Course code CE 327

Course name Building Design System

Lecture 2
Common Construction Materials
 CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
• Construction (Building) material- used for construction purpose
structures ; buildings, bridges ,roads , structures etc.

• naturally occurring construction materials ;clay, sand, wood , rock

,lime and iron.

• quality and choice of construction materials are IMPORTANT

construction( assembling of infrastructure).
 (8) Commonly Used Materials
• There are generally (8) Commonly Used Materials in
Construction today:

• 1. Construction aggregates
• 2. Cement
• 3. Mortar
• 4. Block Masonry
• 5. Concrete
• 6. Structural Steel
• 7. Reinforced concrete
• 8. Lumber or Wood
• 9. Asphalt (bitumen)
 Construction Aggregates
a coarse particulate natural material used in construction,

• eg. sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag and recycled concrete.

• most mined mineral in world.

• USED IN concrete /asphalt concrete.

• addS strength to concrete.

Mining of aggregates
 2 categories of Aggregates by Size:
• 1. Coarse Aggregates- crushed stone, gravel or natural gravel with
particles retained on a 4.75 mm sieve (Number 4 sieve)

by crushing rock , stone , boulder .

• 2. Fine Aggregates - crushed stone, gravel, sand or natural sand

with particles passing on 4.75 mm sieve (number 200 sieve).

• by GRINDING large pieces of aggregate

Aggregate sieve
 Qualities of good aggregates
• : - In order that aggregates contribute successfully to the formation of
mortar or concrete, they should have the following qualities.
• (1) Aggregates should consist of natural stones, gravel and sand.
• (2) Aggregates should be hard and strong.
• (3) Aggregates should be dense and durable.
• (4) They should be free from other impurities (clay lumps, coal, and
organic matter etc.) which reduce their properties and strength.

• (5)They should have very little porosity.

• (6)Aggregates should not contain such materials which cause corrosion of
steel.
• (7)Surface of aggregates should be rough rather than smooth, because
rough aggregates bond well together with the cement and form good
mortar and concrete.
 ASTM
certification
C 33-07

requirements for grading

and quality of fine and
coarse aggregate for use in
concrete .
River aggregates are inferior to
crushed rock aggregates
 II. CEMENT (Hydraulic Cement)
• Cement - binding MATERIAL , reacts with water to form hard stone
like substance.

• bonding MATERIAL of aggregates

• resistant to disintegration in water.

• Portland Cement- a hydraulic cement ;an ingredient of

concrete/mortar

• Lime and silica make up 85% of mass of cement

 Mineral Composition of Cement

• Lime- 60- 65 %
• Silica- 18-25%
• Alumina- 3-8%
• Iron Oxide- 3-5%
• Magnesia- 2-5%
• Sulfur Trioxide- 1-5%
 (5) Common Types of Portland Cement Used in
Construction

• Type1 used in general

construction (28days)

• Type 2- for construction

exposed to moderate sulfate
action(acidic) or where moderate
heat of hydration is required
Type 3- used when early strength is required

• Type 4- used when high sulfate (acid/salts)

resistance is required
• Pozzolan Cement-
• consists of pozzolanic materials( fly ash/ volcanic
ash)
• Provides durability .
• Long time to harden
• Less heat is released when compared to OPC.)
 General properties of cement
(1)It is an excellent binding material.

(2)It offers good resistance to moisture.

(3)It imparts strength to the masonry.

(4)It becomes stiff and hard easily.

(5)It is easily workable.

 ASTM Specification

• ASTM C 150-07 is the ASTM specification

for quality Portland cements

 III.MORTAR
• Cement mortar - mixture of cement, sand ,water.

used masonry blocks/plastering work.

• binds construction blocks /fill gaps between them.

• may be stone, brick, cinder(ash) blocks, etc.

• becomes hard/rigid when it sets

 Common Blocks
stone, hollow, cinder, clay
 Portland cement mortar
• created by mixing Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) sand, water.

• 1. PC mortar sets hard and quickly,

• 2.allows faster pace of construction,
• 3.require fewer skilled workers.

