Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

ARH1207 Construction Technology I

Types of Building Materials – Properties and Uses in Construction

Building material is any material used for construction purpose such as materials for house building.
Wood, cement, aggregates, metals, bricks, concrete, clay are the most common type of building
material used in construction. The choice of these are based on their cost effectiveness for building
projects.
Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, sand, wood and rocks, even twigs and leaves have
been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man-made products
are in use, some more and some less synthetic.

The manufacture of building materials is an established industry in many countries and the use of these
materials is typically segmented into specific specialty trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, roofing and
insulation work. This reference deals with habitats and structures including homes.

Construction materials can be generally categorized into two sources, natural and synthetic. Natural
materials are those that are unprocessed or minimally processed by industry, such as lumber or glass.

Synthetic materials are made in industrial settings after much human manipulations, such as plastics and
petroleum based paints. Both have their uses.
Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

Mud, stone, and fibrous plants are the most basic materials, aside from tents made of flexible materials
such as cloth or skins. People all over the world have used these three materials together to create
homes to suit their local weather conditions.

Fabric
The tent used to be the home of choice among nomadic groups the world over. Two well known types
include the conical teepee and the circular yurt. It has been revived as a major construction technique
with the development of tensile architecture and synthetic fabrics.

Modern buildings can be made of flexible material such as fabric membranes, and supported by a
system of steel cables or internal (air pressure.)

Mud and clay

The amount of each material used leads to different styles of buildings. The deciding factor is usually
connected with the quality of the soil being used. Larger amounts of clay usually mean using
the cob/adobe style, while low clay soil is usually associated with sod building.
The other main ingredients include more or less sand/gravel and straw/grasses. Rammed earth is both
an old and newer take on creating walls, once made by compacting clay soils between planks by hand,
now forms and mechanical pneumatic compressors are used.
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. Clay
holds heat or cold, releasing it over a period of time like stone.
Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

Earthen walls change temperature slowly, so artificially raising or lowering the temperature can use
more resources than in say a wood built house, but the heat/coolness stays longer.

Stone/Rock
Stone structures have existed for as long as history can recall. It is the longest lasting building material
available, and is usually readily available. There are many types of Stone through out the world all with
differing attributes that make them better or worse for particular uses.

Stone is a very dense material so it gives a lot of protection too, its main draw-back as a material is its
weight and awkwardness. Its energy density may vary dependant on the different types of Stone,
generally stones are known for their ability to hold in the sun’s heat for longer periods during the day
and releasing it at nights. This property is particularly help for building in temperate countries where its
hot in the day and cold at night.

Thatch
Thatch is one of the oldest of materials known; grass is a good insulator and easily harvested. Many
African tribes have lived in homes made completely of grasses year round. In Europe, thatch roofs on
homes were once prevalent but the material fell out of favour as industrialization and improved
transport increased the availability of other materials.

Ice
Ice was used by the Inuit for igloos, but has also been used for ice hotels as a tourist attraction in
northern areas that might not otherwise see many winter tourists.

Wood
Wood is a product of trees, and sometimes other fibrous plants, used for construction purposes when
cut or pressed into lumber and timber, such as boards, planks and similar materials. It is a generic
building material and is used in building just about any type of structure in most climates.

Wood can be very flexible under loads, keeping strength while bending, and is incredibly strong when
compressed vertically.
Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

There are many differing qualities to the different types of wood, even among same tree species. This
means specific species are better for various uses than others. And growing conditions are important for
deciding quality.

Brick and Block

A brick is a block made of kiln-fired material, usually clay or shale, but also may be of lower quality mud,
etc. Clay bricks are formed in a moulding (the soft mud method), or in commercial manufacture more
frequently by extruding clay through a die and then wire-cutting them to the proper size (the stiff mud
process).

Concrete
Concrete is a composite building material made from the combination of aggregate (composite) and a
binder such as cement. The most common form of concrete is Portland cement concrete, which consists
of mineral aggregate (generally gravel and sand), portland cement and water.

