1

TERM PAPER

On

TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Submitted To

Amity School of Engineering &

Technology

Guided By: Submitted By:

Mr. N.B. Mishra Robin Garg

A2315813054

13054

AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH

GAUTAM BUDDHA NAGAR

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DECLARATION BY THE STUDENT

I Robin Garg, student of B.Tech (Civil Engg.) hereby declare that the project titled Types Of

Construction Materials which is submitted by me/us to Department of Amity School Of Engineering

and Technology, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, Noida, in partial fulfillment of requirement for the

award of the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engg.,, has not been previously formed the

basis for the award of any degree, diploma or other similar title or recognition. The Author attests

that permission has been obtained for the use of any copy righted material appearing in the

Dissertation / Project report other than brief excerpts requiring only proper acknowledgement in

scholarly writing and all such use is acknowledged.

Signature

Noida

Date Name and Signature of Student

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CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Robin Garg, student of B.Tech. In Civil Engineering has carried out

the work presented in the project of the Term paper entitled TYPES OF CONSTRUCTON

MATERIALS as a part of Second Year programme of Bachelor of Technology in Civil

Engineering from Amity School of Engineering and Technology, Amity University, NOIDA,

under my supervision..

GUIDE

(Mr. N.B. Mishra)

ASET (NOIDA)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It has come out to be a sort of great pleasure and experience for me to work on the project

Types of Construction Materials. I wish to express my indebtedness to those who helped us i.e.

the faculty of our Institute Mr. N.B. Mishra during the preparation of the manual script of this

text. This would not have been made successful without the help of my friends and family

members who had helped me and gave me precious suggestions. Finally, I also warmly thanks to

all our colleagues who encouraged us to an extent, which made the project successful.

ROBIN GARG

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION.......7

2. CONCRETE - CONSTITUENTS............................................8

2.1 PROPERTIES OF FRESH CONCRETE.....8

2.2 FACTORS AFFECTING STRENGTH OF CONCRETE....................................8

2.3 ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES..9

2.4 WATER CEMENT RATIO..9

2.5 ADVANTAGES OF LOW WATER AND CEMENT RATIO....................................9

3. CEMENT - IMPORTANCE & TYPES OF CEMENT ..10

3.1 SELECTION,STORAGE.......11

3.2 GOOD AXIOMS12

4. BRICK - INDUSTRIAL AREA & TYPES ...13

4.1 BRICKLAYING TERMS.............................................14

5. LIME- LIME PRODUCTION PROCESS...15

5.1 LIME BUILDING PRODUCTS ..16

6. STEEL-TYPES OF STEEL & THEIR PROPERTIES.17

6.1 USES OF STEEL ..18

6.2 MANUFACTURE OF STEEL..18

7. STONES- CLASSIFICATION OF STONES19

7.1 PROPERTIES OF STONES & USES20

8. TIMBER- FORMS OF TIMER21

8.1 USES OF TIMBER & GOOD QUALITIES OF TIMBER...22

9. SAND- SOURCES OF SAND & GRADING OF FINE AGGREGATE..23

9.1 PROPERTIES &BULKING OF SAND& SUBSTITUTE..24

10. PLASTICS- PROPERTIES & USES OF PLASTICS...25

11. MORTAR- FUNCTIONS 26

12. TYPES & USES OF MORTAR..27

13. GLASS-CONSTITUENTS OF GLASS...28

13.1 COMPOSITION &CLASSIFICATION & PROPERTIES OF GLASS29

13.2 MARKET FORMS AND USES OF GLASS.30

14. PAINTS- FUNCTONS & CONSTTUENTS OF PAINTS31

14.1 PIGMENTS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PAINTS..32

15. CONCLUSIONS33

16. REFERENCE..34

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ABSTRACT

All the engineering structures are composed of different types of materials. Each

material which is used in the construction, in one form or the other, is known as the

Engineering materials or Building materials of construction. No material, existing in this

universe is useless. Every material has its own field of application. It is essential for a builder,

architect or engineer to become conversant thoroughly with these materials. Selection of

building materials, to be used in any construction, is done on the basis of strength, durability,

appearance, and permeability. The knowledge of different types of materials, their properties

and uses for different purposes provide important tool in hands of Engineers in achieving

economy in building material cost.

