Basics about Civil Engineering Materials

Civil Engineering Materials

What is Civil Engineering Materials:

• Engineering structures are composed of materials and are known as the engineering materials or building materials. Hence, Building materials have an important role to play in this modern age of technology. Building stones are obtained from rocks, are derived into three groups viz., Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic rocks.
• The material cost in a building ranges 30 to 50 percent cost of the total project cost.. 

Selection of a site for Quarrying:

• Availability of Raw material, Tools, Power, Labor.
• Space for dumping of refuse material.
• Distance of quarry from roads, railways..
• Proximity to the transportation facilities.
• Easy availability of clean water in sufficient quantity throughout the year.
• Economy in quarrying
• Blasting material availability
• Absence of permanent structures
• Geological data regarding rock formations.

Civil Engineering Materials Includes:

• Stones and Bricks: Bricks are the most commonly used construction material. Bricks are prepared by moulding clay in rectangular blocks of uniform size and then drying and burning these blocks.
• Lime: Cement refers to material which acts as a binding substance. In construction and civil engineering cement is used to bind structural members for construction of buildings, pavements, bridges, tunnels, roads and highways etc.                                              
• Cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens and can bind other materials together. Cements used in construction can be characterized as being either hydraulic or non-hydraulic, depending upon the ability of the cement to be used in the presence of water.
• Timber: Timber is the oldest material used by humans for construction after stone. Despite its complex chemical nature, wood has excellent properties which lend themselves to human use. The wood suitable for construction of building or for other engineering purposes is called Timber.
• Concrete and Mortar: Concrete is a composite material composed mainly of water, aggregate, and cement. Often, additives and reinforcements are included in the mixture to achieve the desired physical properties of the finished material.
• Metals and Miscellaneous Materials.

Mechanical Properties of Materials:

1. Strength
2. Elasticity
3. Plasticity
4. Ductility
5. Brittleness
6. Toughness
7. Malleability
8. Hardness
9. Stiffness
10. Creep
11. Fatigue Strength