After mixing, the cement hydrates and eventually hardens into a stone-like material. When used in the
generic sense, this is the material referred to by the term concrete.
For a concrete construction of any size, as concrete has a rather low tensile strength, it is generally
strengthened using steel rods or bars (known as rebars). This strengthened concrete is then referred to
as reinforced concrete.

In order to minimise any air bubbles, that would weaken the structure, a vibrator is used to eliminate
any air that has been entrained when the liquid concrete mix is poured around the ironwork. Concrete
has been the predominant material in this modern age due to its longevity, formability, and ease of
transport.

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

There are many types of metals used for building. Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron,
and is the usual choice for metal structural construction. It is strong, flexible, and if refined well and/or
treated lasts a long time. Corrosion is metal’s prime enemy when it comes to longevity.
Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

The lower density and better corrosion resistance of aluminium alloys and tin sometimes overcome
their greater cost. Brass was more common in the past, but is usually restricted to specific uses or
specialty items today.

Other metals used include titanium, chrome, gold, silver. Titanium can be used for structural purposes,
but it is much more expensive than steel. Chrome, gold, and silver are used as decoration, because these
materials are expensive and lack structural qualities such as tensile strength or hardness.

Glass
Clear windows have been used since the invention of glass to cover small openings in a building. They
provided humans with the ability to both let light into rooms while at the same time keeping inclement
weather outside. Glass is generally made from mixtures of sand and silicates, and is very brittle.

Modern glass “curtain walls” can be used to cover the entire facade of a building. Glass can also be used
to span over a wide roof structure in a “space frame”.

Ceramics
Ceramics are such things as tiles, fixtures, etc. Ceramics are mostly used as fixtures or coverings in
buildings. Ceramic floors, walls, counter-tops, even ceilings. Many countries use ceramic roofing tiles to
cover many buildings.

Ceramics used to be just a specialized form of clay-pottery firing in kilns, but it has evolved into more
technical areas.

Plastic
The term plastics covers a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic condensation or polymerization
products that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or fibres. Their name is derived from the
fact that in their semi-liquid state they are malleable, or have the property of plasticity.

Plastics vary immensely in heat tolerance, hardness, and resiliency. Combined with this adaptability, the
general uniformity of composition and lightness of plastics ensures their use in almost all industrial
applications today.
Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

Foam
More recently synthetic polystyrene or polyurethane foam has been used on a limited scale. It is light
weight, easily shaped and an excellent insulator. It is usually used as part of a structural insulated panel
where the foam is sandwiched between wood or cement.

Cement composites
Cement bonded composites are an important class of construction material. These products are made of
hydrated cement paste that binds wood or alike particles or fibers to make precast building
components. Various fibrous materials including paper and fiberglass have been used as binders.

Methods of Construction

Load-bearing wall

A load-bearing wall, (sometimes referred

to as a 'bearing wall'), is a wall that
supports vertical load in addition to its own
weight and is an active structural element
of a building. Load-bearing walls typically
provide separation between the internal
spaces of a building and transfer loads
from other parts of the structure to the
foundations.

Main Features: Followings are the main features of load-bearing walls:

 It is a structural element.
 It carries the weight of a building from the roof and upper floors.
 Load bearing walls transfer loads all the way to the foundation or other suitable frame
members.
 It can support structural members like beams (sturdy pieces of wood or metal), slab and walls
on above floors above.
 A wall directly above the beam is called a load bearing wall if it is designed to carry the vertical
load.
Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

 Load bearing walls also carry their own weight.

 This wall is typically over one another on each floor.
 Load bearing walls can be used as an interior or exterior wall.
 This kind of wall will often be perpendicular to floor joists or ridge.
 Concrete is an ideal material to support these loads.

