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POLYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA D.A.S.P CMT 501Y- CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

POLYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE& SPACIAL PLANNING
CMT 501YConstruction Materials & Technology 1
LECTURE #1 Introduction to the properties of Construction Materials


















Lecturer Information
Lecturers name: Mr. Jens Wiedow
Email: jwiedow@polytechnic.edu.na
Office phone: (061) 207 2926
Office location: Department of Architecture Offices
Office hours: 08:00 17:00
Consultation hours: Consultation times can be
found on the doors of lecturers offices.




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POLYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA D.A.S.P CMT 501Y- CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

Introduction to the Properties of Building Materials

When a building is constructed, two main physical resources are involved:

Materials - necessary to form the various parts of the building
Technical Ability - to assemble the parts of the enclosure

This lecture shall deal with the Materials and their characteristics in relation
to construction.


The Characteristics of Materials


Building Materials are characterized by distinct properties of strength, stiffness and
elasticity, density or hardness, resistance to wear caused by physical or chemical
action, fire resistance, thermal conductivity and appearance.














What are Building Construction Materials?

Construction Materials, simply put, are
natural or manufactured materials that have
the appropriate properties for use in the
construction of buildings or building
elements.
Each building construction material has
specific properties that are used in particular
areas or for particular purposes.
e.g. concrete for foundations due to its
quality of stiffness and strength, or glass due
to its quality of translucency and thickness.

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POLYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA D.A.S.P CMT 501Y- CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

TheCharacteristic of materials can be divided into the following categories:

1. Chemical
2. Physical
3. Mechanical
4. Dimension



1. Chemical characteristics:

Chemical characteristics of a material are those that relate
to the molecular structure or composition of a material
These characteristics are:

- Chemical composition : Oxide or Compound
- Acidity or Alkalinity
- Weathering
- Corrosion, measured as the weight of Corrosion (R)

The important characteristic of the chemical characteristic of
building materials is its durability.
Durability is the ability of a material to resist the following:

- physical abrasion or wear
- the elements: sun, rain and wind
- corrosion caused by moisture of chemical action

These characteristics are important as they will indicate the appropriate material to be used for a specific purpose, and the correct combination of
materials to be used together.
e.g. Timber has a poor durability in the sun, and has to be treated appropriately.
oruntreated Steel should not be used at the coast as it is not durable when faced with sea-water and corrodes.



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POLYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA D.A.S.P CMT 501Y- CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

2. Physical characteristics:

Physical characteristics of a material are those that relate
to the interaction of a material with various forms of energy.
These characteristics are:

- Density: measured in force per unit area (kg/m, also Megapascals or Mpa)
- Conductivity
- Thermal: measured in Watts per metre Kelvin (W/m x K)
- Electric: measured in Siemens per meter (S/m)
- Acoustic (sound transmission/absorption), the Sound Reduction Index measured in decibels (db)
- Optical (translucent/opaque)
- Combustibility (ability to ignite or resist ignition)
- Weight: measure in Kg.

3. Mechanical characteristics:

Mechanical characteristics of a material are those that are
Displayed with the application of forces on them.
These characteristics are:

- Strength
compressive strength
tensile strength
shear strength
- Toughness
- Stiffness, or resistance to deformation, measured as k in newtons per meter.
- Elasticity, measured as Youngs Modulus, or the Modulus of Elasticity
- Plasticity
- Ductility
- Brittleness
- Hardness



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POLYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA D.A.S.P CMT 501Y- CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

The most effective structural materials are those which combine elasticity and stiffness.
Elasticity is the ability of a material to deform under stress (bend, stretch, or compress)and return to its original shape.
Every material has an elastic limit beyond which it will permanently deform or break.
Those materials that have low elastic limits are termed brittle.
The stiffness of a material is a measure of the force required to pull or push a material to itselastic limit.




4. Dimensional characteristics:

Dimensionalcharacteristics of a material are those that are
determined by size, shape and finish.

These relate to the visual properties of a material:

- color
- pattern
- texture

Most Materials are manufactured in standard sizes. These stock sizes may vary slightly between manufacturers and should be verified during
the design and planning phase of the building to avoid unnecessary cutting and waste of material during construction.
For the same reason, the modular characteristics of building materials such as masonry units and plywood should be considered in determining
a buildings dimensions.









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POLYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA D.A.S.P CMT 501Y- CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

Reasons for choice of a building material.


These characteristics of materials determine their applicability and appropriateness in construction.
Hence brick is commonly used in construction as it conforms to the following characteristics:


1. Chemical - Brick is a durable material and can withstand the effects of the elements and physical abrasion.
2. Physical - Brick is a relatively dense material that has:low thermal conductivity (thus reduces the amount of heat gain),
good fire resistance (it cannot burn),
good acoustic resistance ( you cannot hear very well through a brick wall)
relatively low weight (their sizes can be easily handled on site)
3. Mechanical Brick is a Hard material with high strength, low elasticity and brittleness.
4. Dimensional- Brick comes in standard sizes and can thus be easily combined into a wall. It furthermore has a pleasing visual appearance.


Materials are generally tested for their suitability for a particular purpose in a testing facility or materials laboratory that provide information of
their characteristics.

Examples of the laboratories is the SABS (South African Bureau of Standards) and the NSI (Namibian Standards Institute).

Building regulations often prescribe that certain materials are tested on a regular basis to confirm their characteristics. e.g. concrete is usually
tested to determine its strength on every large construction site.









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POLYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA D.A.S.P CMT 501Y- CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

Application of Materials & components in construction

Certain Materials are appropriate when used in certain areas, and in certain building components.
The most common construction materials are:

Concrete

Concrete has a wide application in the construction industry because it combines
many of the advantages of wood, steel, and masonry (bricks).
It is inherently strong in compression and tension; it can encase and bond with steel
reinforcement. It is capable of being formed into almost any shape with a variety of
surface finishes, textures and patterns. It provides fireproof construction.
Concrete is commonly used for building foundations, walls, and concrete structures
(columns and beams).



Masonry
Masonry refers to man-made units which are formed and hardened into modular units.
This modular aspect (i.e. uniform size and proportional relationship) distinguishes
masonry form most of the other construction materials.
Masonry is commonly used to build walls and the building enclosure.




Wood
As a construction material, wood offers in addition to its strength, durability and light
weight, and easy workability, natural beauty and warmth to sight an touch. Although
it has become necessary to employ conservation measures to ensure a continued
supply, wood is still used in construction in a variety of forms. Generally Wood is used
in the manufacture of furniture, joinery and roof trusses.


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POLYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA D.A.S.P CMT 501Y- CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY


Stone
Stone is an aggregate of combination of materials, each of which is composed of
inorganic chemical substances. Almost all stone is affected by sudden changes in
temperature and should not be used where fire-resistance is required.
As a structural load-bearing wall material, stone is similar to modular unit masonry.
Stone is commonly used as an aesthetic material in wall cladding, and infrequently
as a material to construct foundations.




Steel

Steel is used for heavy and light structural framing as well as a wide range of
building products such as windows, doors, hardwear, and fastenings. As a
structural material, steel combines high strength and stiffness with elasticity.
Measure in terms of weight to volume, it is probably the strongest low-cost
material available. Steel is available as a construction material in certain shapes,
commonly called steel sections.




Glass


Glass is a chemically inert, transparent, hard, brittle material. It is used in building
construction in various forms. Foamed or cellular glass is used as thermal insulation.
Glass fibers form glass wool used for acoustic and thermal insulation. Glass is commonly
used to glaze a buildings windows.




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POLYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA D.A.S.P CMT 501Y- CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY