MATERIALS USED IN BUILDING

CONSTRUCTION AND STRUCTURE

University of Bahrain
College of Engineering
Department of Architecture and Interior
Design

Course No. & Title :

ARCG 213
Construction I
Academic Year: 2019-2020
Use of Stones (Rocks)-
Natural sources
Use of thatch, wood, bamboo,
skin of animals etc.
(Natural sources)
Wood (Timber)
Reinforced Concrete
Building material
Building material is any material which is used for
construction purposes. Many naturally occurring
substances are clay, rocks, sand, and wood, even
twigs and leaves, have been used to
construct building
PROPERTIES OF BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS

Building and construction materials should have the following properties:

1) They should have long life

2) They should be resistant to biological and
chemical attack
3) These should be stable from sun's ultraviolet
(UV) rays to avoid discoloration. Materials
that are used indoors need not be UV stable.
4) These should be protected to avoid chloride
attack and rusting
5.) All materials Should be strong and
must be capable of carrying the loads
that fall on it.
6) All materials should resist wear
and tear. i.e. they should be abrasion
resistance. It is especially important for
areas like floor finishes.
1. Rock Materials
1. ROCK MATERIALS OR STONY MATERIALS
2. BINDING MATERIALS
2. BINDING MATERIALS : BINDERS and MORTAR
Binders are materials that, if they are mixed
with water they become pasty and when
they solidified they acquire rigidity. The
basic Binding materials are Lime, Gypsum
and Cement.

Lime: To obtain this material we heat

limestone

Gypsum: It is mineral in powder and when

we add water to it, to create paste and we
use it to cover walls or roofs. Cement: It is the most common and
widely used binding material. The
most used one is Portland Cement.
 MORTAR

MORTAR is Used as a Function of Mortar:

means of union among • To bind together the bricks and stones
other materials. properly so as to provide strength to the
structure
Mortar is a mixture of sand • To form a homogenous mass of the
and cements that is most structure so as to resist all the loads
often used to build brick or coming over it without disintegration
block walls. • To fill and seal the irregular gaps
between building blocks.
CLASSIFICATION OF MORTAR

According to the kind of binding material, the mortars

are classified into the following five categories:

1. Lime mortar: (lime + sand + water)

Relatively weaker than other mortar type
2. Surkhi mortar: (Lime+Surkhi+ Water)

Here surkhi ( broken bricks) is used

instead of sand. It provides the brick color
and make the mortar economical
iii. Cement mortar: (
Cement+Sand+Water)
.
The cement mortar is used where high
strength and water-resisting properties is
required such as underground
constructions, water saturated soils, etc
iv. Gauged mortar/ Lime
Cement Mortar: ( Lime +
Cement+ Water)

To improve the quality of lime

mortar and to achieve early
strength, the cement is
sometimes added to it. This
process is known as the
gauging. It makes lime mortar
economical, strong and dense.
v. Gypsum mortar: ( Gypsum + Sand+ water)
A plastic mixture of gypsum, water, and often sand; can be in the
plastic state; hardens in place when the water it contains evaporates.
3. CONCRETE MATERIALS
 Concrete

Concrete is a mixture of the following

CEMENT + SAND + STONE CHIPS + WATER

After mixing all of them they are put in a cement mixer, and pouring into the formwork

The concrete will become hard in a matter of hours, but takes a month
to reach its full strength. During this time the concrete must be cured,
or supplied with water on its surface, which it needs for the chemical
reactions within to proceed properly.
•Concrete that is cast in place in its mold is called cast-in-situ
concrete.
•Concrete members that are cast in a concrete factory and then
shipped to site are called precast concrete.
TYPES OF CONCRETE
The most common types of concrete
are
1. Normal Concrete It is also called
normal weight concrete or normal
strength concrete.
2. High Strength Concrete:

3. High Performance Concrete:

4. Lightweight Concrete: is made by using
small, lightweight aggregates, such as small
balls of styrofoam (thermocole) or by adding
foaming agents to the mix of concrete.
Lightweight concretes have low structural
strength, and are used mostly in non-structural
elements. The best is example is aerated
autoclaved concrete (AAC) blocks used for
making walls. Also called cellular concrete or
aerated concrete
5. Self Consolidating Concrete, also called Self Compacting Concrete ( SCC):
SCC is very flowable concrete that never needs to be consolidated
to fill forms or flow. It is self-leveling. SCC has three character:

High flowability—means it flows easily into the finest details of

formwork or molds and around reinforcing under its own weight.

