Construction Materials’ Properties Free Essay Example

Hooke’s law is the elastic limit of a solid so this is the stress/strain of the buildings weight.

Young’s Modulus of elasticity

This where a mechanical property’s that measures the stiffness of a solid material. It defines the strain and stress on the material. He said the compression only goes one way. With a metal bar it could be stretched and compressed and it will still be the same length.

Key properties of construction materials

All of the materials have to be weather resistance so rain doesn’t come into the roof and the wind hits the side of the building it isn’t going to fall down

All materials have to be fire resistance so if you catch an egg on fire it will not burn down the house or building this is why you have fire doors and things like fire resistance so they use less likely materials that will catch fire so they uses reinforced wood with metal or something that has a low fire risk.

Brick

• Compressive Strength- it ranges between what brick you are using if there is water in it reduces the compression rate and thermal resistance.
• Density- it varies generally around 1.85g/cm3
• Heat tolerance- because it is a brick and the do not burn this makes the heat tolerance really.

Steel

• Density- it is really high around 7.8g/cm23
• Compressive strength- it is high steel can be subject to shearing forces under high compression loads. Shearing forces act parallel to the plane of the steel and caused a sliding failure.
• Heat tolerance – the heat tolerance is high, carbon steel begins to lose strength at temperatures above 3000C and reduces in strength at a steady rate up to 8000C.

Concrete

• Density- varies. Depends on the mix, High density concrete is about 2.5g/cm3; low density concrete is 0.4 to 2.0g/cm3.
• Heat tolerance- high
• Compressive strength- if the mass of water in a concrete mixture is 40kg and the mass of is 80kg. the free water to cement ratio is 40/80 = 0.5.

Got information on Page 90 in edexcel construction BTEC first core units

Forces on construction materials (page 90)

The forces are gravity this is where materials are pulled down towards the ground and friction is where stuff is rubbed together like if its windy the tiles on your roof will move and rub together this will make the tiles more likely to where out and make holes in it.

Steel

The stress on a is very high, steel can be subject to shearing forces under high compression loads shearing forces act parallel to the plane of steel and cause a sliding failure

Steel can take a lot of force such as the weight of a building on top of it.

Concrete

It varies on what type of aggregate used, air content and the free water to cement ratio

Concrete is strong in some ways but when it comes to tensile strength it is not good at all it can n0t take much tension unless you add steel to it and make it reinforced concrete.

Brick

The compressive strength ranges from 4 to 180Nmm2

The forces acting on bricks is down force because the weight of a house is pushing down on the bricks can cause them to crack or even smash this in the worst scenario can knock out bricks and you could louse a wall.

Nature of Forces acting upon construction materials

The natures acting upon most of construction materials some of it is compressive on suck as walls and foundations this is where the weight of the building is pushing down on them pushing it further into the ground. So you have to counter act the weight to stop the building just sinking into the ground.

Steel

In a real life situation if you have a door there is a joist that is getting compressed down from the rest of the building and it is trying to hold the door together pulling it in so it doesn’t just fall over.

• The heat tolerance- high carbon steel begins to lose strength at temperatures above 3000C and reduce in strength at a steady rate up to 8000C
• Corrosion resistance- medium to high stainless steel containing nickel and chromium is highly resistant to corrosion and fire
• Modulus of elasticity- is high
• Density- is high, 7.8g/cm3

Concrete

In everyday use of concrete you have use them in walls so the wall doesn’t just fall over.

• Modulus of elasticity-is high concrete is very stiff and brittle
• Heat tolerance – is very high
• Corrosion resistance – relatively low concrete contains calcium carbonate, which is soluble in acids, such as rainwater it also reacts with iron oxide (rust)

Well let’s take a dam it is a huge lump of concrete that stops water from rushing down a river and also to save water for cities, towns and villages the pressures on that are huge

Density- varies. Depends on the mix, High density concrete is about 2.5g/cm3; low density concrete is 0.4 to 2.0g/cm3.

Bricks

• Modulus of elasticity- is very high
• Heat tolerance – is very high especially as the way they are made is cooked in a giant oven at 700-11000C
• Corrosion resistance – medium bricks can be subject to frost and salt damage

One of nature’s biggest conurbations is gravity so if you don’t make your walls fall down if they are not level or plum they will fall down

Density- varies. Generally around 1.85g/cm3

Gravitational forces

When they are lifting things you have to think about the gravitational force trying to pull the let’s say a pipe gravity will want to pull into the ground.