Types of Load Bearing Walls

Followings are the types of load bearing walls:

 Precast Concrete Wall: This wall is aesthetically pleasing. The precast wall has superior strength
and known for its durability. It provides excellent protection and is easy to install.
 Retaining Wall: It provides lateral support. Installing a retaining wall has many environmental
benefits like reducing erosion and protecting areas from being saturated. It is also known as
revetment or breast wall.
 Masonry Wall: Masonry is the most durable part of any structure. It allows for unlimited
architectural expressions. They provide strength durability. Masonry wall also helps to control
the temperature in indoor and out. Also, it increases the fire resistance. Lateral stiffness of the
masonry wall is very low.
 Pre Panelised Load Bearing Metal Stud Walls: It is used for building exterior wall cladding. The
metal can be stainless steel, copper, aluminium. It supports gravity, seismic and wind loading.
 Engineering Brick Wall: It uses double open-ended bond beam blocks. It is built using a mould.
Block wall is replaced horizontally.
 Stone Wall: It is treated as a stone structure. It is kind of masonry construction. This wall
provides structure to a building and encloses an area.

Non-Load Bearing Walls

Non-load bearing walls are walls inside a
property that do not support any structural
weight of a building. They do not bear any
other weight of the property’s structure
other than its own. Also referred to as
“curtain walls”, non-bearing walls are used
primarily as room dividers, and generally
Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

serve no other purpose. They can be easily identified by simply looking at the joists and rafters in your
attic or basement. If they run parallel to the wall, they are most likely non-load bearing walls. You can do
whatever you like to non-load bearing walls since they are not responsible for the gravitational support
for your property. But removing, or even cutting into, a load-bearing wall can be a dangerous and costly
mistake.

Main Features: Followings are the main features of non-load bearing walls:

 A non-load bearing wall doesn’t support floor roof loads above.

 It is not a part of the structural frame system.
 Most of the time, they are interior walls whose purpose is to divide the floor into rooms.
 They are built lighter to reduce the dead load of the structure.
 One can remove any non-load bearing walls without endangering the safety of the building.
 Non-load bearing walls can be identified by the joists and rafters.
 They are not responsible for gravitational support for the property. It is cost effective.

Types of Non-Load Bearing Walls

Followings are the type of non-load bearing walls based on the used wall unit:

 Hollow Concrete Block Wall

 Facade Bricks Wall
 Hollow Bricks Wall
 Brick Walls

Brief descriptions of these types of non-load bearing walls are given below:

Hollow Concrete Block

The walls of the concrete building are made hollow. It has the advantage of great strength. It gives
stability without any waste of material.
Facade Bricks
It is solid, durable and practically maintenance free. Colors do not lose their radiance in this brick.
Facade bricks are ecological and sustainable.
Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

Hollow Bricks
They are green living. They can reduce the use of heating and cooling devices. They are strong and
better used. Hollow bricks are cost effective.
Brick Walls
It is an immovable block or wall made of brick. Brick walls are easy to install.

Construction Elements
Column
A column is a vertical structural member intended to transfer a compressive load. For example, a column
might transfer loads from a ceiling, floor or roof slab or from a beam, to a floor or foundations.

Columns are typically constructed from materials such as stone, brick, block, concrete, timber, steel, and
so on, which have good compressive strength.

Lintel
A lintel is a structural horizontal support used to span an opening in a wall or between two vertical
supports. It is frequently used over windows and doors, both of which represent vulnerable points in a
building's structure. Lintels are generally used for load-bearing purposes, but they can also be decorative.

Arch
An arch is a curved structural form that carries loads around an opening, transferring them around the
profile of the arch to abutments, jambs or piers on either side. Arch are structurally very stable in
compression, as loads are relatively evenly balanced through their form.

Vault
A vault is a structural form composed of a series of arches, typically found in the construction of ceilings
or roofs.

