INTRODUCTION

In today’s technological age, building materials play an important role. Although

construction is their most common application, no field of engineering would be complete
without these materials. The construction materials industry is also a significant contributor to
our national economy because its output influences both the rate and quality of construction
work.

Because of the vast range of applications for buildings and installations, as well as the
diverse manufacturing processes, building materials must meet a wide range of requirements,
including strength at low and high temperatures, resistance to ordinary and sea water, acids and
alkalis, and so on.

The properties of building materials are used to divide them Into distinct groups. The
properties of building materials are dictated by their primary applications. Only a thorough
understanding of material properties allows for rational material selection for specific service
conditions.

Building materials (or construction materials) may vary in their physical, mechanical, and
chemical properties. Also, the ability of these materials for carrying loads may vary as well.
Furthermore, the ability of their resistance to the natural condition can be different. Therefore,
engineers must study the properties of building materials since it will help them to select the
suitable materials at the lowest possible cost.

Building materials that are used in a specific project service for different purposes and
must meet the requirements for that project. For example, structural materials should have
suitable mechanical properties to resist the applied loads, waterproof materials should be
impermeable and water-resistant, wall materials should be able to insulate heat and sound. Also,
in general, building materials should be durable against external factors such as wind, rain, and
sun.
PROPERTIES OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
For a material to be considered as building material, it should have required engineering
properties suitable for construction works. These properties of building materials are responsible
for its quality and capacity and helps to decide applications of these material. Such properties of
building materials are categorized as follows.
 Physical properties
 Mechanical properties
 Chemical properties
 Electrical properties
 Magnetic properties
 Thermal properties

(1) Physical Properties of Building Materials

These are the properties required to estimate the quality and condition of the material
without any external force. The physical properties of engineering materials are as follows.

1.1 Bulk density

Bulk density is the ratio of mass
to the volume of the material in its
natural state that is including voids and
pores. It is expressed in kg/m3. Bulk
density influences the mechanical
properties of materials like strength,
heat and conductivity etc. bulk density
values of some of the engineering
materials are given in the table..
1.2 Porosity
Porosity gives the volume of the material occupied by pores. It is the ratio of volume of
pores to the volume of material. The pores are small units in the material that are filled with
water or air, and the pores can be open (continuous) or closed offline. Pores are important in
giving the thermal insulation property of the material, but at the same time, the large ratio of
pores affects the resistance of this material to the loads. Porosity gives the volume of the material
occupied by pores. It is the ratio of volume of pores to the volume of material. Porosity
influences many properties like thermal conductivity, strength, bulk density, durability etc.

1.3 Durability
The property of a material to withstand against the combined action of atmospheric and
other factors is known as durability of material. If the material is more durable, it will be useful
for longer life. Maintenance cost of material is dependent of durability.

1.4 Density
Density is the ratio of mass of the
material to its volume in homogeneous state.
Almost all the physical properties of materials
are influenced by its density values. Density
values of some building materials are given in
the table.

1.5 Density index

Ratio of bulk density of material to its density is termed as density index. Hence it gives
the volume of solid matter in the material. In nature, fully dense material is not available so,
density index is always less than 1 for any building material.
1.6 Specific gravity
Specific gravity is the ratio of mass of given substance to the mass of water at 4oC for the
equal volumes. Specific gravity of some materials is listed below.

1.7 Fire resistance

The ability to withstand against fire without changing its shape and other properties. Fire
resistance of a material is tested by the combined actions of water and fire. Fireproof materials
should provide more safety in case of fire.. When exposed to fire or high temperatures for an
extended period of time, fire resistance materials scorch, smoulder, and ignite with difficulty, but
only burn or smoulder in the presence of flame.

1.8 Frost resistance

Frost resistance refers to a material’s capacity to withstand repeated freezing and thawing
while losing significant mechanical strength. Under these conditions, the water held within the
pores expands in volume by up to 9% when frozen. As a result pore walls are subjected to
significant pressures and may possibly fail. Denser materials will have more frost resistance.
Moist material have low frost resistance and they lose their strength in freezing and become
brittle.

1.9 Weathering resistance

 The property of a material to withstand against all atmospheric actions without losing its
strength and shape. Weathering effects the durability of material. For example corrosion occurs
in iron due to weathering. To resist this, paint layer is provided.

1.10 Spalling resistance

The ability of a material to undergo certain number of cycles of sharp temperature
variations without failing is known as spalling resistance. It is the dependent of coefficient of
linear expansion.

