CIVIL ENGINEERING MATERIALS II

ECE 2215

B.Sc. and B. Ed in Civil Engineering

Year 2.3
 Course Outline:
• Timber: Nature and properties of wood, seasoning and effect of
moisture, defects, testing, grading. Basic and allowable stresses,
durability and preservations, uses, fire resistance.
• Steel: Methods of manufacture, types, properties, uses, methods of
working, heat treatment, welding, defects and fatigue.
• Introduction to Polymers and Plastics: types, properties and
deteriorations.
• Masonry: Building stone, blocks and brick types; properties, uses,
deterioration, design. Mixes and properties of mortar. Quality control
tests in masonry and mortar
• Lab Work - Grading of timber. Bending, tensile and shear tests of
timber, steel, polymers and masonry walls.
 Expected Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this course the student should be able to:
a) Describe the nature and properties of wood, timber seasoning, timber
grading and defects
b) Explain timber strength properties, durability and preservation, fire
resistance.
c) Explain the methods of manufacture for structural steel, types, uses,
methods of working, defects and fatigue
d) Describe polymers and plastics and their engineering properties
e) Identify types and properties of materials used for masonry.
 Course Assessment:
• Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs) - 15%
• Regular assignments - 15%
• Final Examination - 70%
• Class Attendance - Very important
 Course References:
1. Somayaji, S. (2011). Civil engineering materials. Pearson Education India.
2. Mamlouk M. S., Zaniewski J. P., (2010), Materials for civil and construction
engineers, 3rd Edition, Pearson Education

Other References:
1. Kohler J., (2007), Reliability of timber structures, vdf Hochschulverlag AG
2. Salmon C. G., Johnson J. E., (1980), Steel structures: Design and behavior, 2nd
Edition, Harper & Row
3.Llewellyn D.T., Hudd R. C., (1998), Steels, Metallurgy and applications,
Butterworth Heinemann
4. Kasal B., Tannert T., (2010), In situ assessment of structural timber, Springer
 Masonry Construction
Definitions:
• Masonry Construction – Involves building structures from single units that
are laid and bound together with mortar. Brick, stone and concrete blocks are
the most common materials used in masonry construction.
• Mortar - Mortar is a mixture of sand, a binder such as cement or lime, and
water which is applied as a paste in masonry construction to fill the gaps
between bricks, blocks and stones. Mortar hardens (sets) to bind building
blocks together.
• Types of Masonry:- Brick Masonry, Stone Masonry, Concrete block
Masonry
 Brick Masonry
• It involves the construction of walls using burnt clay bricks jointed together
by mortar as shown in Fig. 1 below.

Figure 1: Brick Masonry

 Brick Masonry
Advantages of using brick Masonry
• Cost of bricks is lower/cheaper compared to stones and concrete bricks
• Brick walls are thinner compared to stones/blocks– Hence lower deadloads
on structures
• Low skilled labor required for production - Are locally produced
• Have precast regular size and shape – Easy to build with
• Are lightweight – Easy to transport and handle
• Are heat resistant
 Brick Masonry

What are some of the Disadvantages of using brick Masonry?

 Brick Masonry
Disadvantages of using brick Masonry
• Low resistance to tension and torsion loads
• Are highly susceptible to seismic damage
• Have lower strength compared to stones and blocks
• Are less durable compared to blocks and stones
• High Moisture susceptibility - Have high moisture absorption rate
• Requires a plaster finish – High construction cost
 Concrete Block Masonry
• It involves the construction of walls using precast concrete blocks jointed
together by mortar as shown in Fig. 3 below. Concrete blocks are also
known as artificial stones. They are obtained by mixing aggregates (ballast
and sand), cement, water and additives.