• Uses of Mortar
• 1. Binder between layers of blocks
• 2. Mortar filler for hollow blocks
• 3. plastering
 Specification For Mortar unit Masory

• ASTM C270-19ae1
• Standard Specification for Mortar for
Unit Masonry
 IV. CONCRETE
• common material used in construction,

• Consists of sand , gravel, Portland cement ,water.

• cast in any shape desired

• structural (load bearing) element.

• chemical reaction( hydration), hardens to rock-like mass ( concrete)

 THE CONCRETING PROCESS
1. Mixing of Concrete and Hydration

Mix aggregates, water, and cement to harden.

2. Placement and Compaction –

mechanical vibrators compact in forms
eliminate honeycombs /air pockets.

3. Curing –
ensures strength gain of concrete.
Sprinkle water or moisture-retaining fabrics such as burlap or cotton mats or sealing
concrete surface with plastic.
 Factor affecting strength of concrete

• The strength of concrete depends on following factors

• (i) Quality of cement and aggregates

• (ii) Size, grading and proportioning of ingredients

• (iii) Water-cement ratio and consistency

• (iv) Site conditions and temperature

• (v) Method of curing

 PROPORTIONING OF CONCRETE MIXTURE
• exact weight of concrete components

• cement, aggregates,water to produce strong, workable, durable and high quality

concrete

• Water –Cement ratio (right amount of water)

• related to strength /quality of concrete .

• when more water added to mixture, the compressive strength diminishes.

• water to cement ratio - 0.30- 0.65 for concrete with compressive strengths of
4500 psi- 2500 psi.
 For example, the Class A concrete mixture has a
proportion of 1:2:4

which means a mixture of;

1 part of cement,
2 parts of sand and
4 parts of gravel
CONCRETE PROPORTION BY VOLUME METHOD

Class of mixture Cement -40 kg per Sand Gravel

bag

AA 1 1.5 3

A 1 2 4

B 1 2.5 5

C 1 3 6
 PROPORTIONING OF CONCRETE
SAMPLE PROBLEM
• DETERMINATION OF THE VOLUME OR
WEIGHT OF CONCRETE COMPONENTS
REQUIRED FOR CONCRETING WORKS

• PROPORTIONING
• WEIGHT OR VOLUME OF CEMENT
• WEIGHT OR VOLUME OF GRAVEL
• WEIGHT OR VOLUME OF SAND

27
 PROPORTIONING OF CONCRETE
COMMON PROPORTION NUMBER OF VOLUME OF VOLUME OF
TYPE OF 40KG BAG OF SAND GRAVEL (CU.M.)
CONCRETE CEMENT (CU.M.)
MIXTURES (PIECES)
AA 1 : 1.5 : 3 12 0.50 1.0

A 1 : 2 : 4 9 0.50 1.0

B 1 : 2.5 : 5 7.5 0.50 1.0

C 1 : 3 : 6 6 0.50 1.0

Standard size box 30cm high x

30 cm wide x 30 cm deep)

28
Standard weight 40 kg bag cement
 Example number 1 Proportioning
• The surface course of a 150 mm thick rigid concrete pavement has a
total length of 250 meters and width of 6 meters(single carriage
way).

• A. solve for the total volume of concrete required

• B. solve the proportion of concrete (cement , sand and gravel

required for a Class “B” concrete

Volume=L x W x thickness

Volume= 250 mx 6mx 0.15 m

Volume of concrete= 225 cu.m.

29
 b. Proportioning of concrete
• Using Table Class B Concrete
COMMON PROPORTION NUMBER OF VOLUME OF VOLUME OF
TYPE OF 40KG BAG OF SAND GRAVEL (CU.M.)
CONCRETE CEMENT (CU.M.)
MIXTURES (PIECES)

B 1 : 2.5 : 5 7.5 0.50 1.0

• Cement : 225 x 7.5 = 1687.50 bags cement

• Sand ; 225x 0.50 = 112.50 cu.m. sand
• Gravel ; 225 x 1.0 = 225 cu. M . gravel
30
 c. Water to cement ratio
Weight of water = 0.40 to 0.60 (40-60% water)
Weight of cement

Solve the weight of water required for the mixture using 0.4 water to
cement ratio

Weight of water = 0.40

40x 1688 kgs

Weight of water required= 27,000 kg of water

Weight or density of water = 1kg /liter
Therefore 27,000 liters needed
31
 V. STRUCTURAL STEEL
• widely used reinforcing material for concrete.
• 10x stronger than concrete in compression
• 100x stronger in tensile stress.

