Construction Materials

Semester 1

Civil Engineering

Unit – I: Overview of Construction Materials

1.1 Brief Introduction of Construction materials.
1.2 Scope of construction materials in-
1.2.1 Building Construction
1.2.2 Transportation Engineering
1.2.3 Environmental Engineering
1.2.4 Irrigation Engineering (applications only).
1.3 Selection of materials for different civil engineering structures on the
basis of- strength, durability, Eco friendly and economy.
1.4 Broad classification of materials–Natural, Artificial, Special, Finishing
and Recycled.
Unit – II: Natural Construction Materials
2.1 Stones- Brief introduction, Requirements of good building stone,
Physical and Chemical properties, Classification, Standard Tests, general
characteristics of stone; quarrying and dressing methods and tools for
stone.
2.2 Aggregates- Brief Introduction, Properties of coarse and fine
aggregate and uses
2.3 Timber- Structure of timber, general properties and uses of good
timber, different methods of seasoning for preservation of timber, defects
in timber, use of bamboo in construction.
2.3 Asphalt, bitumen and tar used in construction, properties and uses.
2.4 Properties of lime, its types and uses.
2.5 Types of soil and its suitability in construction.
2.6 Brief Introduction of Bricks, Cement, Tiles and concrete.
Unit 1 Overview of Construction Materials
Brief Introduction of Construction materials.
Building materials have an important role to play in this modern age of technology.
Although their most important use is in construction activities, no field of engineering is
conceivable without their use. Also, the building materials industry is an important
contributor in our national economy as its output governs both the rate and the quality
of construction work. There are certain general factors which affect the choice of
materials for a particular scheme. Perhaps the most important of these is the climatic
background. Obviously, different materials and forms of construction have developed in
different parts of the world as a result of climatic differences. Another factor is the
economic aspect of the choice of materials. The rapid advance of constructional
methods, the increasing introduction of mechanical tools and plants, and changes in the
organisation of the building industry may appreciably influence the choice of materials.

Due to the great diversity in the usage of buildings and installations and the various
processes of production, a great variety of requirements are placed upon building
materials calling for a very wide range of their properties: strength at low and high
temperatures, resistance to ordinary water and sea water, acids and alkalis etc. Also,
materials for interior decoration of residential and public buildings, gardens and parks,
etc. should be, by their very purpose, pleasant to the eye, durable and strong. Specific
properties of building materials serve as a basis for subdividing them into separate
groups. For example, mineral binding materials are subdivided into air and hydraulic-
setting varieties. The principal properties of building materials predetermine their
applications. Only a comprehensive knowledge of the properties of materials allows a
rational choice of materials for specific service conditions.

The importance of standardisation cannot be over emphasised. It requires the quality of

materials and manufactured items to be not below a specific standard level. However,
the importance of standardisation is not limited to this factor alone, since each revised
standard places higher requirements upon the products than the preceding one, with
the effect that the industry concerned has to keep up with the standards and improved
production techniques.

Thus, the industry of building materials gains both in quantity and quality, so that new,
more efficient products are manufactured and the output of conventional materials is
increased. To develop products of greater economic efficiency, it is important to
compare the performance of similar kinds of materials under specific service
conditions. Expenditures for running an installation can be minimised by improving the
quality of building materials and products. Building industry economists are thus
required to have a good working knowledge, first, of the building materials, second, of
their optimum applications on the basis of their principal properties, and, third, of their
manufacturing techniques, in order that the buildings and installations may have
optimum engineering, economic performance and efficiency. Having acquired adequate
knowledge, an economist specialising in construction becomes an active participant in
the development of the building industry and the manufacture of building materials.

Materials which are required for construction of buildings are referred as building
materials.
Building materials are classified into three types
Natural Materials: - These are naturally occurring materials namely wood, stone, mud
or clay etc.
Artificial materials: - These are man-made materials namely bricks, cement, glass &
steel.
Composite materials: - These are combination of two or materials namely concrete,
plywood etc.

