Building Materials

Lecture 4

Abrasion resistance
abilityy of a surface to resist being
g worn away
y
by rubbing or friction
coatings paints
coatings,
paints, floor surfaces
surfaces, pipes

M h i l properties
Mechanical
ti continuation

Abrasion resistance tests

usually measured as a loss percentage
g
weight
g
based on original

Taber abrader
thickness loss after defined
number of rotations using
standardized wheel and
defined load

Amsler/Bhm test
a specimen
i
iis subjected
bj t d
to stress by grinding
the abrasive grit
accumulating from this is
indicated as loss of
volume or thickness
(abrasive loss) per test
area 50 cm2

7,07 x 7,07 cm

Abrasion resistance (Amsler /

Bhm)
EN 1338, 1339, 1340 concrete pavings
EN 14157 natural stones
EN 13 892-3 screeds

Adhesion

Adh i
Adhesion
and
d cohesion
h i
adhesion state in which two
surfaces are held together by
interfacial effects
cohesion ability of a material to
i t i itits strength
t
th when
h unconfined
fi d
maintain

between two materials - in composites

(steel + concrete, cement +
aggregates )
aggregates)

adhesion < cohesion

Adhesive strength
between the upper layer and base
(plasters, coatings..)

Pull-off test
the circular pull-head plates are glued
pp layer
y is
to the test material and upper
cut around them
CUT

PULL-HEAD

GLUE
TESTED LAYER

SUBSTRATE

Pull-off test equipment

Adhesive strength fa
test results:

fa fu

fu

Fu
A

fa fu

fa = fu

Definitions
Moisture (hygric)
( yg ) p
properties
p

Moisture content - amount of water

contained in a material
Dampness - presence of unwanted
moisture in the structure of a building
building,
Humidity - amount of water vapor in the
air
Hygric - relating to moisture

Moisture content
amount of water contained in a
material, which can be removed by
drying
any porous
material
i l iin the
h
construction is
not quite dry !

Water-vapor production

human
metabolism
(based on
activity

50 - 250 g
of water
vapor/h

bathrooms

700 - 2600 g

kitchens

600 -1500 g

laundry drying

200 - 500 g

Moisture types
production (wet
manufacturing process)
groundwater intrusion
rainwater leaks
diffusion through walls,
roofs, and floors
indoor moisture
(b
ea
g, pe
sp a o ,
(breathing,
perspiration,
cooking, bathing, and
washing
g)

Moisture types
According
A
di time:
i
initial moisture (natural, manufacturing)
storage moisture
stabilized moisture (constant - after
longer period ca 2 - 7 years)

off water
t
vapor/h/5 kg

Moisture content during

time period

Gravimetric water content

wm

mH2O
mD

m W mD

((*100)
mD

mD .
mass of dry material
mW . mass of wet material
mH O . mass of water in material
2

Volumetric water content

VH2O

m mD
wV
W
((*100)
V
H2O * V
mD .....
mW .....
VH O
V .......
2

mass of dryy material

mass of wet material
volume
off water
l
t in
i material
t i l
volume of material

Sorptivity
amount of water taken in by a material
when immersed
maximum amount of water, which
can be in the material

volumetric sorptivity: 0 - 100 %

gravimetric sorptivity: can be higher than
100 %

Capillarity

Sorptivity of materials

ability
ab y o
of a liquid
qu d to
o flow
o in narrow
a o
spaces without the assistance of, and in
opposition to external forces like gravity

sorptivity
y [%]

350
300

300
gravimetric sorptivity

250

volumetric sorptivity

200
150

150
100

60

50
7

80
40

45
22

20

Capillarity in practice

Capillarity

Material

Bulk density
in dry
y state
[kg/m3]

Gravimetric capillarity [kg/m3]

after
2 hours

8 hours

24 hours

Foamed
polystyrene

16

11
1,1

12
1,2

12
1,2

Foamed
polyurethane

35

0,3
,

0,4
,

0,4
,

540

12,7

19,9

29,7

AAC

Sorption behavior
ability of a hygroscopic material to
absorb or release water vapor from or
into the air until a state of equilibrium
is reached

