CIVIL

ENGINEERING
MATERIALS
CE506
Er. Saurav Shrestha
Kantipur Engineering College
 1.0 INTRODUCTION
Construction materials deal with the study of
various engineering materials in respect of:
Sources and composition
Properties of materials – Physical, Mechanical,
Thermal, Chemical & Electrical
Manufacture of materials & quality measures
Efficient & economical methodology
Selection & handling of engineering materials
 1.1 Scope of the subject

https://www.uwosh.edu/facstaff/mihalick/Materials/CHAPTER%201.pdf
 1.1 Scope of the subject
 History of development of human
civilization: Use of engineering materials
starts from the beginning of the Neolithic
period when man learned to make
weapons of stones, metal ore, arrows etc
to kill the animals for food.
 These early men of stone age used to live in
the natural caves. Due to the increase in
the population they feel the scarce of the
food. By learning the process of growth
of the plants, he tried to plant the seeds
of the plants. For digging the land those
early men used pointed stones, tree trunks
and entered in the agricultural age.
 Regular attack of the wild animals lead those
early man to think about their own shelter as the
cave became quite unsafe. He used stone walls,
wooden and grass roof to make the shelter.
 1.1 Scope of the subject

NOW, AFTER ABOUT 15 THOUSAND

YEARS, WE LIVE IN THE JUNGLE OF
THE CONCRETE.
 1.1 Scope of the subject
We have developed thousands of such
materials, which made our lives easy.
 Introduction of semiconductor in the field of
electronics heavily reduced the size of the computer.
Use of the fiberglass and other composites made
the revolution in the field of aerospace.
Ceramics such as tiles, bricks, sanitary tiles,
mosaic tiles etc increase the aesthetic value of the
buildings.
Rapid growth in the use of such material and
increase in their development in quality was
essentially possible due to the diagnostic study of
the different properties to the materials.
 1.1 Scope of the subject
 So the subject civil engineering material is an essential part of
the science and technology. Selection of the appropriate material
in the construction activity depends upon the knowledge of the
properties of the materials, physical and chemical composition,
method of manufacture, durability and handling
methodology. So, a successful civil engineer is that who possess
the in-depth knowledge of the engineering materials.
 This subject introduces us to a wide range of construction
material, their physical, mechanical, chemical and thermal
properties.
 Also deals with the fundamentals of material science.
 It also gives information on the strength on stress strain
relationship, hardness, ductility of construction materials and
also incorporates the effect of the time and Environment on
the properties of these materials.
1.2 Selection criteria of Construction Materials
Responsibilities of Material Engineer
A material engineer must be familiar with a
wide range of materials used in a wide range of
structures and is responsible for the following jobs
with certain limits of compromises to be made on
site.
Selection of Materials
Specification of Materials
Quality Control of materials
1.2 Selection criteria of Construction Materials
These responsibilities fulfillment
must meet certain criteria or
classes of criteria which includes
 Economic Factors
 Mechanical and Non-
Mechanical Properties
 Production/Construction
Considerations
 Aesthetic Consideration
1.2 Selection criteria of Construction Materials
Factors Influencing Selection of a Material
A wide range of construction materials is available. The proper
selection of materials to be used in a particular construction
project depends on the following factors
Strength
Availability
Durability
Workability
Ease of Transportation
Cost
Aesthetics
Resistance to Fire
Ease of Cleaning
1.2 Selection criteria of Construction Materials
Factors Influencing Economy of a Building Material
Availability of Material
Cost of Raw Materials (Cost of Unprocessed
Material)
Manufacturing Costs (Cost of Processed
Material)
Transportation Cost
Cost of Placing
Maintenance Cost
1.3 Classification of Civil Engineering Materials
According to chemical
compositions
1. Organic materials:
Organic materials contains
basically carbon as key material
E.g.: timber, plastic, bitumen,
petroleum etc.

2. Inorganic materials:
Inorganic materials basically
contain silica, calcareous
materials containing calcium
compounds & argillaceous
materials like clay.
1.3 Classification of Civil Engineering Materials
According to uses
1.Structural material
» Stone, brick,
steel etc.
2. Aesthetic material
» Tiles, marbles,
paints etc.
1.3 Classification of Civil Engineering Materials
According to existence
1.Natural material
Stone, sand, clay,
wood etc.
2. Artificial material
Cement, plastic,
brick etc.
1.3 Classification of Civil Engineering Materials
According to metallurgy
1. Metal materials
Iron, aluminium,
copper

