 What is the importance of civil engineering materials?

Answer: Any material which has got application in engineering constructions is termed as civil
engineering materials .The following are the important engineering materials that are commonly
used in Bangladesh.

Stones, bricks and other structural clay products, lime, cement, surki and sand ,concrete ,iron,
steel, ferrous alloys, non ferrous metals and alloys , timber and timber products , bamboos ,soils,
bituminous materials, glass, plastic, paints, varnishes and rubber e.t.c .

The important features of all the engineering materials with respect to availabilities ,
manufactures, desire3able, properties, standard specifications and uses in engineering
constructions and in industries are discussed thoroughly in below :

 Many important historic valuable structures are made possible only because of civil
engineering material .like as Taj Mahal, Buddhists, temples and Kutub minar in India.
The pyramids of Egypt, the remains Grecian and Romans structure.
 Construction materials has long been a strength .Studies in construction materials are
intended to make structural , transportation and foundation engineers must have to be
aware of the fundamental properties materials .
 Civil engineers are often involved in building structures. They have to be known their
materials very well how they work, what they can do, how strong they are and also many
other details .The materials have to be reliably manufactured so they meet all the
expected standards.
 Like, cement is a binding materials used in engineering construction. It is manufactured
from calcareous substances .it is very useful and suitable and also superior to lime.
 As stones are available in large qualities in nature and as they have the essential structural
qualities such as strength, toughness, hardness. They are employed for the most of the
engineering constructions such as roads, buildings bridges, tunnels, harbors e.t.c.
 Hence it is evident that civil engineering materials are the most important factors for any
construction. Without these materials people never can be civilized and socialized.

2 (a)

 First class bricks : They should be of uniform size and color . Thoroughly and even
burnt . They should ring clearly when struck with hammer or another bricks. They should be
well shaped with even surfaces and without cracks . They should not absorb more than 1/6
thy of their weight of water when wet in water for 24 hours .
 USE :

 In R.B work .
 For flooring and walling purposes
 As ballast for R.C work
 Shaped bricks are used in carvings , arches and copings

2(b).

 Second class bricks : It is irregular in shape and size and also well burnt . It has a
rough surface .Its edges are neither straight nor well-defined .It is not free from lumps
and cracks . It does not have a uniform color .It has fine compact and uniform denture . It
shall have a minimum crushing strength of 7N/mm2 .

 USE : Such types of bricks are used in unimportant situation and for internal
walls .

2(c).

 Third class bricks: It has a light yellowish color . It is not well-burned. It is soft
when two bricks are struck a dull sound is emitted. It is associated with flows and
cracks .Its edges are irregular and surface quite rough .

 USE : It is used in inferior and temporary buildings.

2(d).

 Fourth class bricks : This are over burnt bricks .Their shapes will be irregular and
their color will be dark

 USE: They can be used as aggregates for cement concrete ,foundation , floors ,roads.
2(e).
 Hollow bricks : These are also called cavity or cellular bricks .The wall
thickness of such bricks will be 20-25 mm. They are light and are prepared from a
specimen variety of homogeneous clay.

 USE: They reduce transmission of heat, sound and dampen .They are also used
as partition walls.
2(f).
 Perforated Bricks : These contain hollow through their entire thickness .They
are lighter than standard bricks .

 USE: These are used for partition walls, loads bearing walls of low buildings
and panel walls of multistoried building.

2(g).

 Paving Bricks: These are also called kinkier bricks.

 USE: These of bricks are used internal flooring.

2(h).

 Common Bricks: In general, the characteristics of bricks reflect the way the
bricks are manufactured. T he harder a brick, is the longer lasting and more water
proof.

 USE: It is used in construction building walls, foundation e.t.c.

2(I). Facing Bricks: An extensive line of facing bricks. Those bricks that adorn the
faced or face of a structure .
  USE: It is used in front or side of the wall and also used in exposed wall faces.

2(J).

 Engineering Bricks: They must have strength greater than 125N/mm2 and
H2O absorption less than 4.5 percent.

 USE: It may be used in buildings road construction, handmade stocks, kerbs or

channel details .

2(K).

 Sand-faced Bricks: They are wire cut and rustic bricks.

 USE: It is used to help in bonding with mortar, reduce overall weight.

2(L).

 Rustic Brick s: It can increase the thermal mass of a building.

 USE: They are not appropriate for use in traditional buildings, can be used to
build wall, flush joints.

2(M).

 Handmade bricks: They are considerably more expensive to produce .It is

long shaped brick .It has durability and variety of colors.

 USE: For indoor and outdoor , vertical and horizontal use .

2(N).

 Machine made bricks: It has uniform and regular shape .

 USE: Most commonly used building materials.
2(O).

 Pale bricks: They are usually termed blocks, and are typically pale grey in
color, soft bricks.