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INTRODUCTION

Building material is any material which is used for construction purposes. Many natural

occurring substances, such as clay, rock sand, and wood, even twigs and leaves, has 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

industries in many countries.

There are several type of materials used in the construction activities such as:

Concrete

Cement

Lime

Brick

Metal

Steel

Sand

Soil

Rock/Stone

Wood/Timber

Glass

Plastics

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CONCRETE

Concrete is one of the most common building material in construction sites. Concrete is a

composite material made from several readily available constituents (aggregates, sand, cement,

water).Concrete is a versatile material that can be easily mixed to meet a variety of special needs

and formed to virtually any shaped.

Constituents

Cement

Water

Fine Agg.

Coarse Agg.

Admixtures

Properties of Fresh Concrete

Consistency

Workability

Segregation

Bleeding

Setting time

Unit weight

Uniformity

Factors affecting the strength of concrete

size of specimen

Size of specimen in relation with size of agg.

moisture condition of specimen

rate of loading

type of test machine

type of cement

degree of compaction

mixed proportion

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type of curing

type of stress situation

Advantages

Economical

Ability to be cast

Durable

Fire resistant

Energy efficient

On-site fabrication

Disadvantages

Low tensile strength

Low ductility

Volume instability

Low strength to weight ratio

Water Cement Ratio

The single most important indicator of strength is the ratio of the water used compared to

the amount of cement (w/c ratio)

Advantages of low water and cement ratio

Low permeability

Increased strength

Increased resistance to gathering

Increased resistance to weathering

Better bond between concrete and reinforcement

Reduced dry shrinkage and cracking

Less volume change from wetting and drying

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CEMENT

Cement is a fine powder which is when mixed with water undergoes chemical change and

thereafter allowed to set and harden is capable of uniting fragments or masses of solid matter

together to produce a mechanically strong material. Cement is used as binding material with

water, for bonding solid particles of different sizes like bricks, stones or aggregate to form

monolith. Cement is used in construction of buildings works contain compounds of lime, silica

and alumina as their principal constituents and can be called as complex compounds.

Importance of cement in construction

Today, cement is very important building material used in construction industry. It was in 1824

that cement, as we know it today was developed. Joseph Aspdin of England first patented the

manufacture of a much improvised type of cementations material for building construction in

1824. The hardened cement paste resembled the natural stone occurring at Portland in England.

Hence it was named as Portland cement.

Cement has replaced all other building materials, for example, clay and lime, which ruled high for

hundreds of years, in construction from last century. The reason being that, cement being strongest

building material amongst clay, lime and cement.

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Types of Cement

There are many types of cement in the market to suit every need. Some of them which are included

in the revised IS: 456-2000 are as follows:

Ordinary Portland Cement 33, 43, 53 grade (OPC), 53-S (Sleeper Cement)

Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), both Fly ash and Calcined clay based

Rapid Hardening Portland c\Cement

Portland Slag Cement(PSC)

Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement (SRC)

Low Heat Portland Cement

Hydrophobic Cement

Selection of cement

Type of cement selected should be appropriate for the intended use. Functional requirement of the

structure, design parameters, speed of construction, durability characteristics, environmental

condition are some of the major factors which affect selection of application. The suggested uses

of various elements are given in the following tables:

Storage of cement

The binding property and strength of cement depends upon the cement capacity for chemical

reaction, which can take place in the presence of natural water. Cement tend to absorb moisture,

and react with it chemically. Cement loses strength as it ages.

Approximate reduction in strength with age (in standard water tight storage condition)

Sno. Age in months Loss of strength%

1. 3 5-10

2. 6 20-30

3. 12 30-40

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Good axioms of proper inventory management are:

Buy only the quantity required for the week or for the fortnight.

No windows/ventilators should be allowed in godown, if unavoidable, it should be kept

closed all the time.

Do not allow workers to use hooks or sharp tools to lift the bags.

The cement should be stored in a godown built with minimum 300 plinth height.

Check whether roof of the shed leaks, if so, repair it.

Always store cement away from the wall.

Do not store cement directly on the floor. Use of wooden planks/pallets or polythene

sheets.

Place cement bags one layer length wise and one layer width wise (header and stretcher

style) for the better stability of the pile.

Always adopt first in first out approach (FIFO system).

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BRICK

A brick is a block or a single unit of a kneaded clay-bearing soil, sand and lime, or concrete

material, fire hardened or air dried, used in masonry construction.