Equilibrium moisture
content
Depends on:
air temperature,
temperature pressure and humidity
pores sizes and shapes

adsorption
of water vapor)
((uptake
p
p )
x
desorption
(water vapor release)

Sorption hysteresis

Sorption
p
hysteresis
y

Sorption hysteresis

Water permeability

Water permeability

Permeability testing

roofing (ceramic and concrete tiles))

p
on the amount of capillary
p
yp
pores
depends
and cracks (size 0,01 0,5 mm)

measuring the time taken for a drop of water

to appear on the underside of the roofing tile
when a 6 cm thick water head is applied on
the opposite side

Roof tiles are always permeable

space
under roof has to be ventilated !
p

measuring the volume of water that passes

through a saturated roofing tile under a 10
cm thick water head

Diffusion
gases,
g
, vapor
p
spread of particles through random motion
from regions
g
of higher
g
concentration to
regions of lower concentration

Diffusion properties

Important for:

Water vapor transport

Important properties:
the water vapor diffusion coefficient
the resistance to water vapor diffusion
f t
factor
diffusion
equivalent
air
tthe
e water
ate vapor
apo d
us o equ
ae ta
layer thickness Sd

vapor
p barriers
radon barriers
rehabilitation renders
paints
passive houses

Water vapor diffusion - coefficient

the amount of water vapor [kg] which diffuses
through a layer of material which is 1 m thick
and has an area of 1 m at a partial water
vapor pressure difference of 1 Pa in 1 hour
units: [kg/m.h.Pa]

Resistance to water
vapor diffusion - factor
the ratio of the water vapor diffusion
coefficient of the air L to the value mat of
the building material
a measure for the vapor
tightness of a material
(h
t the
th
(how
many titimes greater
resistance to transmission of
a layer of building material is
compared to a static layer of
air of the same thickness)

Equivalent air layer thickness Sd

Sd = s [[m]]
the thickness of a static layer of air in meters,
which displays the same resistance to water
vapor transmission as the building material in
the thickness s with the resistance to water
vapor transmission value
Sd 0.5 m => diffusionopen materials
0.5 m < Sd => diffusionblocking materials
Sd 1500 m => diffusionproof materials

Diffusion of coatings
Knzel s facade protection theory:
Knzels
protection and breathability of coating
are influenced by water absorption
capacity w (sorptivity) and the water vapor
permeability Sd

Soil permeability

Thermal properties

ability
bili off soilil to transmit
i water and
d air
i
important in the areas with radon risk

Interaction heat - material

Heat transport
conduction solid materials

If the surroundings of the material has

p
than the
different temperature
material, the thermal energy is
transferred

1. The properties of material influence

the transmission of heat
2. Thermal energy influences the
properties
ti off material
t i l

the transfer of heat within a substance, molecule

by molecule

convection - gases, liquids

heat transfer by the mass movement of a fluid in
the vertical direction

radiation gases
heat is transfered
through wave
energy

Heat transport
Depends on:

Thermal conductivity
a material's ability to conduct heat

porosity
structure
temperature
material type

Coefficient of thermal
conductivity

or k-value
the quantity of heat transmitted, due to
unit temperature gradient,
gradient in unit time
under steady conditions in a direction
normal to a surface
units SI: [ W/m.K]
imperial units: [Btu/hr.ft.F]
(1 Btu/hr.ft.F = 1.730735 W/mK)

the lower , the better insulator

(thermal insulating materials < 0,15 W/m.K)
range : 10-2 - 102 W/m.K

coefficient of thermal conductivity

Material

[W.m-1.K-1]

Copper .....
Aluminium ...
Carbon steel
Concrete .....
Glass .
Brick ..
Water (20 C, quiet)...
W d ...........
Wood
Mineral fibers ..
Polystyrene foamed ..
Air (dry, quiet) ..
Argon (quiet) ....