 USE: It is used as refracting insulating material.

2(P).

 Body bricks: It is indestructible , has firing properties .

 USE: It is used in construction of foundation , retaining wall .

2(Q).

 Arch bricks : Their inner and outer faces will be curved .

 USE: These are used for curved portions of walls . these are required in the
construction of walls and towers.

2(R).

 Solid bricks : It is much more stable in the event of an earth quake or heavy
winds.
 USE: For making external wall, door, frames, external fittings e.t.c.

2(S).

 Thin bricks: The weight of mass of this bricks is less than the other
bricks .
 USE: It can be used for existing interior or exterior walls , a brick fire place
or a kitchen splash .

2(T).
  Glazed bricks : It is conventionally rough edged and ruddy .
 USE: It is used for structural walls , partition walls .

2(U).

 Building bricks : It has adsorption capacity compressive strength .

 USE: It is used for exterior and interior constructing structure .

2(V).

 Flower bricks : It looks like a flower vase .Sometimes it is called vase bricks .
 USE: It is mainly used for decorative purposes .

3.

 Advantages of bricks :

a. It is an incredibly hard wearing building material.

b. It is able to take the knocks of everyday life and weathered extremes .
c. They won’t fade, twist or wrap- , rot or decay , erode or dent .
d. Bricks have excellent thermal mass.
e. The density of brick makes for a quieter building compared to lighter weight materials.
f. Brick reduce external sound such as aircraft and road noise .
g. Brick has a classic , timeless quality .
h. Their compact , size , colors , textures and shapes provide infinite design options .

 Limitations of bricks :

a. It isn’t cheap, ranging anywhere from $12 to $40 per square foot.
b. It has high compressive strength under vertical loads but has low tensile strength .
c. It tends to be heavy and must be built upon a strong foundation .
d. Extreme weather ,under certain circumstances can cause degradation of brick wall.
e. It doesn’t lend itself well to mechanization .

4.
  Disadvantages of fly ash bricks :

a. Bonding is lower due to smooth finish .

b.Labour intensive.
c.Uneven shape.

 Advantages of fly ash bricks :

a. Due to perfect size savings in cement mortar for making the walls.
b. Strength of supplied lot is similar .
c. Plaster of paris can be applied directly without a backing coat of plaster.
d. lower water penetration .
e. High strength can be used for load bearing wall.
f. Eco-friendly using fly ash.

5.In Bangladesh hoffman’sklin burning process is mostly used for manufacturing of bricks .Kiln
burning is preferred when bricks are required to be manufactured in large quantities . The kiln
consists of a regular walled structure with proper arrangements for heating and the bricks are
arranged in regular stacks. A good kiln should supply the maximum number of well burnt high
class brick with less consumption of fuels .

Reasons :

1. Economy of foul .

2. Uniform burning of bricks .

3. Regulation of heat .

4. Preheating of unburnt bricks .

5. Higher perchantage of good bricks .

6.Regularity of supply.

7.No smoke as the combustion of the fuel is.

6.The qualities of good bricks are given below :

 1.Color :The color of the brick should be uniform , A good brick will be deep red, cherry
red or copper colored.

2. Size and shape: The size should corresponds to the stand specifications . The shape
should be uniform .

3. Texture : This should be fine , compact and uniform.

4. Haredenss :It should not be stretched by a finger nail . When two bricks are strike
with each other , their should be a clear metallic sound .

5. Fracture : The fractured surface of a brick should exhibit homogeneous and compact
structure .

6. Water absorption: When the brick is immersed in H2O for 24 hours . it should not
absorb water more than 20% of its weight.

7. Toughness: When dropped flat from a height of 1m , the brick should not break .

8. Crushing strength : This should be more than 105kgs/cm2.

9. Bricks should not conduct much heat and they should be sound proof.

7. The uses of bricks in the field of civil engineering :

1. Construction of walls of any size .

2. Construction of floors .

3. Construction of arches and cornices .

4. Making khoa to use as an aggregate in concrete.

5.Manufacturing of surki to be used in lime plaster and concrete.

Because of its high compressive strength , low tensile strength , natural effect thermal heat
resistance , sound resistance . That is why it is widely used in our country .

8. In this case , first I ensure the quality of first class bricks in such way :
 1. I will take a brick and try to make mark on the surface by nail .If I can make it then I
will be sure that it is not a good brick .

2. Again I’ll take a brick and strike it with a hammer . If it gives metallic sound ,It is a
good brick .

3.Then I will take two bricks and form a tee(T) and drop from a height of 6ft on a more
or less solid surface .If they unbroken . They are good bricks .