Brick is used in the various types, materials and sizes which are vary with region and time

period, and are produced in bulk quantities. Two basic categories of brick are fired and non-

fired brick. Fire brick are one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials, sometimes

referred to as artificial stone and have been used since circa 5000 BC. Air dried bricks have a

history older than fired bricks, are known by the synonyms mud brick and adobe, and have an

additional ingredient of a mechanical binder such as straw.

Industrial era

Production of bricks increased massively with the rise of the industrial revolution and the rise in

factory building in England. For reasons of speed and economy, bricks were increasingly

preferred as building material to stone, even in areas where the stone was available. It was at

this time in London, that bright red brick was

chosen for construction in order to make the

buildings more visible in the heavy fog and to

prevent traffic accidents.

Normally, bricks contained the following

ingredients:

1. Silica (sand)-50% to 60% by weight

2. Alumina (clay) - 20% to 30% by weight

3. Lime- 2 to 5% by weight

4. Iron oxide- < 7% by weight

5. Magnesia- less than 1% by weight

Mud Brick

The soft mud method is the most common, as it is most economical. It starts with the soft clay,

preferably in a mix with 25-30% sand to reduce shrinkage. The clay is the first ground and

mixed with water to the desired consistency. The clay is then pressed into steel molds with

hydraulic press. The shaped clay is then fired (burned) at 900-1000 C to achieve strength.

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Concrete bricks

A concrete brick-making assembly line Guilinvang Town Hainan, China. This operation

produces a pallet containing 42 bricks, approximately every 30 seconds.

Bricklaying terms

Before beginning any of the bricklaying projects, study the following terms and their

definitions. This will help you understand the various brick position and patterns as well as the

typical mortars joints used.

Bull Header

a rowlock brick laid with its longest dimensions perpendicular to the face of the wall.

Bull stretcher

A rowlock brick laid with its longest dimensions parallel to the face of the wall.

Course

One of the horizontal rows of masonry that, bonded together, forms the masonry structures.

Header

A masonry unit laid flat with its longest dimension perpendicular to the face of the wall. It is

generally used to the tie two Wythes of masonry together.

Rowlock

A brick laid on its face, or edge.

Soldier

A brick laid on its end so that its longest dimension is parallel to the vertical axis of the face of

the wall.

Stretcher

A masonry unit laid flat with its longest dimensions parallel to the face of wall.

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LIME

Lime is calcium-containing(chemical) inorganic material in which carbonates, oxides and

hydroxides predominate. These materials are still used in large quantities as building and

engineering materials. The rocks and minerals from which these substances are derived, typically

limestone or chalk, are made of mainly calcium carbonate.

Lime Production Process

Limestone is extracted from quarries or mines. Part of the extracted stone, selected according to

its chemical composition and granulometry, is calculated at about 1000 C in different types of

lime kiln.

Quicklime is produced according to the reaction: CaCO3 + heat CaO + CO2.

Quicklime is hydrated, that is combined with water, called slaking so hydrated lime is also known

as slaked lime, and is produced according to the reaction: CaO + H2O Ca(OH)2. Dry slaking is

when quicklime is slaked with just enough water to hydrate the quicklime but remain as a powder

and is referred to as hydrated lime. In wet slaking enough water, but not too much, is added to

hydrate the quicklime and form a putty referred to as lime putty.

Lime has an adhesive property with bricks and stones. So it can be used as binding material in

masonry works. It is also used in whitewashing as wall coat to stick the white wash on the wall.

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Lime Building Products

Lime used in building products is broadly classified as pure, hydraulic, and poor lime; can

be natural or artificial; and may be further identified by its magnesium content such as

dolomitic or magnesium lime. Lime has many, complex qualities as a building product including

workability which includes cohesion, adhesion, air content, water content, crystal shape, board-

life, spread ability, flow ability; bond strength; comprehensive strength; setting time; sand

carrying capacity; hydrolocity ; free lime content; vapor permeability; flexibility; and resistance

to sulfates. These qualities are effected by many factors during each step of manufacturing.

Pure lime is also known as fat, rich, common, air, slaked, slack, pickling,

hydrated, and high calcium lime. It consists primarily of calcium hydroxide which is derived by

slaking quicklime (calcium oxide), and may contain up to 5% of other ingredients. Pure lime sets

very slowly through contact with carbon dioxide in the air and moisture; it is not a hydraulic lime

so it will not set under water. Pure lime is pure white and can be used for whitewash, plaster, and

mortar. Pure lime is soluble in water.