Passing ability—is the ability to flow through tight spaces, like

congested steel reinforcing bars or narrow spots in the formwork.

Stability—Stability implies that even at very high slumps (or slump

flows) the concrete doesn't segregate, that it remains homogenous
and there is no separation of the aggregate from the cement paste.).
6. Sprayed Concrete: you can actually
spray concrete onto a surface to form a
thick, uneven coating. It is sprayed
directly onto a surface to repair old,
cracked concrete surfaces.
7. Aerated Concrete: Before it sets chemicals that gives off gas to form bubbles are added to the
mixture, which improve sound and heat insulation.
8. Lime concrete; It is a type of concrete where the cement is replaced by lime.

9. Glass concrete: It´s a type of concrete made with recycled glass. It has a
better long term strength and better thermal insulation due to its better thermal
properties of the glass aggregates
10. Water-resistant Concrete: normal concretes are permeable to water; that is,
they allow water to pass through. Water resistant concrete is very useful for
construction below ground, like basements, as well as water retaining structures
like water tanks and dams, and structures like bridges.
11. Micro reinforced concretes: are a new generation of high-
tech concretes. They contain small steel, fiber glass or plastic
fibers that dramatically alter the properties of concrete.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MORTAR AND
CONCRETE?

MORTAR CONCRETE
• Mortar is composed of a thick mixture • Concrete is a mixture of sand, cement,
of water, sand, and cement. and water, but it also contains rock
chippings or gravel which makes it
• Mortar acts as a binding materials to much stronger and more durable than
hold building materials such as brick or mortar.
stone together.
• Concrete is much thinner when mixed,
• When mixed, mortar is a much thicker making it difficult to use as a bonding
substance than concrete, making it element.
ideal as a glue for building materials
like brick. • Concrete is used in structural projects
and is often reinforced with steel bar to
• Because mortar must be replaced every maintain its structural integrity . It is
25-50 years, it isn’t practical for best used for support, such as beams,
structural projects. walls, or other building foundations.
 4. REINFORCED
CEMENT CONCRETE
 Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC)
Reinforced concrete is one of the most widely used modern building materials. The
invention of reinforced concrete in the 19th century revolutionized the construction
industry, and concrete became one of the world’s most common building materials.

Reinforced Concrete : Concrete in which steel When the reinforcement is

is embedded in such a manner that the two surrounded by the hardened
materials act together in resisting forces. concrete mass, it form an integral
part of the member. The resultant
The reinforcing steel—rods, bars, or mesh combination of two materials are
known as reinforced concrete.
 MAKING OF RCC STRUCTURE

a. First make the mould, called formwork,

according to the form and shape we need.

b. Then the steel reinforcement bars are

placed according to the Structural engineer’s
drawing and ties them in place using
wire. The tied steel is called
a reinforcement cage, because it is shaped formwork
like one.

c. Once the steel is in place, one can start to

prepare the concrete, by mixing cement,
sand, stone chips and water in a cement
mixer, and pour the liquid concrete into the
formwork till exactly the right level is
reinforcement cage
reached.

The concrete will become hard in a matter of

hours, but takes a month to reach its full
strength. During this time the concrete must
be cured, or supplied with water on its
surface.
ADVANTAGES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE

1. RCC can be cast to any shape required ,

making it widely used in pre-cast
structural components
2. It has good resistance to damage by fire
and weathering (because of concrete).
3. It has better resistance to fire than steel
and capable of resisting fire for a longer
time
4. RCC prevents steel from rusting.
5. Reinforced Concrete is durable.
6. It has low maintenance cost
7. it is the most economical structural
material
5. STEEL
STEEL AS A BUILDING MATERIAL
Most construction is done with a
type of steel called mild steel.
Mild steel is a material that is
immensely strong.
The advantages are;
1. It has immense strength
2. Steel framing is flexible
3. It can bend without cracking
4. It has plasticity. This means,
when subject to great force, it
will not suddenly crack like
glass, but slowly bend out of
shape.
5. Good for earthquake zone.
Plasticity property allows steel buildings to bend out of shape, or deform,
thus giving warning to inhabitants to escape.
Failure in steel frames is not sudden - a steel structure rarely collapses.

