INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL

ENGINEERING MATERIALS
INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 The world is composed of various materials.
 The materials science and engineering
serves as the ground for all technology
branches such as electronics, energy,
communication, environment and health
engineering.
 Construction materials are the most widely
used materials and their usage is the largest
in tonnage in the world.
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INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 Through the history of human civilization,
many materials have been used in the
construction of buildings, bridges, roads and
other structures.

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Building

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Roads 3
Japan, world’s longest span.
INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 The focus of our study is on modern construction
materials including concrete, steel, wood,
bituminous materials.
 Among these materials, concrete will receive the
most attention in this course, for two reasons.
 First, the civil engineer is responsible for designing
the concrete he/she uses and for ensuring its long
term performance. On the other hand, steel and
wood products are designed by material and
mechanical engineers, who supply them to us
according to our specifications.
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INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 Second, concrete (reinforced concrete) is the
most widely used construction material in the
world and of course in Pakistan, too.
 For any civil engineer who will be practicing in
Pakistan, a good knowledge of concrete
behaviour is essential.

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SELF COMPACTING CONCRETE

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INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 Besides concrete, steel and wood are the
other two most commonly used construction
materials in the world.

A two-story wooden-frame house under A steel I-beam, in this case used to

construction support wood beams in a house.
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INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 In the US, for example, most residential
houses are built with wood and over half of
the office buildings are constructed with steel.
This is due to the abundant supply of both
materials, making them economical.

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INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 Steel, besides its use as structural members
on its own, is also used as reinforcements or
prestressing tendons for concrete structures.
 Understanding steel behaviour is hence an
important component in the studying of
reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete
design.

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INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 Bituminous materials are used all over the
world in the construction of road pavements.

01/19/21 19:21 A road in the process of being resurfaced. 10

INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 In recent years, polymers and
polymeric composites have been
gaining popularity in the construction
industry, due to their light weight
and good durability.
 Polymers have been used in pipes,
fabrics for large roofing as well as
geotextiles for slope protection.

01/19/21 19:21 Tail of an helicopter, made of CFRP

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INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 Reinforcing bars and grids have been made
with fiber reinforced composites to replace
metals in corrosive environments.
 Soil is also an important construction
material, but it is covered in a separate
course.

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INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 Masonry (bricks and blocks) are widely used
in building walls.

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INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
 In buildings, many non-structural materials
are also employed. These include floor and
wall coverings, tiles, glass, insulation
materials, sealants etc.
 Most of them are specified for aesthetic
purposes by the architect or the interior
designer.

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Insulating material used in
Glass structure
NICE building