CMT 223: Construction Materials and Testing - Introduction

# CMT 223: Construction Materials and Testing ## Course Overview **This module focuses on the classifications and the technical standards, characteristics of their building materials and their status in construction engineering.** ## Table of Contents | Chapter/Lesson | Title | |---|---| | Chapt...

# CMT 223: Construction Materials and Testing ## Course Overview **This module focuses on the classifications and the technical standards, characteristics of their building materials and their status in construction engineering.** ## Table of Contents | Chapter/Lesson | Title | |---|---| | Chapter/Lesson 1 | Introduction to Construction Materials and Testing | | Chapter/Lesson 2 | Familiarization with apparatus and equipment used in testing of materials | | Chapter/Lesson 3 | General Properties of Materials | | Chapter/Lesson 4 | Aggregates | | Chapter/Lesson 5 | Concrete | | Chapter/Lesson 6 | Cement | | Chapter/Lesson 7 | Universal Testing Machine | | Chapter/Lesson 8 | Wood | | Chapter/Lesson 9 | Hollow Blocks | | Chapter/Lesson 10 | Steel Bars | | Chapter/Lesson 11 | Field Tests of Construction Materials | ## Introduction to Construction Materials and Testing ### Introduction **The purpose of this curriculum is to learn the knowledge about construction materials related to the architectural design, the structural design, and construction projects, correctly recognize and reasonably choose the proper construction materials, and master the information concerning the inspection, transportation and storage of the products in order to lay a foundation for the future work.** **The course mission is to enable students to obtain the basic knowledge and the necessary theories related to the characteristics and application of construction materials and access to the essential training skills relevant to the materials experiments.** **For the purpose of this module, building materials, construction materials and engineering materials can be used interchangeably** ### Specific Objectives At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to: 1. Understand the definitions and classification of construction materials 2. Enumerate characteristics of construction materials and their status in architecture 3. Know the development of construction materials 4. Be familiarized with the construction materials' technical standards 5. Know the definition of construction materials testing and its importance 6. Understand the tasks and learning methods of construction materials curriculum ### Duration | Chapter/Lesson | Title | Duration | |---|---|---| | Chapter/Lesson 1 | Introduction to Construction Materials and Testing | 6 hours (5 hours discussion; 1hr assessment) | ## Lesson Proper ### 1. The Definitions and Classification of Construction Materials In the general environment for humans' survival, all the materials or products used in structures or buildings are called construction materials, which are the material foundation for all the construction engineering. The building materials discussed in this course are all the materials used in building foundations, bases, floors, walls, beams, plates, roofs and architectural decoration. There is a wide variety of construction materials. They are usually classified from different angles for the sake of study, application and description. The most common classifications are based on their chemical components and functions. 1. **According to the chemical components of construction materials, they can be classified into inorganic materials, organic materials and composite materials, as follows:** 2. **According to the functions of materials, they can be divided into structural materials and functional materials:** * **Structural Materials:** mainly used as load-bearing members, such as the materials used for beams, plates and columns. * **Functional Materials:** mainly possessing some special functions in construction, such as waterproof, ornamental and heat-insulating functions, etc.. ### 2. Characteristics of Construction Materials and Their Status in Architecture **Construction materials are the material foundation for all the construction engineering. Construction materials industry, which is one of the important basic industries of national economy, promotes the development of the construction industry.** **Various buildings and structures are constructed by all kinds of construction materials on the basis of reasonable design. The varieties, specifications and qualities of construction materials are directly related to the applicability, artistry and durability of buildings and also to the cost of projects. A large number of high-quality industrial and civil buildings need to be built for the development of society. Meanwhile, a great deal of water conservancy projects, traffic engineering and port projects need to be built to adapt to the rapid development of the national economy. It requires lots of high-quality construction materials which accords with the application environment of projects. Therefore, construction materials industry is usually considered as the basic industry for the construction engineering** **Construction materials not only have a large consumption, but also are expensive. In the total cost of the construction, the cost of construction materials often accounts for about 50 percent. Thus, it is significant to properly choose and reasonably utilize construction materials in the construction for the reduction of costs and the improvement of investment benefits.** **A large number of new construction materials continue to emerge, often promoting the innovation and development of construction techniques. For example, the emergence of clay bricks contributes to the brick-timber structure; the reinforced concrete structure comes from concrete and steel bar; light high-strength materials promote the development of modem buildings and high-rise buildings; the application of various functional materials in the construction industry continues to create diversified comfortable living and production environment and to conserve energy.** **In short, the application of construction materials in the projects must possess the following characteristics: the function required by projects, the durability proper for the environmental conditions, the rich resources to meet the needs of construction, and low price.** **In the building environment, the ideal construction materials should be light, high- strength, aesthetic, heat-insulating, sound-absorbing, waterproof, shockproof, fireproof, non-toxic, and efficient, etc..** ## 3. The Development of Construction Materials **Various construction materials form the living environment of human beings, which reflects the cultural and scientific features of each era, becoming an important symbol of humans' material civilization.** **Construction materials develop with the improvement of the productivity and living standards. In the early age, human beings inhabited “cave dwelling”. After the Iron Age, they began digging, chipping and logging with simple tools to build shabby houses by natural materials; and with the use of fire, people learned how to burn bricks, tiles and limes, in which way construction materials entered the artificial production stage. In 18th and 19th century, steel, cement, concrete and reinforced concrete continuously emerged with the rise of capitalism, the rapid development and the improve of traffic, which pushed construction materials into a new stage of development.