Semi-hydraulic lime is also known as partially-hydraulic and grey lime which sets

initially with water and then continues to set with air. This lime is similar to hydraulic lime but

has less soluble silica (usually minimum 6%) and aluminates, and will set under water but will

never harden.

Hydraulic Lime is also known as water lime. Hydraulic lime contains lime with

silica and alumina and sets with exposure to water and can set under water.

Poor lime is also known as lean or meager lime. Poor lime sets and cures very

slowly and has weak bonding. Poor lime is grey in color.

Magnesium lime contains more than 5% magnesium oxide (BS 6100) or 5-35%

magnesium carbonate (ASTM C 59-91). Dolomitic lime has a high magnesium content of 35-

46% magnesium carbonate (ASTM C 59-91). Dolomitic lime is named for the Dolomite

Mountains in the Italian and Austrian Alps.

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STEEL

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, and the percentage of carbon is limited to 1.5%. Pure iron

without carbon content is not very strong but when alloyed with carbon its strength can be

increased remarkably. The steel becomes harder and tougher as its carbon content goes on

increasing.

Types of steel

Based on the amount of carbon present in steel, it is classified into three types:

Material Carbon content

a) mild steel or low carbon steel Up to 0.25%

b)medium hard steel or medium carbon steel 0.25%-0.7%

c)hard steel or high carbon steel 0.7 1.5%

d)dead steel or very low carbon steel less than 0.1%

Properties of mild steel

1. It has fibrous structure.

2. It can be readily welded forged or riveted.

3. It can be magnetized permanently.

4. It is malleable and ductile.

5. It is tougher and more elastic.

6. Its specific gravity is 7.8.

7. Its rusts easily and rapidly.

8. Its melting point is above 14000C.

Properties of medium hard steel

1. Medium hard steel has more strength than mild steel.

2. It can be hardened to little extent.

3. It can be magnetized permanently.

4. It can be easily forged and welded.

5. Withstands shocks and vibrations.

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Properties of hard steel

1. It has granular structure.

2. It can be readily forged and welded.

3. It can be magnetized permanently.

4. It rusts easily and rapidly.

5. It is tougher and more elastic than mild steel.

6. Its melting point is about 13000C.

7. It has specific gravity of 7.9.

8. It can withstand shocks and vibrations.

Uses of mild steel

1.It is used in the manufacture of rails, cranes and transmission towers.

2. It is used for making reinforcing materials which is used in RCC works.

3. It is used in a manufacture of different tools, and equipment, machine parts, tubes, wires, etc.

4. Angles, plates, steel sections manufactured from these steels are widely used in construction

works.

Uses of hard steel

1. It is used to manufacture metal cutting tools (used in lathes and planning machines).

2. It is used to manufacture wood working tools such as hammers, axes and chisels.

3. It is used to manufacture mining equipment, drilling bits, stone masons tools and tools for

blasting.

4. It is used to manufacture stamping dies, springs, knives, forks, etc.

Manufacture of steel

The principal methods of manufacturing different grades of steel are

1. Cementation power

2. Crucible process

3. Bessemer (acid or basic) process

4. Open hearth process

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STONES

Stones are natural materials of constructions and have been used

from time immemorial in the construction of buildings, dams,

bridges, palaces and monuments. The stones are derived from

rocks which form the earths crust and have no definite shape or

chemical composition but are mixtures of two or more minerals.

The properties of stones are normally depend on the type of rock from which they are formed.

Classification of rocks

a) Igneous rocks

b) Sedimentary rocks

c) Metamorphic rocks

Igneous Rocks

Rocks which are formed by the cooling of molten lava on or inside the earths surface during the

volcanic eruption are known as igneous rocks. Igneous rocks are generally very hard and durable.

Granite, basalt, syenite, diorites and trap are examples of igneous rocks.

Sedimentary rocks

These rocks are formed by the deposition of broken products of rocks and compressed in earth for

millions of years. These rocks are stratified and have well defined bedding planes. Sand stones,

lime stones, dolomite and shales are the example of sedimentary rocks.

