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Civil Engineering Topics: Building Material and Construction

Building material is any material which is used for construction purposes. Many natural materials are clay, rocks, sand, and wood, even twigs and leaves, have been used to construct buildings. Other than natural materials, many man-made products are in use, which is more and less synthetic. The manufacturing of building materials is an established industry in many countries and the use of these materials is typically segmented into specific specialty trades, such as carpentry, insulation, plumbing, and roofing work. It is an important role to play in this modern age of construction technology, no field of engineering is possible without their use.

The factor which is mostly affecting the choice of materials is the climatic background. Obviously, different materials and forms of construction have developed in different parts of the world as a result of climatic differences. Another factor is the economic aspect of the choice of materials. The rapid advance of constructional methods, the increasing introduction of mechanical tools and plants, and changes in the organisation of the building industry may appreciably influence the choice of materials.

Due to the great diversity in the usage of buildings and installations and the various processes of production, a great variety of requirements are placed upon building materials calling for a very wide range of their properties: strength at low and high temperatures, resistance to ordinary water and seawater, acids and alkalis, etc. Also, materials for interior decoration of residential and public buildings, gardens and parks, etc. should be, by their very purpose, pleasant to the eye, durable and strong. Specific properties of building materials serve as a basis for subdividing them into separate groups. For example, mineral binding materials are subdivided into air and hydraulic-setting varieties. The principal properties of building materials predetermine their applications. Only a comprehensive knowledge of the properties of materials allows a rational choice of materials for specific service conditions.

Various topics can be studied in this subject are listed as follows:

  • Principal properties of building materials
  • Structural clay products
  • Construction of Foundation
  • Rocks, stones and wood products
  • Materials used for different concrete
  • Building Mortars
  • Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals
  • Ceramic materials
  • Paints, enamel and varnishes
  • Gypsum
  • Special cement and concrete
  • Miscellaneous materials
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