Dome
A curved roof structure spanning an area; often spherical in shape. Domes evolved from arches, originally
being adapted only to small buildings such as huts and tombs; however, as construction and design
techniques developed, they became more popular as a means of showcasing grand structures such as
cathedrals, legislative buildings and, more recently, leisure buildings such as sports stadia.
Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

Truss
A truss is a structure that consists of members organized into connected triangles so that the overall
assembly behaves as a single object. Trusses are most commonly used in bridges, roofs and towers.

Framed Structure
A framed structure is a structure having the combination of beam, column and slab to resist the gravity
and other lateral loads. These structures are generally used to overcome the large forces, moments
developing due to the applied loading.

Construction systems
The term 'construction system' refers to the way a building is built that is, the materials and methods used
to construct its foundations, floor, walls, and roof.

There are a number of different construction systems which are typically put into two categories –
lightweight, such as timber or light steel-framed construction systems and heavy weight or high mass,
such as concrete block. Each has its benefits and constraints. Features of your site, such as ground
conditions or steep slopes may affect your choices – your designer will be able to talk you through these.

Lightweight/low mass walls

Lightweight construction systems typically have walls consisting of either timber or steel framing with
cavities between the outer cladding and the inner lining. These cavities are usually filled with the
insulation material. But there are also other less common lightweight systems.

Lightweight walls are suitable for a large range of cladding options. Most lightweight walls will require a
drainage cavity between the framing and the cladding to allow any water that penetrates the cladding
to run back out rather than be absorbed into the framing.

Certain ground conditions may make lightweight construction desirable if it avoids the need for
extensive earthworks and/or special foundations.

Another advantage of lightweight wall systems is that wall construction can be faster than for heavy
mass walls. Many of the wall systems are at least partly pre-assembled off-site meaning that they can be
precision fabricated in a factory. Typically this is just the wall and roof framing, however in some cases
Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

walls are clad, or even installed with services and insulation and lines in the factory. This lets the building
be closed in faster, meaning that construction progress is less weather dependent.

Lightweight materials generally have a lower amount of embodied energy than heavyweight
construction at completion. However, the most significant environmental impact of a building occurs
during its use. A well-insulated and designed heavy mass building may be as or even more
environmentally friendly than a poorly insulated or designed lightweight building over its lifetime.
Lightweight construction

Characteristics of lightweight construction include:

 less durable than heavyweight construction

 higher maintenance required than heavyweight construction
 greater responsiveness to outdoor temperature changes – this can be beneficial by cooling more
rapidly at night in warmer climates
 suitable for remote sites where materials must be transported for long distances
 generally lower embodied energy
 generally lower site impact and disturbance than heavyweight construction
 generally lower environmental impact, for example, sustainably sourced timber
 able to be handled without the need for heavy machinery.

Heavyweight/high mass walls

Heavyweight walls typically consist of concrete blocks or precast concrete. If designed and insulated
properly the thermal mass in the concrete can be utilised to store heat from the sun, reducing heating
and cooling energy and improving comfort.

Using thermal mass for heating and cooling has more information.

Heavy mass walls have very good sound insulating characteristics and may therefore be a good option
for noisy environments.

If the building has multiple storeys or complex shapes concrete is often used at least in some of the load
bearing walls.

Buildings with heavy mass walls typically have a slab-on-ground floor. On a sloping site, this may require
expensive foundations. Specific engineering design will be required for sites with certain ground
conditions, such as those prone to liquefaction.

Heavyweight construction

Characteristics of heavyweight construction include:

 excellent durability
 low maintenance
 good thermal mass
Department of Architecture Faculty of Technology University of Guyana Dip (Architecture) 2019/2020

 most suited to climates with a large diurnal (day/night) temperature range

 should not be used on remote sites where materials must be transported for long
distances
 generally high embodied energy
 generally significant site impact and disturbance because of substantial foundation
system requirements
 generally quarried raw materials that cause a high impact on the landscape
 generally require heavy lifting equipment on site
 often require temporary support during construction, which can increase waste.