Metamorphic Rocks

Rocks which are formed by the change in character, structure and mineral composition when they

are subjected to either heat or pressure or both are known as metamorphic rocks. Examples of

metamorphic rocks are Marble, Slate, Quartzite and Gneiss.

Stratified rocks

It shows distinct layers along which the rocks can be split. Limestone, slate, shale and sand are

the examples.

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Properties of good building stones

Appearance: the appearance of stone in relation to the design is of great importance from an

architectural point of view. Appearance depends upon the color and ease with which the stone

can be dressed, rubbed or polished. The stones which are to be used for face work should be

attractive in appearance and should be in uniform color and free from clay holes, spots of other

colors, bands etc.

Fracture: For a good building stone the grain should be well cemented, sharp, even and bright.

Hardness: The coefficient of hardness, as work out in hardness test, greater than 1, 7 is good and

less than 14 is considered as poor. If it is between 14 and 17, the stone is said to be medium

hardness.

Durability: Good building stone should be highly durable. The durability of stones depend on its

chemical composition, textures and physical structures of rocks and their capacity to absorb

moisture.

Specific gravity: For good building stone, the specific gravity should be greater than 2.7 or so

on.

Crushing Strength: The crushing strength of stone should be greater than 100N/mm2. Stones

from igneous rocks are normally stronger than the stones from sedimentary rocks.

Uses of stones

1. Construction of foundations, walls, columns, arches, roofs, lintels, floors, light houses .

2. For facing works in brick masonry.

3. For making concrete used as coarse aggregate.

4. As ballast in railways and as a flux in ballast furnace.

5. Used as a stone masonry in place where naturally available.

7. As a soling material in the construction of railways and runways.

8. For the construction of break water in harbors.

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TIMBER

The word timber is derived from an old English word timberian which means to build. Wood,

suitable for building or various other engineering purposes and obtained from trees measuring not

less than 0.6m in girth or circumference, is called timber. It may have three forms:

1. Standing timber: it is a timer available in a living tree.

2. Rough timber: it is the timber obtained after falling tree.

3. Converted timber: it is the timber which is sawn and cut into suitable sizes such as beams,

battens, planks, etc.

Timber has been in very common use engineering

purposes since ancient times. Even today there is

certain works, where timber is considered as the

most ideal material. There is a difference between

terms timber and wood. Wood includes all types of

wood which includes may be burning wood,

structural wood, furniture wood, etc. but wood

suitable for use of structural material is called

timber.

Market forms of Timber

Log: It is the trunk of tree left after cutting all the branches.

Batten: These are the pieces of sawn timber whose breadth and thickness do not exceed 50mm

Bole: it is a main stem of tree.

Pole: It is a long, solid, straight trunk of a tree 100 to 300 mm in diameter at breast height and

tapering gradually to the top of diameter about 10mm or more.

Bolt: It is short log 1.25mm or less in length.

Billet: It is a short length of a thin stem or branch wood.

Plank: It is the timber whose thickness does not exceed 50mm but width exceeds 50mm.

Boards: The pieces with the thickness less than 50mm and width 100mm or more.

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Strip: It is the piece of timber under 50mm thickness and less than 100mm width.

Sleeper: It is a piece of timber used as a transverse support under rails in railway lines, usually

square sawn. Most commonly used sections are: 250mm X 125mm or 200mm X 115mm.

Uses of timber

1. It is used for door and window frames, shutters or doors and windows, etc.

2. It is used for form work of cement concrete, centering of RCC slabs, beams, columns, lintel,

arch, scaffolding, etc.

3. It is used for making railway coaches and wagon.

4. It is used for making statues, engraving works, matches, etc.

5. It is used for making furniture, sports goods, agricultural instruments, musical instruments, etc.

6. It is used for railways sleepers, packing cases, etc.

Good qualities of timber

Appearance: A freshly cut surface of timber should exhibit hard and shining appearance.

Color: The color of timber should preferably be dark. Light color indicates timber with low

strength.

Strength: A good timber should be strong for working as structural member such as joist, beam,

rafter, etc. It should be capable of taking loads slowly or suddenly. It should also possesses

enough strength in direct and transverse direction.

Defects: A good timber should be durable. It should be capable of resisting the action of fungi,

insects, and chemicals, physical and mechanical agencies.

Shape: A good timber should be capable of retaining its shape during conversion or seasoning. It

should not be or wrap or split.