2. Non-metal materials
Brick, clay, wood,
water
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
While selection of material for the different
purposes, it is very important to understand the
properties of materials. There are different types
of materials having properties like:
Physical properties
Mechanical properties
Thermal properties
Chemical properties
Electrical properties
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
Physical Properties:
Specific gravity:
Density:
Porosity:
Permeability:
Water absorption:
Fire resistance:
Durability:
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
Mechanical properties of material
Mechanical properties are important to determine the load
resisting capacity, durability etc. These are:
Strength: Tensile Strength:
Compressive strength: Shear Strength:
Elasticity: Plasticity:
Hardness: Ductility:
Brittleness: Toughness (Tenacity):
Malleability: Fatigue:
Creep: Impact strength:
Abrasive resistance:
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
Mechanical properties of material
Mechanical properties are important to determine the load resisting
capacity, durability etc. These are:
•Strength:
It is defined as property of material to resist the applied
load without failure. Common types of strength properties found
in construction material are:
•Tensile Strength:
It is maximum stress that a material can withstand under a
tensile load without failure is known as tensile strength.
•Compressive strength:
It is maximum stress that a material can withstand under a
compressive load without failure is known as compressive
strength.
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
• Mechanical properties of material
• Shear Strength:
It is the maximum stress that the material can withstand
under shear force without failure is known as shear strength.
• Elasticity:
It is the property of material by which material tends to
regain its shape after the removal of applied load. Elasticity
of material is defined upto limit called elastic limit. After
crossing this limit material become plastic.
• Plasticity:
Plasticity is property of material to change in the shape or to
produce permanent deformation when the load applied to
the material is released.
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
• Mechanical properties of material
• Hardness:
It is the ability of material to resist the effect of wear & tear,
scratching etc.
• Ductility:
It is the ability of material to withstand elongation or
bending.
• Brittleness:
When a material breaks down easily if subjected to shock is
known as brittle material.
• Toughness (Tenacity):
It is the ability of material to absorb energy due to straining
action undergoing the plastic deformation.
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
• Mechanical properties of material
• Malleability:
It is the property of material by virtue of which a material may
be bitten/ hammered/ rolled into thin sheet without rupture.
• Fatigue:
It is the deformation produced by the repeated cyclic
loading over the material.
• Creep:
It is the property of material to undergo deformation due to the
time interval under the action of constant load.
• Impact strength:
It is the property of material to the resist certain sudden
shock or impact over the material.
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
• Mechanical properties of material
• Abrasive resistance:
It is a property to resist the wearing of the surface of the
material due to the friction between one another. This
property is important in road construction.
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
Chemical properties of material
Acid resistant & alkali resistant:
Corrosion:
Oil & petrol resistance:
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
Chemical properties:
The chemical properties of material reflects their tendency to
combine with other substance, its solubility, reactivity & effects
like corrosion, chemical composition, acidity, alkalinity etc.
•Acid resistant & alkali resistant:
It refers to the ability of material to withstand attack by acid
& alkali respectively.
•Corrosion:
It refers to the ability of material to withstand destructive
attack by environment.
•Oil & petrol resistance:
It is the ability of material to withstand attack by liquid,
fuels etc. Oil & petrol resistant must be taken choosing floor
covering for garage, industrial building, service station etc.
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
1.4 Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
Electrical properties:
•Temperature coefficient of resistant:
It defines the variation of resistivity with temperature.
•Dielectric strength:
The insulating capacity of material against high voltage is known
as dielectric strength. A material having high dielectric strength
can withstand sufficiently high voltage field across it, before it will
break down.
 Future of construction

3D-printed sandstone

Having interesting structural properties and allowing the creation of forms that
would be almost impossible to sculpt without additional technologies.
 Future of construction

•
Aluminium foam
• Cymat Technologies creates its aluminium foam panels by injecting air into
the molten metal. Once the metal cools and solidifies, the material forms
around the pockets of air to give a high strength-to-weight ratio.
• “It has decorative qualities, but it’s also very lightweight and can be 100 per
cent recycled,”
 Future of construction

•
Bamboo-reinforced concrete
• The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich has developed a way to
put the material to a new use: as a replacement for steel rebar in concrete.
• The material is a mix of bamboo fibres and an organic resin, ensuring the
bamboo will not degrade or rot. Bamboo absorbs large amounts of CO2,
adding to its potential as a sustainable alternative to steel.
 Future of construction

•
Bio-receptive concrete
• With a bit of imagination, this could even be a viable alternative to large-scale
green walls, which can often be expensive to maintain. This solution would
require very little maintenance, with the spores reactivating and the moss re-
growing as the weather changes.
 Future of construction

Fire-retardant plywood and black graphene radiation-protecting paint

•Once treated with this, even plywood won’t burn, so SPP then constructs the
sheets from the marinated layers. Even when sawn, it retains its fire rating.
 Future of construction

Transparent wood
•Researchers have found a way to strip the lignin out of wood and replace it with
a synthetic polymer, meaning that a strip 1 mm thick becomes 85 per cent
transparent.
•“The thermal properties are much better than glass, so if you could create large
panels, it could be useful.”