Introduction to Construction Materials

Study Notes

Construction materials are any materials used for construction, and their success is crucial to the project's outcome, especially when considering durability over time.
The durability of materials is a key factor to consider in construction projects.

Construction materials can be classified into two categories: manufactured products (e.g., cement, rebars, pipes, tiles, ceramics, glass, paints) and naturally occurring materials (e.g., stone, timber, sand, rock, soil).

Materials testing is performed for various reasons and provides valuable information about the tested materials, prototypes, or product samples.
The data collected during testing and the final test results are useful for engineers, designers, and manufacturers.

Material testing is important for:
- Meeting regulatory agency requirements
- Selecting appropriate materials and treatments for an application
- Evaluating product design or improvement
- Verifying a production process

Strength, Rigidity, and Durability Requirements:
- Permanent loading: Creep Strength (maximum stress endured by a material without extreme deformation)
- Repeated loading: Fatigue Strength (highest stress a material can withstand without breaking)
- Impact loading: Toughness and Resilience (ability to withstand impact without fracture and store energy without permanent deformation)
- Surface loading: Hardness and Resistance to Abrasion (ability to resist scratching and wear)
Environmental Requirements:
- Temperature change: Coefficient of Thermal Conductivity (ability to conduct heat)
- Moisture movement: Permeability (ability to allow fluids to pass through)
- Chemical effects: Chemical Composition (ability to resist chemical reactions)
Economy:
- Initial cost
- Useful life
- Frequency of maintenance
- Cost of maintenance
- Salvage value
- Comfortability

According to their phases:
- Gases (e.g., air, oxygen, CO2)
- Liquids (e.g., water, chemical admixtures)
- Semi-solids (e.g., fresh pastes, mortars, asphalt)
- Solids (e.g., metals, hardened concrete)
According to their internal structure and chemical composition:
- Metals (formed by metallic bonds)
- Polymers (long chains of molecules formed by covalent bonding)
- Ceramics (mainly aluminosilicates formed by mixed bonding)
- Composite Materials (natural and artificial)
- Reinforced Composite Materials (e.g., reinforced concrete, reinforced plastics)