Disadvantage: Steel
quickly loses its strength
in a fire.. Therefore, steel
in buildings must be
protected from fire or
high temperature; this is
usually done by
wrapping it with panels
or spray-on material
called fire protection.
6. Masonry
a. BRICK
b. CMU
c. STONE
d. STRUCTURAL CLAY TILE
e. GYPSUM BLOCKS
f. CERAMIC
g. GLASS BLOCKS
Masonry is the building of structures from
individual units laid in and bound together
by mortar.
The term masonry can also refer to the units
themselves.

The common materials of masonry construction

are brick, building stone such as marble,
granite, travertine, and limestone, cast
stone, concrete block, glass block, etc.

A person who constructs masonry is called

a mason or bricklayer.
Masonry is commonly used for the
walls of buildings, retaining walls and
buildings.

Brick and concrete block are the

most common types of masonry in
use in industrialized nations and may
be either weight-bearing or a veneer.

Concrete blocks can be 2 types

• Concrete blocks with hollow
cores (unfilled)
• Concrete blocks with hollow
cores (filled) Filling some or all
of the cores with concrete or
concrete with steel
reinforcement offers much
greater strength to structures.
Advantages

1. The use of material such as bricks and stones can increase the thermal
mass of a building and can protect the building from fire.

2. Most types of masonry typically will not require painting and so can
provide a structure with reduced life-cycle costs.

3. Masonry is non-combustible product.

4. Bricks are fire resisting material

6.a. BRICK MASONRY
6.a. BRICK MASONRY
There are many types and sizes of brick.

• Building brick: Usually called “common brick,” this is the most-used type. It is
used for walls, backing, and other applications where appearance is not important.

• Face brick: This brick is

manufactured under more
controlled conditions to produce
bricks of specific dimensions,
colors, and structural qualities.
Face bricks are more expensive
than building bricks, because of
the care going into their
manufacture. Face bricks with
defects are often sold as common
bricks.
• Glazed brick: Finished with a hard,
smooth coating, these bricks are used
for decorative and special service
applications.

• Firebrick: Used where masonry units

are subjected to extreme heat.

• Paving brick: Used in driveways or

areas where abrasion is a concern.

Special bricks also are available in

unusual shapes for window sills, rounded
corners, and other nonstandard
applications.
Brick Bonds

There are several types of

brick bonds. A bond is the
bricklaying pattern. Bonds
are designed to improve
appearance, add strength
etc.

The bonds used most

widely are
• Common bond,
• Running bond,
• English bond,
• English cross bond,
• Flemish bond, and
• Stacked bond.
6.b. CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS (CMU)
6.b. CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS (CMU)

Another popular and widely used building

material is the concrete masonry unit, which
is formed from Portland cement, sand, and
gravel.

CMU is good for light weight, strength, and

sound control.

CMUs are made in a variety of sizes, shapes,

and densities to meet specific construction
needs.

A concrete masonry unit (CMU) – also called

• Hollow block,
•Concrete brick,
•Concrete block,
•Cement block etc
Concrete Masonry Units
As one of the world's most durable, economical and
functional building material. CMU comes in a wide range of
colors, shapes and textures.
6.c. STONE MASONRY
6.c. STONE MASONRY
Most stones are removed
The most common materials used in from a quarry and sent to a
stone masonry are granite, limestone, finishing mill for final dressing.
marble, sandstone, and slate.

Like concrete, stone has been used as When stones are cut to a
a building material for many centuries. specific shape, size, and
In the past, stones were used for finish. These are known as
structural members, roofing, and cut stones.
finishing. Due to the development of
new materials and methods of Stones are also used as a. It
construction, stones are now used is also used as a veneer.
mainly for their decorative value.
Stone walls are
classified
according to
shape and
surface finish of
the stone, such as
rubble, ashlar,
and cut stone
6. d. STRUCTURAL CLAY TILE
Terra cotta is a type of structural
clay tile principally used for
nonbearing ornamental and
decorative effects.
6.e. GYPSUM BLOCKS
6.e. GYPSUM BLOCKS

Gypsum block is a massive lightweight

building material composed of solid
gypsum, for building
a. lightweight fire-resistant non-load
bearing interior walls,
b. fire-resistant partitions
c. partition walls,
d. cavity walls,
e. skin walls and
f. enclosures around structural steel.
Advantages
1. Gypsum blocks combine the advantages of classical masonry with
modern drywall construction.