Figure 3: concrete blocks Masonry

 Concrete Block Masonry

What are some of the Advantages of using concrete blocks

Masonry?
 Concrete Block Masonry
Advantages of using concrete blocks Masonry
• Are durable – Highly resistant against weather, pests, mold and fire
• Can be made to required strength using additives
• Versatility – They are produced in many sizes, finishes, colors depending on
project requirement
• Grooves and cavities can be inbuilt during casting – useful for fittings
• Can be made from recycled materials
• Have good insulating properties against heat, sound and moisture
• Less Moisture susceptible compared to brick masory
 Concrete Block Masonry

What are some of the Disadvantages of using concrete blocks

Masonry?
 Concrete Block Masonry
Disadvantages of using concrete blocks masonry
• Large concrete blocks are heavy and difficult to handle – require manpower
which increases cost
• High production cost compared to brick and stone masonry
• Plumbing issues are harder to solve with concrete blocks masonry as they
cause internal flooding
• Low flexural, tension and seismic waves resistant.
•
 Stone Masonry
• It involves the construction of walls using natural stones jointed together by
mortar as shown in Fig. 2 below.

Figure 1: Stone Masonry

 Stone Masonry

What are some of the Advantages of using Stone Masonry?

 Stone Masonry
Advantages of using Stone Masonry
• Are strong compared to bricks and blocks
• Are naturally occurring – Obtained through mining
• Are durable compared to bricks and blocks
• Are weather resistant compared to bricks and blocks
• Are hard – Abrasion resistant compared to bricks and blocks
• Aesthetically appealing – Have a variety of colors and textures
• Minimal finishing costs – Plastering is not a necessity
• Little maintenance cost – Due to high durability
• Less susceptible to moisture damage compared to brick masonry
 Stone Masonry

What are some of the Disadvantages of using Stone Masonry?

 Stone Masonry
Disadvantages of using stone masonry
• Walls are thick and heavy – High self weight – deadloads
• Has low flexural and tensile strength
• Low resistance to seismic waves
• Construction is time consuming – Since it is heavy, unevenly shaped and
hard to handle
• It requires skilled labor for dressing and careful installation
 Application of stone as a building Material
• Paving – Natural stones were used for pavement of roads in the Roman Era
• Cladding and Facades – Finished pieces of stones are fixed to the building
using chemical adhesives and steel anchors for purposes of insulation and
ventilation.
• Masonry – Use of stones for to build structures joining of stones is done using
mortar. Examples are perimeter walls, houses

Paving Cladding and Façade Stone Masonry

 Application of stone as a building Material
• Slate Roofing – The naturally occurring slate stones are used for roofing
• Finishing – Ornamental stones like Marbles are easily polished and are used
for floor and wall finishes.
• RIP-RAP – Arrangement of a layer of boulders at the toe of a slope or along
the coastline to break the forces of the waves. Made from stones highly
resistant to weathering like Basalt, Gabbro granite, etc.,

Paving Cladding and Façade Stone Masonry

 Defects in Masonry Construction
• This is the decay and or depreciation of the quality of stones as a result of
action from external physical, chemical and biological agents.
• Various natural agents affect the exposed sections of the either the brick,
block or stone masonry.
• Some of these defects include:- Rot, cracks, holes, high water absorption,
etc.,
• What are some of the causes of defects in masonry construction?
 Causes of defects in Masonry Construction
• Physical Action - Alternate wetting by rain and drying by sun causes internal stresses in
the stones and consequent disintegration.
• Chemical Action - In industrial areas the acidic rain water reacts with the constituents of
stones leading to its deterioration either by decomposition, oxidation and/or hydration
• Frost - In cold places frost pierces the pores of the stones where it freezes, expands and
creates cracks.
• Temperature Changes - Expansion and contraction due to frequent temperature
changes cause stone to deteriorate especially if a rock is composed of several minerals
with different coefficients of linear expansion.
• Wind - The wind contains fine particles of dust. If it is blowing with high velocity, such
particles will strike against the stone surface and cause pores. The wind also allows rain
water to enter pores of stones with force. Such water, on freezing, expands and splits the
stones.
 Causes of defects in Masonry Construction
• Vegetation growth - Roots of trees and weeds that grow in the masonry joints
keep the stones damp and also secrete organic and acidic matters which cause the
stones to deteriorate.
• Mutual Decay - When different types of stones are used together mutual decay
takes place. For example when sandstone is used under limestone,
• Living Organisms - Some living organisms like worms and bacteria act upon
stones and deteriorate them by making holes in stones that weaken them. They
also secrete organic acids which have a corrosive action on stone minerals.
• Impurities in the atmosphere - Smokes, fumes, acids and acid fumes present in
the atmosphere deteriorate the stones. Stones containing CaCO3, MgCO3 are
affected badly.
• Rain Water – It affects masonry construction both physically and chemically.
 Ways of Mitigating defects in Masonry Construction

