Properties of Structural Materials

Material Elasticity Lab Results

Before Loading

At Yield Point

Failure

Illustrations: Barry Onouye and Kevin Kane: Statics and Strength of Materials for Architecture and Building Construction, second edition; Prentice-Hall, 2001

Elastic Curves for Various Structural Materials

Properties of Structural Materials

No structural material is ideal for all circumstances Need to select the best material that meets the greatest number of needs for any given project, in terms of economy, availability, speed of construction, site requirements, etc. Each material has both good and not-sogood properties that must be considered.

Properties of Structural Materials

(The Good and The Not-So-Good) Wood: Non-homogeneous, anisotropic
Good Properties Good in tension and compression (parallel to grain) Light in weight Resilient Easily fasten Renewable resource, wide availability Laminated and composite woods increase properties (glu-lams, parallel strand, plywood, etc.) Heavy timber is very fire resistant

Properties of Structural Materials

(The Good and The Not-So-Good) Wood: Non-homogeneous, anisotropic
Not-So-Good Properties Weak in shear and compression perp. to grain Creep Burns Subject to rot and decay Splits Hard to connect under high loads

Properties of Structural Materials

(The Good and The Not-So-Good) Steel: Homogeneous, isotropic
Good Properties High strength / weight ratio Many shapes, wide variety of strengths Good for all stresses No creephighly flexible and ductile Readily assembled in prefabricated pieces Long spans possible

Properties of Structural Materials

(The Good and The Not-So-Good) Steel: Homogeneous, isotropic
Not-So-Good Properties Much energy and cost to fabricate Prone to rust if not protected Poor in firelooses stiffness rapidly > 1000F Difficult to make rigid joints Potential for brittle fracture at cold temperatures

Properties of Structural Materials

(The Good and The Not-So-Good) Concrete: Homogeneous, isotropic
Good Properties Good in compression Fire resistant Economical, readily available constituents Inherently moment resistant construction (when reinforced) Can be precast and site assembled like steel

Properties of Structural Materials

(The Good and The Not-So-Good) Concrete: Homogeneous, isotropic
Not-So-Good Properties Weak in tension and shear (needs reinforcement) High self-weight Hard to control well (subject to workmanship, material properties, temperature, formwork) Brittle failure Requires formwork Long curing time Long-term creep

Properties of Structural Materials

(The Good and The Not-So-Good) Masonry (CMU & Brick): Homogeneous, isotropic
Good Properties Easily constructed without formwork Fire-resistant Can be reinforced for additional strength Economical

Properties of Structural Materials

(The Good and The Not-So-Good) Masonry (CMU & Brick): Homogeneous, isotropic
Not-So-Good Properties Workmanship critical to strength Weather important on curing Walls get thicker with height Cant really make frames