Smell: A good timber should have sweet smell. An unpleasant smell indicates decayed timber.

Weight: The timber with heavy weight is considered to be sound and strong.

Fire resistance: Timber is a bad conductor of heat. A dense wood offer good resistance to fire

and it requires sufficient heat to cause a flame.

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SAND

These are cohesion less fine aggregate of either rounded,

sub rounded, angular, sub angular of flat fragments of

more or less unaltered rock. Sand is an important building

material. It is abundantly occurs in nature and is formed

by decomposition in rocks. Sand particle consists of small

grains in silica (SiO2). It is used for making concrete,

mortars and plasters. It is also used for filling under floor,

basements.

Sources of sand

River sand: This sand is widely used for all purposes. It is obtained from the banks or beds of

rivers and it consists of fine rounded grains. The presence of fine rounded grains is due to mutual

arrition under the action of water current. The river sand is available in ocean conditons. The

river sand is almost white in colour.

Sea sand: Sea sand is obtained from the sea shores. It consists of fine rounded grains like the

river sand. Sea sand is light brown in colour. Since the sea sand contains the salt, it attracts

moisture from the atmosphere.Sea sand increases the setting time of cement. Hence, the general

rule to avoid use of sea sand for engineering purposs even though it is available in plenty.

Stream sand: It is obtained from small streams near hills that may dry out in summer. This type

of sand is generally cores in size.

Grading of fine aggregate

Bureau of indian standards(BIS) has laid down in IS 383:1970 grading of natural sand as per

table. Thus the natural sand can fall either in any one of the zones I, II, III or IV. Zone I is

coarsest sand, zone IV is the finest. Sand falling in zone II is ideal for concrete work. Sand falling

in zone I and III is acceptable but sand falling in zone IV or coarser than zone I is ti be

eleminated, if possible, from RCC works.

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Properties of good sand:

1. It should contain sharp, angular, cores and durable grains.

2. It should be chemically inert i.e. it should not react with the binding materals.

3. It should be clean and cores. The amount of clay and the slit should not exceed 4 to 7 %.

4. It should free from deleterious material like acid, akali, animal or vegetable organic material,

etc.

5. It should not contain any acidic or basic and any other salts which attract moisture from the

atmosphere.

6. It should be strong and durable.

7. It should be well graded i.e. it should contain particles of various sizes in suitable proportions.

Bulking of sand

The increase in the volume of sand due to the presence of moisture is known as bulking of sand.

This is due to tha fat that moisture forms the film of water around the sand particles and these

results to an increase in the volume of sand.

Substitute of sand

Sand has now become scarce and costly material and extraction of reverse sand is now said a

affect the ecological balance. The use of subsitutes for sand has gain great importance.

Hence, in future it will be necessary to plan to use fine aagregate obtained by crushing rocks or

use a mixture of natural sand and crused rob aggregates for making concrete. The main objection

of crushed rock fine aggregate is that these aggregates are flaky and badly-graded whereas natural

sand is well rounded and well graded. The latter requires less water from the workability and

thus, gives better concrete.

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PLASTICS

Plastic is one of the recent engineering materials available in market in various forms to suit

many requirements. Plastic is an organic substance and it consists of natural and synthetic binders

or resins with or without molding compounds.

Rigid Plastics : These plastics have a high modulus of elasticity

Soft Plastics : These plastics have a low modulus of elasticity

Elastomers : These plastics are soft and elastic materials with low

modulus of elasticity

Properties of plastics

1. They are light in weight and glossy like glass.

2. They have resistance to corrosion, moisture, chemicals, and solvents.

3. The plastics possess excellent electric insulating properties.

4. Several types of plastics are transparent and translucent.

5. Some plastics have high compressive strength.

6. Melting point of plastics is about 500C.

7. Plastics are good in absorbing shocks and vibrations.

8. Thermal conductivity of plastics is low when compared with wood.

Uses of plastics

1. Doors, windows and frames.

2. Electric cables and hand rails.

3. Pipes, bath and sink unit.

4. Electric insulator.

5. Overhead water tanks.

6. Lampshades and electric fittings.

7. Dishes, drinking glass, plates and jars.

8. Wall tiles and floor tiles.

9. Paints and varnishes.

10. Decorative laminate and moldings.

11. Films for water proofing, damp-proofing and concrete curing.

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MORTAR

Mortar may be defined as an intimate mixture of (i) cementing materials ( such as cement,

lime,etc.) (ii) fine aggregates or inert materials ( like sand, surkhi, etc.) and (iii) water. Mortar is

used a binding materials in stone or brick masonary, or concrete, as a covering material to walls

in the form of the plaster to provide a smooth, hard and decorative surface.