• What are some of the ways of mitigating decay in Masonry

Construction?
 Ways of Mitigating defects in Masonry Construction
• External Rendering – Plastering should be considered
• Jointing should be well done with complete sealing
• Only good quality stones should be used – Stones should be finished, well-
polished and dressed. Example is the use of compact siliceous stones
• Freshly quarried stones should be seasoned before use - to remove the
natural sap that accelerates decay
• Size and shape of stones should be maintained to a lot of irregular minimize
jointing
• Cleaning of exposed surface – Should be kept clean and dry
• Good quality jointing mortar should be used that does not react chemically
with the stone.
 Tests on Mortar
Groupwork Assignment 2: Due on 20th July 2022
Discuss any tests on Masonry (Stone, Brick and Block ) that are required prior
to use for engineering works. Discuss:
• The type of test.
• The purpose of the test
• The procedure used to carry out the test clearly indicating the Standards
Codes
• Assigned groups:
• Stone Masonry – Group 4
• Brick Masonry – Group 5
• Concrete block Masonry – Group 6
 MORTAR
• Mortar is a binding paste used in masonry, produced by mixing a binding
material (cement or lime) with fine aggregate (sand, surki, etc.) with water.

(a) Cement Mortar (b) Application of mortar in wall construction

 Classification of Mortar
Mortar is classified depending on the type of binder used. They include:-
1. Cement Mortar - Cement mortar is a type of mortar where cement is used as binding material
and sand is used as fine aggregate.
2. Surki Mortar - Surki mortar is a type of mortar where lime is used as binding material and
surki is used as fine aggregate. Surki is a pozzolanic material obtained by griding in to powder
burnt clay or burnt bricks
3. Lime Mortar -Lime mortar is a type of mortar where lime (fat lime or hydraulic lime) is used
as binding material and sand is used as fine aggregate.
4. Gauged Mortar - Gauged mortar is a type of mortar where cement and lime both are used as
binding material and sand is used as fine aggregate.
5. Mud Mortar - Mud mortar is a type of mortar where mud is used as binding material and
sawdust, rice husk or cow-dung is used as fine aggregate. Mud mortar is useful where lime or
cement is not available
6. Gypsum Mortar – Gypsum was used as binder in preparation of the mortar in the ancient Era
 Application of Mortar

What are some of the application of Mortar?

 Application of Mortar
1. Mortar is used to bind together the bricks or stones in brick or stone
masonry.
2. It is used to give a soft even bed between different layers of brick or stone
masonry for equal distribution of pressure over the bed.
3. It is used to fill up the spaces between bricks or stones for making walls
tight.
4. It is used in plastering works to hide the joints
5. It is used to improve appearance.
6. It is used for molding and ornamental purpose
 Engineering Properties of Mortar
1. Workability - property of mortar which enables it to be spread and applied to masonry unit with
ease. It should facilitate proper filling of joints in masonry.
2. Strength – it is necessary that masonry should attain the requisite strength by the time loads are
imposed on it. With that in view, 28-day strength of a mortar is taken into consideration.
3. Water retentivity - The ability of mortar mix to mitigate rapid water loss for it to gain strength.
4. Rate of stiffening – Hardening is as a results of moisture loss or setting action. It is necessary
that mortar should have sufficiently high rate of initial stiffening so that construction work could
proceed at a reasonable pace. Low rate of stiffening causes the plastic paste to be squeezed out by
the stone loads,.. Very high rate of stiffening results to cracking due to shrinkage.
5. Resistance to rain penetration – Bonding property of mortar reduces the cracks on masonry
units, that ultimately reduce rain water penetration.
6. Durability – Mortar should be resistant to failure and deterioration as a result of physical and
chemical actions
 Tests on Mortar
Assignment 2: Due on 27th July 2022
Discuss any SIX tests on Masonry (Stone, Brick and Block ) and Mortar that
are required prior to use for engineering works. Discuss:
• The type of test.
• The purpose of the test
• The procedure used to carry out the test clearly indicating the Standards
Codes
 A.OB
1. CAT 2 – 27th July 2022 @ 0900a.m
2. Lab work - Update from Class reps
3.