1.5 Scope of construction materials in-

A. Building Construction: For any type of building projects like
commercial, residential, hospital, industrial & townships constructions,
following types of role performed by the civil engineer;
1) Civil engineer has to prepare the layout of the proposed construction
site
2) To prepare the construction site plan & send for approval.
3) Civil engineers has to involved in the planning, designing in the
construction project.
4) To find out the foundation details of the proposed site & also prepare
investigation reports.
5) To prepare the net estimation cost of the construction & sanction its
budget.
6) To involve in the lab testing, planning, supervision & execution of the
proposed site.
7) He could also acts as an arbitrator job.
8) In case of big project, he could also play an important role in the
operation & maintenance.
B. Transportation Engineering: The role of civil engineers in
transportation engineering is discussed point wise as follows;
1) Civil engineer performs the work to move the goods & people from one
place to another place safely & efficiently.
2) Remote areas & rural areas become accessible & communicable
connected by transportation engineering.
3) Civil engineers could design, construct & maintains all the types of
transport facilities like highways, railway tracks, airports & marine ports
etc
4) They are also involved in the construction of bridges & tunnels of
highways & railways.
5) They also deal with the traffic management operation & controlling
system of streets & highways in which traffic makes smooth.
6) They also fix the sign & symbol boards like emergencies like hospitals &
police stations, hotels, villages or city names at a certain km distance of
highways.
C. Environmental Engineering: The role of civil engineers in the
environmental engineering is discussed as follows;
1) Water supply – Civil engineers perform the work including design,
planning, construction of dams & water treatment plants from water
supply from rivers, lakes, bore wells etc to the cities.
2) Sanitary system – Civil engineers also perform the work for sewage
water management of domestic & industrial waste treatments by
constructing pipelines. After treatment on sewage water that becomes less
harmful.
3) Environmental Pollution – Civil engineers also perform the role for
construction & designing the structure which controls the water pollution,
air pollution, soil pollution, sound pollution & thermal pollution so on.
4) Solid waste management - Civil engineers also perform their duties for
controlling & managing the garbage waste materials from the town, street
wastes, hotel & hospitals wastes with proper disposal systems.

D. Irrigation Engineering: The role of civil engineers in irrigation

engineering is discussed as follows;
1) Civil engineers can perform the work for the designing & constructing
the dams, canals, weirs & barrage system of water supply for the
agricultural sectors.
2) Ground water storages can also developed by the civil engineers by
constructing the percolation tank.
3) They could also develop the rivers streams for required sides.
4) Irrigation engineering is also used to for the purpose of crop cultivation
& for drinking & industrial use.
5) They also perform the work with the development of water resources &
buildup the proper arrangements of distribution of water.
6) Irrigation engineering also deals with the sprinkler system, trickle
systems, streams & dripping systems of water conveyor to the farms &
agricultural land.
 Factors Affecting the Selection of Construction Material
01. Strength
Strength is an essential parameter for quality control in the construction
and most important selection criteria for building material. It shows the
ability of a material to withstand the failure under the action of stresses
caused by loads such as compression, tension, bending and/or impact etc.
that can be caused either due to the forces of nature or can be man-made.
02. Life of Material
House is what you make one time in a lifetime. Hence for the long life of the
building, all materials should have long and maintenance free life. The
durability of the house depends on the materials used so don’t cut corners
or else be ready to pay hefty maintenance costs.
03. Cost of Material

Cost of material is one important factor while choosing the material for
construction as ultimately it will lock your choice willingly.
04. Handling and Storage
While selecting the building materials, it’s necessary to take into account
their handling and storage because it affects the construction time,
requirement of labour and equipment for handling, and of course the cost.