• 3 Classification of Standard Steels

• 1.carbon steels,
• 2. alloy steels, and
• 3.stainless steels:
 Classification of Steel
Steels Compositions
Alloying elements do not exceed these limits:
Carbon Steels 1% carbon, 0.6% copper, 1.65% manganese, 0.4% phosphorus,
0.6% silicon, and 0.05% sulfur.

Steels that exceed the element limits for carbon steels.

Alloy Steels contain nickel, chromium (up to 3.99%), cobalt, etc.

Contains at least 10% chromium, with or without other

Stainless Steels elements.
 PLAIN AND DEFORMED STEEL BARS
• 1. MILD STEEL BARS-

• plain surface , round diameters(6

to 50 mm )

• also plain rectangular sections

(1/8 -6” thick).

• manufactured in long lengths

• cut / bent easily without

damage.
 DEFORMED BARS-
• with ribs/deformation on bar surface.

• minimize slippage/increase bond in concrete

• more tensile strenght than mild steel plain

bars.
 Size "Soft"
Mass per
Nominal Nominal Nominal
Imperial unit
designation Bar Size
Metric
length
Diameter Diameter Area

for Size
(kg/m)
(in) (mm) (mm²)

deformed #3 #10 0.561 0.375 = ⅜ 9.525 71

#4 #13 0.996 0.500 = ½ 12.7 129

steel bars #5 #16 1.556 0.625 = ⅝ 15.875 200

#6 #19 2.24 0.750 = ¾ 19.05 284

#7 #22 3.049 0.875 = ⅞ 22.225 387

#8 #25 3.982 1.000 25.4 509

#9 #29 5.071 1.128 28.65 645

#10 #32 6.418 1.270 32.26 819

#11 #36 7.924 1.410 35.81 1006

#14 #43 11.41 1.693 43 1452

#18 #57 20.284 2.257 57.3 2581

 Common Structural Steel Shapes in
Steel Building Construction
• Prefabricated to any size, shape or span required by design

• 1. Wide Flange - "I Beam" used in construction.

• Example - W18x35,
• "W" = Wide flange, 18 =depth of member in inches,
• 35 = weight of beam in pounds per linear foot.

• beams, columns, piles, bracing and heavy applications.

 2. Angles
• equal legs or unequal legs.

• Example - L4x3x1/4 where 4 and 3 are leg dimensions in inches and

1/4 = angle thickness in inches.

• for lintels, bracing, built-up beams, columns, purlins, truss framing.

• 3. Steel Channels -
• "C" shaped members used for beams, built-up
columns, bracing, secondary framing(see pic)

• C10x30 ; "C" means channel,

• 10 is height inches
• 30 weight pounds per linear foot.

•
• 4. Steel Pipe –
• Circular pipe is used often for columns.
• "standard weight",
• "extra strong" and
• "double extra strong".
• Example - Standard Weight 4" dia. pipe.
 COMMON STRUCTURAL STEEL GRADES

1. ASTM A 36- for general use of structural steel, stronger than ASTM A7.

Carbon content is reduced to improve welding ability. May be connected by

bolts and rivets

2. ASTM A 440- high strength steel, for riveted and bolted connections, greater

strength and resistance to atmospheric corrosion

3. ASTM A 441- high strength low alloy structural manganese vanadium steel . It

is suitable for all welding connection. It has high strength but light weight

4. ASTM A 53 , A 500 and A 501 - structural pipes and tubings

 ASTM A6/A6M-21
• is the Standard Specification for General

Requirements for Rolled Structural Steel Bars,

Plates, Shapes, and Sheet Piling

 .WOOD OR LUMBER
• fibrous substance compose trunk and branches of tree
• lies between pith and bark.
• still in use due to versatility, strength, lightweight, durability, renewability
and ease in fastening.
• oldest material used by humans after stone.

