IMU222
Materials of Construction I
Course Objectives
• To develop a basic understanding of key
material properties, requirements, and related
behavior characteristics of typical construction
materials.
Course Content
◼ Types
◼ Production methods
◼ Uses in construction
◼ Properties and related tests of the following
materials of construction:
• Building Stones • Cements
• Metals • Mineral Aggregates
• Clay Products • Concrete
• Gypsum • Timber
• Lime
Course Content
❖ These materials are used in all civil
engineering structures such as; buildings,
bridges, highways, railways, tunnels, dams,
harbor structures, towers & etc.
Grading Component Contribution percentage
Midterms (1-2) 20-20
Homeworks 5
Lab Report 10
Project 10
Final Exam 35
Bonus Quiz 5
CLASSIFICATION OF CIVIL
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
1. According to their phases
2. According to their internal structure &
chemical composition
Phase Classification
1. Gases : Air, oxygen, CO2
2. Liquids : Water, chemical admixtures
3. Semi-solids : Fresh pastes, mortars, asphalt
4. Solids : Metals, hardened concrete
Internal Structure & Chemical
Composition Classification
1. Metals : (formed by metallic bonds)
A. Ferrous (iron, cast iron, steel)
B. Non-ferrous (aluminum, copper, zinc, lead)
2. Polymers : (long chains having molecules
of C, H, O, N which are formed by
covalent bonding. The chains are bound to
each other either by covalent bonds or
Van der Waal’s forces.)
A. Natural (rubber, asphalt, resins, wood)
B. Artificial (plastics)
Internal Structure & Chemical
Composition Classification
3. Ceramics : (mainly aluminosilicates formed by mixed
bonding, covalent and ionic)
A. Structural clay products (bricks, tiles, pipes)
B. Porcelains
4. Composite Materials :materials made by combining
two or more constituent materials with different
physical or chemical properties
A. Natural (agglomerates)
B. Artificial (Portland cement, concrete)
Internal Structure & Chemical
Composition Classification
5. Reinforced Composite Materials : engineered
materials composed of a matrix and a
reinforcement phase, designed to enhance
mechanical properties (reinforced concrete,
reinforced plastics, fiber-reinforced polymers)
➢ One of the most important task of an engineer is
to select the most suitable material for a given
civil engineering structure.
Factors Determining the Choice
of Proper Material for a Structure
➢ Strength and rigidity Requirements
– Permanent loading → Creep Strength
– Repeated loading → Fatique Strength
– Impact loading → Toughness & Resilience
– Surface loading → Hardness & Resistance to abrasion
➢ Environmental Requirements/ Durability
– Temperature change → coefficient of thermal conductivity
– Moisture movement → permeability
– Chemical effects → chemical composition
Factors Determining the Choice
of Proper Material for a Structure
➢ Economy. Choose the cheaper & available
materials considering
– Initial cost
– Useful life
– Frequency of maintenance
– Cost of maintenance
– Salvage value
– Comfortability
Example: Comparison of concrete
pavement vs. asphalt pavement for
economy.
Concrete Asphalt
Initial Cost – +
Useful Life + –
Frequency of Repair + –
Cost of Repair – +
Salvage Value + +
Comfortability – +
General Properties of Civil
Engineering Materials
◼ Physical **
◼ Mechanical **
◼ Chemical
◼ Other
– Thermal, Acoustical, Optical, Electrical
** Most CE Applications Focus on Physical
& Mechanical Properties
Physical Properties
◼ Properties of physical structure
– density – surface energy
– specific gravity – texture (micro, macro)
– porosity – other (color, thermal
– permeability expansion, shape)
Mechanical Properties
◼ Resistance to applied loads (stress)
initially & over time
– stiffness – tension
– strength – compression
– fracture / yielding – flexure (bending)
(brittle / ductile) – torsion
– direct shear
– multiaxial
Chemical Properties
◼ Chemical composition, potential
reaction with environment
– oxide content
– carbonate content
– acidity, alkalinity
– resistance to corrosion
Determining the Properties
of Civil Engineering Materials
➢ Properties of materials are determined by
• Laboratory testing
• Field testing.
➢ To avoid inconsistencies in test results
STANDARDS are devised which describe
the test apparatus and the procedure.
Items that are usually
standardized in a test are:
◼ Obtaining test specimens and number of specimens
◼ Size and shape of the specimen
◼ Preparation of specimens for testing
◼ Temperature & moisture during preparation &
testing
◼ Type of machinery
◼ Rate of loading
◼ Interpretation of test results
◼ Writing a report
Standardization Institutes
➢ Turkey - Turkish Standards Institute (TSE)
➢ England - British Standards Institute (BSI)
➢ Germany - Deutsche Institute Norm (DIN)
➢ U.S. - American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM)
➢ Europe - European Committee for
Standardization (CEN)
CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS
➢ Although there are several different
materials which have adhesive properties,
three types are of particular interest to civil
engineers.
◼ Glues : materials of gelatinous nature
derived from vegetable or animal sources.
◼ Bituminous Materials : complex hydrocarbon
◼ Various Compounds of Calcium : gypsum,
lime, cements
CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS
➢ Cementitious materials are substances
which, upon certain chemical reactions
attain binding properties
➢Non-hydraulic cements (gypsum and lime)
➢Hydraulic cements (portland cement)
➢ Hydraulicity is that property of gaining
binding value when mixed with water and
remaining stable when exposed to water.