05. Local Availability

Availability of building materials also affects the cost and the time of
construction because certain materials are available at a particular place
and are difficult to transport. In that case, not only the transportation costs
will be very high but it will also delay the work. On the other hand, if the
material is locally available it decreases the transportation cost. It’s also a
time saver and construction work can also be done smoothly.
06. Climate
Another important aspect of the choice of materials is the climate. Factors
like the average range of temperature throughout the year, rain or
snowfall, seasons, amount of sunlight, required ventilation and wind are
areas of concern. Hence chosen material for construction should
complement the climate. When climate comes in the picture automatically
the properties of materials also come in the picture.
Therefore, make sure that the materials you choose are according to the
climate you are building house in.
07. Skills Required and its Availability
While selecting the material it is important to know the extent of skill
required to use such materials. It may increase the cost of the construction
because you have to appoint/hire a skilled person (labour) to use that
material and if the skilled person or labour is not available particularly in
remote areas then it will delay the work.

08. Sustainability
With the development of the construction industry, the demand for
building materials is increasing, and also responsible for the rise in carbon
footprint, i.e. use of cement increases the carbon emission. Hence eco-
friendly and sustainable building materials like GGBS- ground granulated
blast furnace slag, fly ash, meta kaolin, silica fume, rice husk ash etc. rather
than the use of cement.

09. Nature of Project

Choice of material is a great deal in construction. The choice of material
should be done cautiously as it directly affects the user. One significant area
of concern which governs the choice of material is the nature of the project.
Nature of project means residential, commercial, gathering space etc. The
material used defines the built space. It also leads to other key factors like
investment budget.
 10. Aesthetic Appeal
Everyone has different tastes and requirements and therefore, if one
person considers something attractive, it may not appeal to the next. Only
you know what kind of home/construction/building you will like to live in.
As an example, the type of flooring material you select can change the look
of the home or building. Hence, you have to select a flooring material which
will not only suit your tastes but also fits into your budget such as
e vitrified tiles, ceramic tiles, granite, marble, kota stone, wood etc.

Criteria for Selection of construction materials –

1) On the basis of carrying prescribed load – The material should have

sufficient strength to carry the prescribed load for building material
2) Serviceability – serviceability refers to the conditions under which the
building is still considered for the use. It should be cost effective
serviceable materials used, maintain depot, store houses, warehouses, solid
materials without developing cracks, defects, tested materials & so on
3) Aesthetically pleasing – The materials to be used for the construction
purposes should have pleasing appearance. These materials are
pleasurable, aesthetics involves all our senses like vision, hearing, touch,
taste, smell that are pleasurable for our emotions, commodity, firmness,
delight building abilities
4) Economy – The construction materials should be economical for the
transport cost, heavier materials greater is the transport cost, purchase
cost, life long , without maintenance etc
5) Environmental friendly – The construction materials should be eco-
friendly. It should not have the leakages, chemicals, gas emissions, volatile
organic compounds, toxic, irritating, hazardous compounds. Finally they
give better environmental performance.

Broad classification of materials –

1) Natural materials - The materials which are obtained from natural

sources like earth, plants, and animals are called natural materials. Eg.
Stone, timber, bitumen, lime, soil etc

2) Artificial materials – The materials which are produced in the

industries by chemical or mechanical processes are called artificial
materials. Eg. Bricks, tiles, cement, precast concrete, plywood, glass, plastic
etc
3) Special materials – The materials which are produced for special
purposes like waterproofing, sound proofing, damp proofing, thermal
insulating are called special materials. Eg. Fibers, ferroconcrete, artificial
timber, adhesives, epoxy, geo-synthetic, ceramic materials

4) Finishing materials – The materials which are produces for the use of
finishing purposes of building constructions are called finishing materials.
Eg. Lime mortar, cement mortar, special mortar, Plaster Of Paris, paint,
distemper, varnishes, cladding materials, linoleum etc

5) Recycled construction materials – The materials which are recycled

from the waste construction or destruction are called recycled materials.
Eg. Rich husk, baggage, coir fiber, straw, coconut tree trunk, plastic waste,
polymer waste, rubber waste, coconut leaves, fly-ash, blast furnace, slag,
granite, marbles, polishing wastes