• Properties of Structural Wood

• 1.strong relative to its weight
• 2. heat and electrical insulator;
• 3.renewable /biodegradable resource.

• Drawback “natural” material and available in limited amount.

 Wood terminologies
• 1. Lumber- wood after it has been sawed and sliced
into boards, planks and timber
• 2. Rough lumber- unplaned or undressed lumber
• 3. Dressed lumber –lumber with at least one side
planed
• 4. Timber- piece of lumber with its smallest
dimension 5 inches(125 mm) or greater
• 5. Plank- wide piece of lumber 4-5 inches( 100-125
mm) thick
• 6. Board- lumber less than 4 cm thick and at least 10
cm wide
 ASTM D4761 – 11
• is the Standard Test Methods for Mechanical

Properties of Lumber and Wood-Base

Structural Material
 Seasoning of Lumber
• EXPEL MOISTURE TO preserve wood from shrinkage /decay.

• Decay caused by moisture, fungi and molds, insects,worms, fire

,confined air.

• Seasoning -drying wood to reduce moisture content.(6-9 months)

• moisture of wood should be below 25 % before s burned in wood

stove.
 Two methods of seasoning lumber
1.Natural sunlight or air seasoning-
• Stack in air , heat from atmosphere , natural air
movement
• best method but time involved longer.

2.Artificial seasoning-
• stacked in kilns and exposed to steam / hot air.
• quick drying process.
 Advantages of Artificial Seasoning

• 1. Reduced Time of seasoning - By using

artificial seasoning with a kiln, you reduce the
time necessary to dry your wood. This means
that you can move it out quickly. The time
factor is especially important for large lumber
companies.
 continued
• 2. Saves Money-
• Saving time saves money by allowing you to sell your
wood faster and to prepare room in your storehouse
for more wood.
• Also, shipping costs are often directly related to the
weight of what you're shipping.
• If you have dried the wood and reduced the moisture
content, your wood will actually cost less to ship.
 continued
• 3. Better control of seasoning temperature-
• With the natural drying method, you cannot control the exact
level of heat that you wish to use on your wood.
• Using artificial seasoning, you can adjust the temperature as
you need to.
• This will allow you to prevent drying degrade, which can
sometimes occur when temperatures are too high.
 continued
• 4. Better Quality of wood -Wood that has been artificially
seasoned gains several qualities when it loses its moisture.
• Wood tends to increase in strength as it is seasoned.
• It is also easier to work with as it has less of a tendency to
split, shake or warp.
• This means that the wood will be safer when it is used in
machines.
 continued
• 5. Prevents fungal infection in wood-There are many
different elements that can damage wood, including
potential rotting, parasites, fungi and insects.
Artificial seasoning will dry up the sap that creates an
environment for fungi and parasites to live in. Also,
the high temperatures used in artificial seasoning will
kill most if not all of the living organisms that are in
the wood. Lastly, lower moisture content will prevent
the chance for dry rot or any other type of fungal
infection in the wood.
 ASPHALT
• A brownish-black solid or

semisolid mixture of bitumens

obtained from native deposits

or as

• a petroleum byproduct,.
• It softens when heated and is elastic under certain conditions.
 bitumens
• Bitumen- is a black, oily, viscous material that

is a naturally-occurring organic byproduct of

decomposed organic materials.

• Used in road surfacing, , floor tilings, and

waterproofing, and industries.

• .
 Advantages of Using Asphalt than
Cement in road construction
• 1.Cost

• Asphalt starts as low as $1 per square foot and goes up to as

high as $5. Cement is typically more expensive, ranging from $3

to $10.

• 2.Durability

• cement is vulnerable when exposed to particularly hot weather

or salt, asphalts are NOT

• 3.Asphalt “Flexible” highways works more

effectively for highway and airport rather than rigid

Portland Cement highways

• 4.More suitable in colder climates-

 Disadvantages of using Asphalt in
Road Construction
• 1. Asphalt needs to be resealed every 3-5 years.

• 2. Poor maintenance may reduce the life of asphalt

• 3. Asphalt cannot be placed during rainy seasons

since it will not bond with concrete layer.

•
• End