WOODS, PLASTICS AND

COMPOSITES
MAGNO, AARON ROI A.
TABOY, GERARD
WOOD
TYPES OF WOOD

• Hardwoods - are commonly used in the construction of walls, ceilings and floors.

• Softwoods - are often used to make doors, furniture and window frames.

• Another type of wood commonly used in construction is known as engineered wood.

As its name implies, engineered wood is the product of a more intricate fabrication
process in which various wood strands, fibers, veneers, or other forms of wood are
glued together to form a type of composite material that is used for specific
construction applications.
Hardwood

OAK WOOD
Softwood

Pine wood Cedar wood

Lumber

• The words "lumber" and "timber" are often used interchangeably to refer
to wood used in construction work, but there has been considerable debate
as to which term should apply in a given scenario. Timber is also
commonly utilized in large quantities for railroad ties, mine shaft supports
and crossbeams on utility poles. 
Plywood

• Plywood as a building material is very widely used due to its many useful
properties. It is an economical, factory-produced sheet of wood with
precise dimensions that does not warp or crack with changes in
atmospheric moisture.
USES OF PLYWOOD AS A BUILDING
MATERIAL

• Plywood has a huge range of used within the construction industry. Some
of its most common uses are:
To make light partition or external walls
• To make formwork, or a mould for wet concrete
• To make furniture, especially cupboards, kitchen cabinets, and office tables
• As part of flooring systems
• For packaging
• To make light doors and shutters
Plastic

• The advantages of using plastic in construction are that it is lightweight yet

strong which makes it easier to transport and manoeuvre around sites. It is also
resistant to rot and corrosion and has strong weatherability due to it being
capable of achieving tight seals. Plastic can also be flexible, and is easily
extruded, bent, moulded, 3D printed, and so on. Plastic can also be easily
removed and some plastics can be recycled.
• The disadvantages of plastic are that it has a high embodied energy content and
a low modulus of elasticity, meaning that it is generally unsuitable for load-
bearing applications. Unless treated, most plastics are also flammable and have a
high thermal expansion rate which requires detailing to allow for adequate
thermal movement.
Uses of Plastics in Building Construction

• Plastics are manufactured in different forms such as moulding pipes, sheets

and films. They are formed or expanded to produce materials of low
density. Dissolved in solvents or dispersed as emulsions, they are used in
paints, varnishes and adhesives.
• At present, plastics find use in buildings mainly in thin coverings, panels,
sheets, foams, pipes etc. skilful use of plastics will expand the usefulness
and life of conventional building materials and help them to function more
efficiently and economically.
Wood-plastic composite

• Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) are composite materials made of wood

fiber/wood flour and thermoplastic(s) such as PE, PP, PVC, or PLA.
Uses

• The most widespread use of WPCs in North America is in

outdoor deck floors, but it is also used for railings, fences, landscaping
timbers, cladding and siding, park benches, molding and
trim, window and door frames, and indoor furniture.
Advantages

• WPCs do not corrode and are highly resistant to rot, decay, and marine
borer attack, though they do absorb water into the wood fibers embedded
within the material.