears Timber

Free from defects

 Structure of Tree

From the visibility aspects the structure of tree can be divide in two category

1. Macro Structure

The structure of wood which is visible to naked eye or at a small

magnification is called macro structure

2. Micro Structure

The structure of wood which is visible only at great magnification is called

micro structure
 Structure of Tree

1. Macro Structure
Macro Structure
Macro Structure

 Most Important
Annual Rings: it consists of cellular
tissues and woody fibre arranged in
circular circles or rings round the
pitch generally once in a year, so the
age of tree may be count from
number of annual rings
 2. Micro Structure
It is a microscopic or sub microscopic structure of different shapes and sizes
 Classification of Tree
Classification of tree according to

Growth of tree Botanically leaves Structurally

Exogenous Angiosperms Deciduous Softwood

tree tree tree

Endogenous Gymnosperms Conifers Hardwood

Tree Tree Tree
Exogenous tree

 Grow out ward and increase in bulk by formation of annular rings, deposited every
year, so it is used for engineering purpose
 Ex- Deodar, Chir, Sal, Kail, Shisham, Teak, Walnut, Mango etc.
Endogenous tree

 Grow inward or endwards

 Too flexible
 Not much suitable for engineering purpose
 Some time use for temporary construction
 Ex- Canes, Bamboos, Palms etc.
Angiosperms tree

 Seed is enclosed within fruit or nut

 Ex- Mango etc.

Gymnosperms tree

 Seed have no such cover

 Ex- Pines etc.
Deciduous tree
 Shed leaves in autumn
 Put new in spring
 Close grain, strong
 Heavy dark colour, durable
 Non-resinous
 Use for engineering purpose
 Ex- Mango, Teak, Oak etc.

Conifers tree
 Remain evergreen
 Needle pointed leaves
 Softwood
 Light colour
 Resinous
 Light and weak
 Ex- Pines, Deodar etc.
Softwood
 Lightweight timber
 Show distinct annual rings
 Soft to work
 Weak in strength
 Most common construction timber

Hardwood
 Denser
 Annual rings are faint
 Dark colour
 Strong
 Ex- Teak, Ash, Oak etc.

Structural timber may be derived from either of this two

Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player
was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected
blood he received during a heart surgery in
1983.
From world over, he received letters from his
fans, one of which conveyed: “Why does GOD
have to select you for such a bad disease”?
To this, Arthur Ashe replied:
“The world over — 50 million children start
playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis,
500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come
to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam,
50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the
finals,
when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD
‘Why me?’.
And today in pain I should not be asking GOD
‘Why me?’ ”
Arthur Ashe Quote
“Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrow keeps you Human,
Failure keeps you humble and Success keeps you
glowing, but only Faith & Attitude Keeps you going..