Functions of mortar

1. To bind building materials such as bricks and stones into a solid mass.

2. To form an even and soft bedding layer for building units.

3. To improve the general apperance of structure.

4. To prepare moulds for coping, corbels, cornice, etc.

5. To serve as a matrix or cavity to hold the coarse aggregates,etc.

6. To hide the open joints of brick work and stone work.

7. To fill up the cracks detected int the structure during maintainence process, etc.

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Types of mortar

In general, mortars are classified as follows:

1. Cement mortars

2. Lime mortars

3. Lime-cement mortars (or composite or guage mortar)

4. Special mortars

a. mud mortar

b.cement-clay mortar

c. light and heavy mortars

d. decorative mortars

e. air entraines( plasticizer) mortar

f. Gypsum mortar

g. Fire- resistance mortar

h. Packing mortar

i. sound absorbing mortar

Uses of mortar

1. For binding masonary unites like stones, bricks, hollow cement block, burnt hollow clay block.

2. For pointing masonary joints.

3. For plastering external and internal walls, columns, boundary, walls, etc.

4. Used as filter material in ferro-cement works.

5. For giving neat finishing to concrete works.

6. Used as matrix for preparation for lean concrete.

7. For water proofing of roofs.

8. For topping cement concrete floors.

9. Used to fill up cracks, develpoed in structures, during the maintaince process.

10. This type of mortar can be used for half brick walls.

11. In cavity walls, it used to bind stones, bricks, concrete blocks, etc.

12. It is used for pointing the masonary joints.

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GLASS

Glass has been used as an important engineering material since old times. Glass industries has

progressed very rapidly and new techniques have been developed with the help of which glass of

any type and quality can be produced.

Glass is a hard brittle, transparent, translucent

material. Its structure is amorphous. It is made by

fusion of silica with varying proportions of oxides of

sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesia, iron and other

mineral. All these materials when melted, form a

number of metallic silicate. Hence glass may be said

as a material consisting of number of metallic

silicates.

Constituents of Glass

The various constituents of glass and their function are described below:

Silica: it is the principal constituent of glass. The average content of silicon dioxide (SiO2) in

glass is about 72%. Silica fuses at very high temperature hence in order to make it fuse at lower

temperature, some alkaline add mixtures like sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate is added.

These add mixtures also make the liquid viscous and better workable.

Potash: potash renders glass infusible and give fire resistant properties. It also increases thermal

expansion but decreases thermal conductivity.

Lead oxide: Lead oxide imparts color to glass and hence its presence in glass is very desirable.

However, lead oxide increases the density, brilliance and refractive index.

Lime: lime or oxides of calcium imparts durability and toughness to glass. It is added in the form

of chalk.

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Composition of glass

The glass consists of so many compounds and thus it is very difficult to give any particular

formula for its composition. It composition may be expressed by following formula: ax2O,

bYO, 6SiO2

where a and b = no. of molecules

x= an atom of an alkali metal such as Na, K, etc.

Y= an atom of bivalent metal such as Ca, Pb, etc.

Classification of glass

For the purpose of classification, glass may be grouped into the following:

1. Soda-lime glass (Na2O, CaO, 6SiO2)

2. Potash-lime glass (K2O, CaO, 6SiO2)

3. Potash- lead glass (K2O, PbO, 6SiO2)

4. Common glass

Properties of glass

1. It has no definite crystalline structure. It shows amorphous structure.

2. It is very hard and tough, while in solid state.

3. It is extremely brittle.

4. It absorbs, refracts or transmits light.

5. It electrical insulator at elevated temperatures.

6. It is inert to air, water, chemical except alkalis.

7. Possible to weld pieces of glass by fusion.

8. Available in beautiful colors.

9. It can be cast in to any desired shape and size.

10. Can take up a high polish and may be used as substitute for very costly gems

11. As a result of advancement made in the science of glass production, it is possible to make

glass lighter than cork or softer than cotton or stronger than steel.

