Various
materials are used for constructing buildings, bridges, roads, retaining walls
and dams.
1.
Stones
2.
Bricks
3. Sand
4.
Reinforcing steel
5. Cement
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Material of house construction |
6. Plain
cement concrete (PCC)
7.
Reinforced cement concrete (RCC)
8.
Prestressed concrete (PSC)
9.
Precast concrete and
STONE
Stone is
a naturally available building material, which has been used from the early age
of
The
following is the list of uses of stone:
1. Stone
masonry is used for constructing foundations, walls, columns and arches in a
2.
Stones are used as flooring materials. Marble which is having good appearance
is used
3. Stone slabs are used as damp proof courses, lintels and sometimes even as roofing material.
4. Stones with good appearance are used for the face works of buildings. Polished marble and granite are commonly used materials for the face works.
5.
Stones are used for paving of roads, foot path and open spaces around the
buildings.
6.
Crushed stones with murram are used to provide base course for roads. When very
7.
Crushed stones are used for the following:
(i)
As a basic inert material (jelly/coarse aggregate) in concrete.
(ii)
As railway ballast.
(iii)
For making artificial stones and hollow building blocks.
8.
Stones are also used in construction of piers and abutments of bridges.
9. Stone
is commonly used as basic construction material in buildings, retaining walls
and
1.
Availability of stones within a reasonable distance from the cities is becoming
scare. As
2.
Labour cost for handling and dressing of stones is high.
3. As
the surfaces of stones are not uniform, mortar consumed in stone masonry is
high.
4.
Mortar bricks and hollow concrete blocks which are easy to handle and consume
less
5.
R.C.C. and steel are more dependable materials for their uniformity of strength
and
BRICKS
Bricks
are obtained by moulding good clay into blocks, which are dried and then burnt.
This is
1. As
building blocks.
2. For
lining of ovens, furnaces and chimneys.
3. To
encase steel columns to protect them from fire.
4. For
providing water proofing course to R.C.C. roofs.
5. For making footpaths and
cycle tracks in cities.
SAND
Sand is
used as a base course to place flooring tiles so as to get level surface. In
construction
1. It
contains salt and hence structure remains damp. The mortar is affected by
efflorescence
2. It
contains shells and organic matter, which decompose after some time and reduce
the
Sand can
be obtained artificially by crushing stones also. In crushing stones to get
coarse
Sand is
used in mortar and concrete for the following purpose:
1. It
subdivides the paste of binding material into thin films and allows it to
adhere and
2. It
fills up the gap between the two building blocks and spreads the binding
material.
3. It
adds to the density of mortars and concrete.
4. It
prevents shrinkage of cementing material.
5. It
allows carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to reach some depth and thereby
improves
6. The
cost of cementing material per unit volume is reduced as this low cost material
7. Silica of sand
contributes to formation of silicates resulting into hardened mass..
REINFORCING
STEEL
Steel is
an alloy of ferrous metal with 0.25 to 1.5 per cent of carbon. Higher the
carbon content,
1. Mild
steel
2. High
Yield Strength Deformed bars (HYSD)/TOR steel and
3. High
tensile steel.
Mild Steel
It
contains carbon upto 0.23 to 0.25%. Higher value is permitted for bars of 20 mm
and above
HYSD Bars/TOR Steel
Two
types of TOR steel bars are available. They are Fe-415 and Fe-500. The number
associated
High
Tensile Bars
High
tensile steel bars are made with 0.8 % carbon and 0.6 % manganese apart from
small
CEMENT
Cement
is manufactured by calcifying calcarious material (lime) and argillaceous
material (shale
PLAIN CEMENT
CONCRETE
The
intimate mixture of cement, sand, coarse aggregate (jelly) and water is known
as plain cement
Uses of
plain cement concrete is listed below:
1. As
bed concrete below the wall footings, column footings and on walls below beams.
2. As
sill concrete to get a hard and even surface at window and ventilator sills.
3. As
coping concrete over the parapet and compound walls.
4. For
flagging the area around the buildings.
5. For
making pavements.
6. For making tennis
courts, basket ball courts etc.
REINFORCED
CEMENT CONCRETE
Concrete
is good in resisting compressive stress but is very weak in resiting tensile
stresses.
Uses of
R.C.C.
1.
R.C.C. is used as a structural member wherever bending of the member is
expected. The
(a)
Footing
(b)
Columns
(c)
Beams, lintels
(d)
Chejjas, roof slabs
(e)
Stairs.
2.
R.C.C. is used for the construction of storage structures like:
(a)
Water tanks
(b)
Dams
(c)
Silos, bunkers
3. They
are used for the construction of
(a)
Bridges
(b)
Retaining walls
(c)
Docks and harbours
(d)
Under water structures
4.
R.C.C. is used for building tall structures like
(a)
Multistorey buildings
(b)
Chimneys
(c)
Towers.
5.
R.C.C. is used for paving
(a)
High ways
(b)
City roads
(c) Airports
6.
R.C.C. is used in atomic plants to prevent radiation. For this purpose R.C.C.
walls built
PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE (PSC)
In
prestressed concrete elements, calculated compressive stresses are introduced
in the zone
1. Beams
and girders.
2. Slabs
and grid floors.
3. Pipes
and tanks
4.
Poles, piles, sleepers and pavements.
5. Shell and folded plate roofs
PRECAST
CONCRETE
Usually
concrete structures are built by casting them in their final position in the
site by providing
1. Pipes
and tanks
2.
Poles, piles, sleepers and pavement
3.
Lintel beams
4. Beams
and girders
5.
Building blocks
6. Wall
panels
7. Manhole covers
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