Materials Science: Steel and Metals

Steel and Metal

• Steel is a solid, hard, shiny, malleable, fusible, and ductile material.
• Rivet is a cylindrical metal pin with a head on one end and a tail on the other, used to join two or more pieces of metal.
• Architectural Metal is a decorative metal element of a building or structure.
• Copper is commonly used in electrical wiring due to its excellent conductivity and corrosion resistance.
• Iron is known for its high tensile strength and is commonly used in construction and engineering applications.
• Structural Steel Framing is a skeletal frame constructed in a regular pattern to support floors, roofs, or walls.
• Steel Cladding is a layered metal used to protect the exterior walls of a building.

Wood and Carpentry

• Wood is a primary building material that is utilized for its availability, versatility, sustainability, and aesthetic appeal.
• Carpentry refers to the work that conveys a variety of physical and mechanical labor and a series of materials.
• The Latin word for carpentry is Carpentarius.
• There are four types of wood: Soft Woods, Hard Woods, Tropical Hardwoods, and Engineered Wood Products.
• Commercial Carpentry involves constructing structural frameworks for commercial buildings.
• Timber Framing is a type of carpentry that constructs structural frames using large, heavy timber beams and posts.
• Restoration and Preservation involve repairing and preserving historic wooden structures.
• Furniture Making is the creation of furniture such as tables, chairs, dressers, cabinets, and beds.
• Flooring involves installing wood planks or parquet tiles, often made of oak, maple, or other hardwoods.

Roofing and Insulation

• Gable Roof is a common roof design characterized by two sloping sides that meet at a ridge.
• Slate Tiles Roofing is a roofing material made from split thin, flat tiles.
• Solar Shingles are roofing materials that generate electricity.
• Flat Roof is a type of roof with a very slight pitch, often nearly level.
• EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer) Roofing is a type of roofing material commonly used for low-slope or flat roofs.
• Asphalt Shingles are a popular roofing material known for their durability and affordability.
• Foam Board Insulation is a type of insulation that comes in various types, such as EPS, XPS, and polyiso.
• Loose Fill or Blown-in Insulation consists of small particles of fiber, foam, or other materials that conform to any space without disturbing structures or finishes.

Glass and Glazing

• Laminated Glass is a type of glass made by sandwiching a layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) between two or more layers of glass.
• Float Glass is a type of glass made by floating molten glass on a bath of molten tin.
• Tempered Glass is a type of glass that is heat-treated to increase its strength and thermal resistance.
• Wired Glass has wire mesh embedded in it.
• Low-e Glass has a thin metallic coating on one side.
• Frosted Glass has a cloudy, foggy appearance.

Concrete and Masonry

• Aggregate is a strengthening and volume-stabilizing inert filler ingredient in concrete.
• Salt Finish is a type of concrete finish created by coating wet concrete with rock salt, then washing it off.
• Polythene Sheet and Plastic Sheet are used for concrete sheet curing.

Plastic and PVC

• Plastikos is the Greek word for plastic, meaning "capable of being molded".
• Rigid PVC is a type of versatile thermoplastic resin that is robust in normal settings.
• Flexible PVC is another type of PVC.
• Wood Plastic Composite or Wood Polymer Composite Flooring is an engineered flooring material made from mixed wood fibers and thermoplastic polymers.