~370
~200
~50
~1
1,4
4
~0,75
~0 7
~0,7
~0,60
0 15
~0,15
~0,05
~0,035
0,025
~0,015

therm
mal
insulations

IIn the
th porous materials
t i l the
th heat
h t is
i
transferred by combination of all types
off heat
h t transport
t
t

Thermal conductivity - comparison

Thermal conductivity
O
Organic
i materials
t i l are b
better
tt
insulators than anorganic m.
Crystalline
Cr stalline mat
mat. are better
conductors than amorphous m.
Mat.
Mat with lower bulk density are
usually better insulators.
Metals are very good
conductors.
Anisotropic mat.
mat have different
conductivity in different
directions
directions.

Coefficient of thermal
conductivity
Depends on:
chemical composition
structure
porosity
p
y ((bulk density)
y)
moisture
temperature

Porosity influence
AIR = 0,025 W/m.K
the higher the amount of air in the
material (p
(porosity),
y), the lower bulk
density and thermal conductivity is
size of pores is limited (best 0,1 1
mm)

Moisture influence
water app.
app 25 x higher than air

moisture
i t
significantly
i ifi
tl reduces
d
the
th thermal
th
l
insulating ability of materials
very small pores are liable to wetting
((capillarity)
p
y) the best size of p
pores in
insulating materials: 0,1 1 mm

Temperature influence
increases with rising temperature

t 0 0,0025 t (for t = 0-100C)

Thermal insulating materials

fibrous - mineral and glass fibers
- wood wool (excelsior)
- cellulose fibers
- recycled paper fibers
- straw
t
(b l
(bales,
lloose))

porous particles
pa ded c
ay agg
egate
-e
expanded
clay
aggregate
- expanded perlite
- ash
- cinders

Thermal insulating materials

other

- cork (expanded)
- wood
- wood-based materials
(fiber board
board, particle board)
- lamb wool

Thermal insulating materials

shaped

- lightweight
li ht i ht concretes
t (with
( ith
lightweight aggregates,
pervious
i
c., aerated
t d concretes)
t )
- insulating brick blocks
- diatomite

foamed - foamed polymers (PU,PS,

phenolic
h
li foam)
f
)
- cellular glass

Best insulation?
vacuum
VIP
VIP = Vacuum Insulated Panel
a nearly gas-tight enclosure surrounding a
rigid core
core, from which the air has been
evacuated

= 0.007
0 007 W/mK
W/ K

Thermal conductivity
y
measuring
steady-state methods - the temperature
of the measured material does not change
with time

y
) methods transient ((non steady-state)

a measurement during the process of heating

up
Steady state - a situation in which all
variables are constant in spite of ongoing
processes that
th t strive
t i to
t change
h
them.
th
For
F an
entire system to be at steady state, i.e. for all
state variables of a system to be constant
constant,
there must be a flow through the system

Thermal conductivity
measuring
i

Thermal conductivity
y
measuring
Steady-state methods:
Guarded hot plate
Divided bar
Hot box

Transient methods:

Hot wire
Plane source
Needle probe
Laser flash method

Thermal conductivity
determination
Steady state method:

q d
T1 - T2

Q
A

q.. of heat passing through a unit area of the

sample in unit time [W/m2]
d . average thickness of sample [m]
p
of warm side of the sample
p [[K]]
T1 .... temperature
T2 temperature of cold side of the sample [K]
Q .... quantity
y of heat passing
g through
g a base area of
the sample [W]
A ..... base area of the sample [m2]

Guarded hot plate

placing a solid sample of fixed dimension
between two temperature-controlled plates
one plate is heated while the other plate is
cooled, and their temperatures are monitored
until they are constant

Thermal resistance
R-value
R = d / [(m2 .K) / W]
directly proportional to the thickness of
the material
for
f construction,
i
not material
i l
can be used for masonry blocks
R=0
0,65
65 (m2.2 K)/W

the reciprocal of R-value

R value is thermal
conductance [W/m2.K]

Thermal resistance
multi-layered
multi layered construction : the RR
values of the individual layers are
added

Rtotal = Routside air film + Rrender + Rinsulation

+ Rbrick + Rplaster + Rinside air film

Thermal transmittance
U-value
the measure of the rate of heat loss
through a material
incorporates the thermal conductance of a
structure along with heat transfer due to
convection and radiation

U-value = 1/R
[ W / m2 .K ]

U-value in Europe

Heat losses