Building & Building Materials
Building: Is a closed human made world/space in the nature with use of
different construction materials. The birth of the building by human in the
god creation due to the followings;
History tells us many years ago, the open nature/world called as Earth
created by super power called as god by integration of different elements
like sun, rain, wind, humidity, snow, frost etc. He also created/introduced
other living creatures in his creation. The god was given more importance
to the human beings in his creation as king/ruler. This whole creation of
god looking very beautiful.
•Some of the elements in the nature like sun, rain, wind, snow and frost creating un-
comfortable living conditions according to various seasons and also some of the wild
creatures in the god creation are started to hunt the humans. So the human was stared to
run-away from the dangerous elements to safe place to protect him-self.
He was running and running but he couldn’t find any safe place on his way in the open
nature. Then he was trying to built his own world in the form of closed space is called
as shelter by using of different ingredients called as building construction materials to
built his own world.
Building Material:
It is an element or any one substance that used to built shelter. Building material have
an important role to play in traditional and modern age of construction activities.
There are certain general factors which affect the choice of materials and the most
important of these is the climatic background.
Due to more construction of buildings and various processes of production, a
great variety of requirements are placed upon building materials called as
material properties such as strength, resistance durability etc.
The principal properties of building materials predetermine their applications.
Only a comprehensive knowledge of the properties of materials allows a rational
choice of materials for specific service conditions.
Why an Architect Needs Building Materials?
The profession of an architect is not only design/creation of any structure, but he
should select the suitable material availability to his design, climatic condition of area,
type of construction and so on to make sustainable, affordable and eco-friendly
building.
The architect should know building materials classification, properties etc. Unless
otherwise the newly design building cannot provide comfortable living conditions to
the occupants after construction.
He can also know the various methods/process to get various building materials,
their applications and construction techniques because building material is an
important contributor in our national economy as its output governs both the rate and
the quality of construction work.
Building Materials Classification:
a) Building materials are classified in to two groups in nature such as;
• The organic group materials contains carbon is the basic element example timber,
plastics, asphalt, bitumen etc.
• The inorganic group material contains silica, calcareous, calcium argillaceous
compounds example clay, iron, copper etc.
b) Building materials could also be classified based on availability in nature and
manmade world;
Naturally occurring materials like earth/clay, stone, sand, timber, lime.
Manufacturing materials like metals plastics, paints, cement concrete, mortar,
bricks/blocks
c) Another way of classification of building materials are based on their characters;
Solid building materials like stones, bricks, blocks, metals etc;
Binding materials like gypsum, lime, cement, clay, bitumen etc;
Finishing materials like paints, varnish, distemper etc;
Insulating materials like rock wool, glass wool, expanded clay etc.
Building Materials Properties: The properties of building materials
basically falls under three groups.
• Physical properties
• Chemical properties
• Mechanical /strength properties.
Physical properties: Physical property of a building material is includes;
o Durability
o Fire resistance
o Sound transmission
o Water absorption
o Thermal resistance
o Specific weight
o Density
o Bulk-density
o Specific gravity
o Porosity
o Permeability etc.
Mechanical properties: Mechanical properties of building materials are;
Strength
Plasticity
Bending,
Compressive
Tensile,
Hardness,
Elasticity
Abrasion resistance.
Chemical Properties: It is the composed or involving the various substances
to made/produced naturally/artificially.