1.11 Water absorption

The capacity of a material to absorb and retain water in it is known as water absorption. It
is expressed in % of weight of dry material. It depends up on the size, shape and number of pores
of material. It is expressed using the formula:
W =((M2-M1)/M1) *100%
Where:
M2:Wet weight
M1: dry weight
W: absorb ratio

1.12 Water permeability

The ability of a material to permit
water through it is called water
permeability. Dense materials like glass
metals etc. are called impervious materials
which cannot allow water through it.

1.13 Hygroscopicity
Hygroscopicity is the property of a material to absorb water vapor from the air. It depends
on the relative humidity, porosity, air temperature etc.

1.14 Refractoriness
 The ability of a material to tolerate continuous high temperature action without melting
or losing shape is referred to as refractoriness. Refractory materials can withstand temperatures
of 1580°C or higher for extended periods of time. Low-melting materials can survive
temperatures below 1350°C, but high-melting materials can withstand temperatures ranging from
1350°C –1580°C. Example: fire clay is high refractory material.

(2) Mechanical Properties of Building Materials

Mechanical properties of the materials are find out by applying external forces on
them. These are very important properties which are responsible for behavior of a material in
its job. The mechanical properties are,

2.1 Strength
The capacity of a material to resist failure caused by loads acting on it is called as
strength. The load may be compressive, tensile or bending. It is determined by dividing the
ultimate load taken by the material with its cross sectional area. Strength is an important property
for any construction materials. So, to provide maximum safety in strength, factor of safety is
provided for materials and it is selected depending on nature of work, quality of material,
economic conditions etc. The relevance of researching multiple strengths is underlined by the
fact that materials like stones and concrete have strong compressive strength but poor tensile,
bending, and impact strength.

2.2 Hardness
The property of a material to resist scratching by a harder body. Mohs Scale is used to
determine the hardness of a material. It’s a list of ten minerals sorted in ascending hardness order.
Indentation of a steel ball is used to determine the hardness of metals and polymers. Hardness is
most important to decide the usage of particular aggregate. It also influences the workability.
2.3 Elasticity
The capacity of a material to regain its initial shape and size after removal of load is
known as elasticity and the material is called as elastic material. Ideally elastic materials obey
Hooke’s law in which stress is directly proportional to strain. Which gives modulus of elasticity
as the ratio of unit stress to unit deformation. Higher the value of modulus of elasticity lower the
deformations.

2.3 Plasticity
When the load is applied on the material, it will undergo permanent deformation without
cracking and retain this shape after the removal of load then it is said to be plastic material and
this property is called as plasticity. They give resistance against bending, impact etc.
Examples: steel, hot bitumen etc.

2.4 Brittleness
When the material is subjected to load, if it fails suddenly without causing any
deformation then it is called brittle material and this property is called as brittleness.
Examples: concrete, cast-iron etc.
2.5 Fatigue
If a material is subjected to repeated loads, then the failure occurs at some point which is
lower than the failure point caused by steady loads. This behavior is known as fatigue.

2.6 Impact Strength

If a material is subjected to sudden loads and it will undergo some deformation without
causing rupture is known as its impact strength. It designates the toughness of material.

2.7 Abrasion Resistance

The loss of material due to rubbing of particles while working is called abrasion. The
abrasion resistance for a material makes it durable and provided long life.

2.8 Creep
Creep the deformation caused by constant loads for long periods. It is time dependent and
occurs at very slow rate. It is almost negligible in normal conditions. But at high temperature
conditions creep occur rapidly.

(3) Chemical Properties

The properties of materials against the chemical actions or chemical combinations are
termed as chemical properties. And they are

3.1 Chemical Resistance

As the name suggests, chemical resistance describes a material’s ability to withstand
acids, alkalis, sea water and gases. Natural stone materials, such as limestone, marble, and
dolomite, are degraded by even weak acids, wood is acid and alkali resistant, and bitumen
disintegrates when exposed to alkali liquors. Underground installations, constructions near sea
etc. should be built with great chemical resistance.

3.2 Corrosion Resistance

 Formation of rust (iron oxide) in metals, when they are subjected to atmosphere is called
as corrosion. So, the metals should be corrosive resistant. To increase the corrosion resistance
proper measures should be considered. Otherwise it will damage the whole structure.

(4) Electrical Properties of Construction Materials

The properties of a material to conduct or to resist electricity through them are called
electrical properties of material.

4.1 Resistivity
It is the property of material which resists the flow of electric current through material. It
is the reciprocal of conductivity. It is denoted by ‘ρ’. Resistivity of a material of a conductor can
be determined as below

Where, ‘R’ is the resistance of conductor in Ω.