9.The functions of special bricks :

a. Bull-nosed bricks : This is used for a rounded quoin . Quion is the connecting bricks used
where a wall takes a turn .

b. Squint Bricks : These are used for constructing acute and obtuse squint quoins. They are
made in various shape .
c.Hollow bricks : These are also called cavity or cellular bricks .The wall thickness of such
bricks will be 20mm to 25 mm .They are light and are prepared from a special variety of
homogeneous clay. They reduced transmission of heat,sound and dampness . They are also used
for partition walls .

d.Circular bricks : These are used for curved portion of walls . Their inner and outer faces will
be curved . These are required in the construction of walls and towers.

e.Perforated Bricks : These contain hollows trough their entire thickness . These are used for
partitions walls , load bearing walls and panel walls of multistoried buildings.

f.Plinth bricks : These are formed in various structure like architecture patterns and are used to
increase the beauty of building and also to throw away the rain

g.Chekered bricks : These bricks are used in brick masonry.

h.Klinker bricks : These are used for internal flooring.

i.land-lime bricks : These are used for masonry construction.

10.The principle aspects of burning bricks:

When drying is complete, the bricks are burnt for the following purpose:

1.To impart hardness and strength to bricks.

2.To increase the density of bricks .To make them less absorbent to water and increasing
durability .Great care and skill are required in burning bricks because under burnt bricks are soft
and useless .Well burnt bricks are hard, strong ,compact and durable . Over burnt bricks will
vitrify and hence not sound .

During drying free water contained in clay gets removed due to evaporation , but the water
which incorporated with the clay in the form of water of crystallization is removed only when the
bricks are burnt .Bricks are burnt in clamps kilns where the temperature is raised to about 2100o
F. At a temperature of about 1200oF the organic matter present in the bricks is oxidized and
disappears. When the temperature raised about 2100oF, certain chemical changes takes place in
its constituents. Minerals , giving new properties to the brick.

11.The qualities of bricks are influenced by the different process of manufacture .

Like, sun dined bricks are dried with the help of heat received from the sun after the
process of molding. These bricks can only be used in construction of temporary and cheap
structures. Such bricks should not be used at places exposed to heavy rain .

Burnt bricks which are burnt in a clamp or kiln after molding and drying. These are hard,
strong and durable and are generally used in permanent works. These bricks are lead to the
classification of bricks as 1st , 2nd , 3rd class bricks .

A first class brick is regular and well burnt . Edges are sharp and well-defined. It is
sufficiently hard and sound. Its surface is smooth clean and free from cracks .

A second class brick is also burnt and irregular in shape and size. It has rough surface. Its
edges are neither straight nor well defined. It has fine, compact and uniform texture.

A third class brick has a light yellowish color .It is not well burnt , It is soft . Its edges are
irregular and surface quite rough .

12.

Advantages of stone as a building material :

a. Stone is suitable to any budget.

b. It is lightweight, so it is quite easy to install the pieces with little to no effort .

c. There are many different colors and textures available.

d. The use of stone in an eco friendly construction.

e. Unecological in terms in terms of transport costs.

Disadvantages of stone :

a. This is natural manufactured stone .

b. Stone may experience chipping and scratching.

c. It is not as durable as natural stone .

d. Stones are very expensive.

e. Stones are very heavy making them hard to build.

f. Stone take a long time to build.

g. More specialized skills are needed to build them.

13.Soaking of bricks :

Soaking is to make something saturated in water .Most of us think that making bricks
wetted is the soaking .To make bricks saturated with water is called brick soaking.Our purpose is
not to make bricks wetted but make it saturated with water.

14.Defects of clay bricks :

1.Over burning of bricks : Bricks should be burned at which incipient, complete however
bricks are over burnt , a soft molten mass is produced and the bricks lose their shape. Such
bricks are not used for construction works.

2.Under burning of bricks : When bricks are not burnt to cause complete vitnification the clay
is not soaffeued because of insufficient heat and the pores are not closed . This result in higher
degree of absorption and less compressive strength. Such bricks are not recommended for
construction works .

3.Bloating : This defect observed as spongy swollen mass over the surface of burned brick is
caused due to the presence of excess carbonaceous matter and sulpher in brick clay.

4.Black core :When brick clay contains bituminous matter the brick results in black core.

5.Efflorescence : This defect is caused because of alkaline salt.

6.Chuffs : The deformation of the shape of bricks caused by the rain water falling on hot bricks
is known as chuffs.

7.Cracks : This defect may be because of damps of lime or excess of water.

8. Spots : Iron sulphide , if present in the brick clay, results in dark surface spots on the brick
surface.
9.Blisters : Broken blisters are caused on the surface of bricks which is used for drainage
system.

10.Laminations : These are caused by the entrapped air in the voids of clay.

15.White bricks are produced. But natural white brick does not exist. White bricks are perfect to
achieve a ‘shabby chic’ style. From rustic cottage homes to stately buildings , white bricks are
used.