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12. It is capable of being worked in many ways, such as blown, drown and pressed.

Market forms of glass

Glass is available in the following market forms or commercial forms:

i) bullet-glass proof

ii) fiber glass

iii) float glass

iv) foam glass

v) glass blocks

vi) heat-excluding glass

vii) obscured blocks

viii) perforated glass

ix) safety glass

x) soluble glass

xi) structural glass

xii) ultra-violet ray glass

xiii) wired glass

xiv) tinted glass

Uses of glass

a. Glass can be used for windows panels.

b. Glass blocks can be used for partitions up to 6m for insulations.

c. Sheet glass can be used for glazing.

d. Structural glass can be used for insulation, panel walls, wall facings, enclosures, etc.

e. potash lead glasses are used for making electric bulbs.

f. Tinted glass can be used for decorative glassworks.

g. Fiber glass reinforced plastics can be used to construct furniture, lampshades and bathroom

fittings.

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PAINTS

Paints are liquid substance used as surface coating applied over plaster, concrete, wood, metal,

etc. For protection against the weathering effects and also to give attractive appearance. Paint is a

dispersion of pigment in a drying oil, with addition of driers and thinners, drier to accelerate film

formation and hardenings, the thinner allow ease and uniformity in brushing and spraying.

Functions of paint

1. It provides the surface from weathering effects of the atmosphere and actions by other

mechanical and chemical deterioration.

2. It prevents decay of wood and corrosion in metal.

3. Decorate the structure by giving smooth and colorful finish.

4. Protect the formation bacteria and fungus, which are unhygienic and give ugly look to the

walls.

5. It provides a smooth surface for easy cleaning and check corrosion of the metal structures.

Constituents of paints

Followings are the constituents of paint:

i) base

ii) vehicle

iii) pigment

iv) thinner

v) thinner

vi) Drier

vii) inert filter

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The commonly used pigments are given below:

White: white lead, zinc oxide, lithopone, titanium oxide

Blue: iron blue, cobalt blue, sublimed blue.

Green: chrome green, hydrated chromium oxide.

Yellow: chrome yellow, zinc yellow, cadmium yellow.

Orange: mixtures of chrome yellow and red pigments of basic lead chromates.

Brown: umber, copper oxide

Red: red lead, cadmium red, iron oxide, mercuric oxide.

Black: lamp black, carbon black, drop black, graphite, antimony sulphide.

Characteristics of good paint

1.The paint should form a hard and durable coat on the painted surface.

2. It should be able to cover maximum area of the surface with minimum quantities.

3. When applied to the surface, the paint should form a thin uniform film and should not any

cracks.

4. The painted surface should dry neither too slowly nor too rapidly.

5. It should retain its original color against adverse environmental condition for a long time.

6. The painted surface should passes attractive and decorative pleasing appearance.

7. T should have an ideal resistance to corrosion, fire and moisture to protect the material

which used over it is used.

8. The film produced by the paint should be glossy and washable.

9. The paint should not peel off from painted surface.

10. Paint should be fairly cheap and economical.

11. Application of the paint should be harmless to the workers.

12. It should be good fire and moisture resistance.

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CONCLUSION

As stated in my project, All the engineering structures are composed of

different types of materials. Each material which is used in the construction, in one form or

the other, is known as the Engineering materials or Building materials of construction. No

material, existing in this universe is useless. Every material has its own field of application. It

is essential for a builder, architect or engineer to become conversant thoroughly with these

materials. Selection of building materials, to be used in any construction, is done on the basis

of strength, durability, appearance, and permeability. The knowledge of different types of

materials, their properties and uses for different purposes provide important tool in hands of

Engineers in achieving economy in building material cost.

Through my research as well as my experience, I discovered that Building material

is any material which is used for construction purposes. Many natural occurring substances, such

as clay, rock sand, and wood, even twigs and leaves, has 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 industries in many

countries.

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REFERENCES

WEB,http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/materialsgrp/cement.html

WEB ,http://www.concrete.org/general/fE4-03.pdf

WEB,http://architecture.arqhys.com/construction/properties-asphalt.html

WEB,http://www.cement.org/basics/concretebasics_aggregate.asp

Standard specification for portland cement (AASHTO M 85-89). 1986. AASHTO standard

specification for transportation materials. Part I, Specifications. 14th ed.

WEB, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_building_materials