‘A’ is the cross sectional area of conductor in m2
‘l’ is the length of the conductor in meter SI unit of resistivity of
is Ω¦-meter. Resistivity of some materials is listed below
4.2 Conductivity
It is the property of material that allows the flow of electric current through material. It is
a parameter which indicates that how easily electric current can flow through the material. It is
denoted by ‘σ’. Conductivity of material is the reciprocal of resistivity. Conductivity of material
can be determined by,

Its SI unit is 1/(Ω-meter) or ℧/meter.

4.3 Dielectric Strength

It is the property of material which indicates the ability of material to withstand at high
voltages. Generally it is specified for insulating material to represent their operating voltage. A
material having high dielectric strength can withstand at high voltages. Generally, it is
represented in the unit of KV/cm.

4.4 Temperature Coefficient of Resistance

The temperature coefficient of resistance of a material indicates the change in resistance
of material with change in temperature. Resistance of conductor changes with change of
temperature.
The rise in resistance of a material with rise in temperature depends on following things,

1. R2 – R1 ∝ R1
2. R2 – R1 ∝ t2 – t1
3. Property of material of conductor.
Where, R1 is the resistance of conductor at temperature of t1oC and R2 is the resistance
of conductor at temperature of t2oC.
Hence, from above, R2 – R1 ∝ R1 (t2 – t1) Or, R2 – R1 = α1 R1 (t2 – t1) ⇒ R2 = R1 [1 +
α1 (t2 – t1)]
 Where, α1 is temperature coefficient of resistance of material at temperature of t1oC. Its
unit is /oC. Temperature coefficient of resistance of material is also depends on temperature.

4.5 Thermoelectricity
If the junction, formed by joining to two metals, is heated, a small voltage in the range of
millivolt is produced. This effect is called thermoelectricity or thermoelectric effect. This effect
forms the basis of operation of thermocouples and some temperature based transducers. This
effect can be used to generate electricity, to measure the temperature and to measure the change
is temperature of objects.

(5) Magnetic Properties of Construction Materials

The magnetic property of a material is the atomic or subatomic response a material to an
applied magnetic field wherein the electron spin and charge create a dipole moment and a
magnetic field.

5.1 Diamagnetic
These materials are like magnets with weak repellent powers. When you put them near a
magnet, they try to push away from it, but the effect is very weak.
Examples: water, copper, wood

5.2 Paramagnetic
Paramagnetic materials are like magnets that want to stick to each other when near a
magnetic field. They become a bit like mini-magnets themselves, but only when in the presence
of a stronger magnet.
Examples: oxygen, aluminum, platinum

5.3 Ferromagnetic
These are like super magnets. They’re naturally magnetic even without being near
another magnet. When your put them near a magnet, they can become even stronger magnets
themselves.
Examples: iron, nickel, and cobalt
 (6) Thermal Properties of Construction Materials
6.1 Thermal Capacity
It is the property of a material to absorb heat and it is required to design proper
ventilation. It influences the thermal stability of walls. It is expressed in J/N oC and it is
calculated by below formula. Thermal capacity, T = [H/(M(T2 – T1))] Where H = quantity of
heat required to increase the temperature from T1 to T2 T1 = Initial temperature T2 = Final
temperature M = Mass of material in N.

6.2 Thermal Conductivity

The amount of heat transferred through unit area of specimen with unit thickness in unit
time is termed as thermal conductivity. It is measured in kelvins. It depends on material structure,
porosity, density and moisture content. High porous materials, moist materials have more
thermal conductivity.

6.3 Thermal Resistivity

It is the ability to resist heat conduction. And it is the reciprocal of thermal conductivity.
When it is multiplied by thickness of material it gives thermal resistance. Thermal resistivity of
soil varies from 30 to 500 0C-cm/W.

6.4 Specific Heat

Specific heat is the quantity of heat required to heat 1 N of material by 1oC. Specific heat
is useful when we use the material in high temperature areas. Specific heat values of some
engineering materials are given below.
MATERIAL SPECIFIC HEAT J/N°C

Steel 0.046 x 10^3

Wood 0.239 to 0.27 x 10^3

Stone 0.075 to 0.09 X 10^3

 CONCLUSION

It is imperative to understand that the materials commonly used in modern construction

behave differently considering its individual properties (i.e., its physical, chemical, mechanical,
thermal, magnetic, and electrical properties). The success, fulfillment, and durability of
structures greatly depend not only on the quality of materials, but also to the aforementioned
properties. The knowledge on these properties would provide information on the extent of load
tolerance that is necessary for the active performance of the construction material, according to
engineering standard, codes and specifications.