** **Since the 20th century, the formation and development of material science and engineering had contributed to not only the improvement of construction materials in function and quality, but also the varieties. Some new construction materials with special functions came into being, such as heat-insulating materials, sound-absorbing materials, ornamental materials, heat-resistant and waterproof materials, impermeable materials and wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and explosion-proof, and anti-radiation materials, etc. In the second half of the 20th century, construction materials evolved towards light, high- strength and functional direction.** **In the new century, as humans' awareness of environmental protection has been strengthened, non-toxic and pollution-free “Green Construction materials” are recommended increasingly and human beings can build their own “Green Home" with new construction materials.** ## 4. Introduction to Construction Materials' Technical Standards **The implementing standards should be established for the various techniques of material products because of the scientific management of the modem material production.** **Product Standards are the standards established for products to meet some or all the requirements in order to guarantee the applicability of products. They generally include product specifications, classifications, technical functions, testing methods, rules of inspection and acceptance, packaging, storage, transport and others. For example, cement, ceramic and steel have their own product standards.** **Building Material Standards are the technical foundations for the inspection of product quality and the bases for the acceptance of product quality referred to by both sides of supply and demand. The structure designs and construction techniques can be standardized accordingly by the reasonable selection of materials in the construction engineering, which will accelerate the construction and maximize the benefit of the engineering practice.** **The mandatory standards indicate that any technique (or product) should not fall below the requirements; the recommendatory standards indicate that other standards are allowed to be followed, but the recommendatory standards will become the mandatory standards once they are adopted by mandatory standards; the technical requirements regulated in regional standards or enterprise standards should be above national standards.** **International standards can be broadly classified into the following categories:** 1. The "ISO" international standards adopted in the whole world. 2. The standards of the worldwide influential communities and companies, such as the ASTM (named American Society for Testing and Materials) Standards. 3. Regional Standards. They refer to the standards of industrialized countries, such as the DIN Standards of Germany, the BS Standards of the United Kingdom and the JIS Standards of Japan. ## 5. Construction Materials Testing (CMT) and Its Importance **Construction Materials Testing (CMT) is the testing of materials used to build new projects, add to existing projects, or amend existing construction projects. The services involved in a comprehensive CMT process greatly depends on the project, the land, and the scope of services.** **Testing services can generally be divided into two areas: Field Testing and Laboratory Testing.** **Field Testing:** **Field testing CMT services take place at the site. Roadways, airports, utility projects, building developments: All typically involve CMT processes carried out by certified professionals.** **In the field, construction materials testing can involve:** * Soils * Concrete/Asphalt * Steel * Masonry * Timber **What does Field Testing look for? Compaction, moisture, air content, and more, most of which is evaluated through visual inspection and/or non-destructive techniques. Steel structures, retaining walls, and soil foundations are prime examples of construction that are evaluated during Field Testing.** **In instances where Field Testing is inconclusive or exploratory in nature, samples of various materials may be sent off for further lab testing.** **Laboratory Testing:** **When Field Testing indicates further study is needed, Lab Testing is then recommended as the next phase of a comprehensive CMT regimen. Laboratory testing is usually performed on an as-needed basis. Common lab-tested construction materials include:** * **Soil - Modified/Standard Proctor, Bearing Ratios, Classification Tests, Swell Testing, Compressive Strength Testing, pH Testing, Chloride/Sulfide Testing, Hydraulic Conductivity, Consolidation, Permeability Testing, Shear Testing, and more.** * **Asphalt - Mix Evaluation, Stability, Flow, Bulk Specific Gravity, Gradation, Density (Marshall), and more.** * **Masonry/Concrete - Flexural Strength Testing, Compression Strength Testing, Unit Weight, Tensile Testing, Absorption, Efflorescence Testing, Mix Design, Structural Masonry Testing, and more.** ## Importance of Construction Materials and Testing **Mechanical testing of engineering materials may be carried out for a number of reasons: The tests may simulate the service conditions of a material, so that the test results may be used to predict its service performance. Mechanical testing may also be conducted in order to provide engineering design data, as well as acceptability, the main purpose of which is to check whether the material meets the specification.** **It is critical for the viability and safety of a construction project. CMT can reveal any number of issues related to construction quality. It can highlight future risks, help classify a building site, and assist with engineering decisions. Without CMT, engineers and builders may not know if the quality of the construction meets the requirements. Construction Materials Testing is also a regulatory requirement for most large-scale projects.** ## 6. Tasks and Learning Methods of Construction Materials Curriculum **The course mission is to enable students to obtain the basic knowledge and the necessary theories related to the characteristics and application of construction materials and access to the essential training skills relevant to the materials experiments.** **Building materials course is very practical and applicable. Of the learning methods, the first one is to focus on the major content, that is, the construction function and reasonable application of the materials. The other contents are all concerned with this focus. It is incorrect to change the construction function into an invariable concept. The more important thing is to know the inherent factors and their mutual relationships. For the various materials of the same category, not only should their similarities be learned but also their respective characteristics. For example, the six common kinds of cement have many similarities and many specialties. They are used in the according conditions just based on their own features.** **Experimental course is the important part of the teaching. Its task is to verify the basic theories, learn the experimental methods, and foster a scientific research capacity and the strict scientific attitude. In the experiments, it is necessary to be careful and serious, even the simple ones. It is necessary to know the influence of testing results on the testing conditions and make the correct analysis and judgment on the results.** ## References/Additional Resources/Readings 1. Zhang, Haimei. 2011. *Building materials in civil engineering*. Woodhead Publishing Limited and Science Press. 2. Introduction to Construction Materials and Testing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TxfNnyV5Z8 3. Construction Material and Testing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLnEHBfEK 8&t=2s