2. Similar to masonry, walls built with gypsum blocks are massive, void-free and
of high stability.

3. They are stable solid walls with a high resistance to mechanical damage,
which reduces maintenance and repair cost.

4. The large formats of the blocks enable quick construction

5. floor planning process is very flexible with gypsum blocks, as walls can also be
added afterwards or removed.

6. The width of the partition walls is with 60, 70, 80 or 100 mm extremely thin,
which results in an increase of effective floor space.

7. They slim though at the same time very sturdy and stable partitions.
6.f. Ceramic
6.f. Ceramic
Ceramics are all around us. Tile,
bricks, plates, glass, and toilet
fixtures are all different types of
ceramics
Ceramic is made of nonmetallic
mineral (as clay) by firing at a high
temperature so that it becomes
hard.

Typically, they will demonstrate

excellent strength and hardness
properties; however, they are
often brittle in nature.
 Classification of Ceramic

Ceramic Tiles can be split into two groups

• Porcelain Tiles : Porcelain tiles, a type

of ceramic tile, are made with the same
components as other ceramics, but are
fired at extremely high temperatures,
creating very dense, moisture resistant
tiles.
• Non-porcelain Tiles : The non-porcelain
tile is usually referred to as ceramic tile.
CERAMIC (NON-PORCELAIN) TILES

They are almost always covered in decorative,

waterproof, paint-like substances known as
glaze. The surface glaze not only carries the color
and pattern of the tile, it makes the tile
more durable and stain-resistant.
Ceramic non-porcelain tile is suitable for installation
on walls and floors for residential or light
commercial use.
However, since the glaze is a surface coating,
ceramic tile can chip revealing the clay color of the
tile.
PORCELAIN TILES

Porcelain tiles are denser, more durable, and carry the color and
pattern through the entire thickness of the tile making them virtually
impervious to wear.
 POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF TILE FLOORS

Floor tiles are often implemented where cleanliness, safety and ease of
maintenance are critical.

They are used in healthcare facilities, nurseries, schools, swimming

pools, sports centers, locker rooms, spas, kitchens, cafeterias,
restaurants and basements, fireplaces, hearths and exit corridors.

Tile flooring can provide protection against allergies or chemical

sensitivity. Because tiles are fireproof and do not emit gases. Therefore
a safe choice for your home or business.

Tile inhibit ( slow down) the growth of mold, mushroom, fungus and
viruses. In contrast, carpeting and other types of soft flooring may permit
bacterial or fungal growth or produce toxic fumes if there is a fire

Tile floors are often very durable and have a very long lifetime, often
much longer than carpet, hardwood, and laminate flooring.

Any replacement is easy in case of damaged tiles. No need to change the

entire flooring.
6.g. GLASS AND
GLASS BLOCK
Glass brick, also known as glass block,
is an architectural element made
from glass. The appearance of glass
blocks can vary in color, size, texture and
form. Glass bricks provide visual
obscuration while admitting light.

The use of glass in architectural

buildings has become very popular in
the modern culture.

Glass "curtain walls" can be used to

cover the entire facade of a building,
or it can be used to span over a wide
roof structure in a "space frame".

These uses though require some sort

of frame to hold sections of glass
together.
Glass bricks were invented in the
early 20th century.
Other
Building
Materials
Wood
It is used for structural framing, trim, floors, walls, and
cabinetry. Wood remains a valuable and widely used
residential construction material.
Plastics
COPPER

•COPPER is a another important building

material because of its advantageous
properties.
•These include corrosion resistance,
durability, low thermal movement, light
weight, lightning protection, sustainability,
recyclability, and a wide range of finishes.

•Copper is incorporated into roofing, flashing,

gutters, downspouts, domes, spires, vaults,
wall cladding, building expansion joints,
and indoor design elements.
ALUMINIUM

Aluminum is used for decorative detailing.

Aluminum is recognized as one of the most energy

efficient and sustainable construction materials.

Aluminum composite Panels : Aluminum

composite panels (ACP), made of aluminum composite
material (ACM), are flat panels consisting of two thin
coil-coated aluminum sheets bonded to a non-
aluminum core. ACPs are frequently used for external
cladding or facades of buildings, insulation, and
signage.