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6 8 10 11 12 Quality can be simply defined as fitness for purpose Strength may be defined as the ability to resist failure or excessive plastic deformation under stress Stiffness is the ability of a material to resist elastic deformation under load Toughness is the ability of a material to absorb energy by impact or sudden blow Hardness is resistance to indentation under stress Creep is the effect of long-term stress, leading to additional distortion or failure Fatigue is the effect of load reversals such as vibrations which lead to failure at relatively low stresses Combustion is process involving chemical reaction of a fuel ( usually organic material containing carbon) with oxygen in the presence of heat A material may be said to be durable in any one situation if it fulfils all its 16 performance requirements, either for the planned lifetime of building , or for a shorter defined period where this is acceptable

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