Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 1

CE 225-CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS &

TESTING
MODULE 4: GENERAL PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

INTRODUCTION

Building materials have an important role to play in this modern age

of technology. Although their most important use is in construction
activities, no field of engineering is conceivable without their use. Also, the
building materials industry is an important contributor in our national
economy as its output governs both the rate and the quality of construction
work. There are certain general factors which affect the choice of materials
for a particular scheme. Perhaps the most important of these is the climatic
background. Obviously, different materials and forms of construction have
developed in different parts of the world as a result of climatic differences.
Another factor is the economic aspect of the choice of materials. The rapid
advance of constructional methods, the increasing introduction of
mechanical tools and plants, and changes in the organization of the building
industry may appreciably influence the choice of materials.

OBJECTIVES

 Know the different physical properties of materials considered in

construction.
 Know the different mechanical properties of materials and learn how
materials react under different types of loadings.

DISCUSSION PROPER

Physical Properties of Material

Density (ρ)-is the mass of a unit volume of homogeneous material denoted

by

M
ρ=
V

Where: M = mass (kg)

V = volume (m3)

Bulk Density (ρb)- is the mass of a unit volume of material in its natural
state (with pores and voids) calculated as

M
ρb =
V

Where: M = mass of specimen (kg)

V = volume of specimen in its natural estate (m3)

Prepared by: Engr. Jerico P. Fiel

 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 2

For most materials, bulk density is less than density but for liquids and
materials like glass and dense stone materials, these parameters are
practically the same. Properties like strength and heat conductivity are
greatly affected by their bulk density.

Bulk densities of some of the building materials are as follows

Material Bulk Density (kg/m3)

Aggregates 1200-1750
Reinforced Concrete 2400-2500
Brick 1600–1800
CHB wall w/ plaster 1700-1900
Ceramic Tiles 1800-2200
Granite 2500–2700
Soft wood 300–500
Hard wood 600-900

Density Index (ρo)- is the ratio of the bulk density to the density
ρb
ρo =
ρ
It indicates the degree to which the volume of a material is filled with solid
matter. For almost all building materials ρo is less than 1.0 because there
are no absolutely dense bodies in nature.

Specific Weight (ϒ)-also known as the unit weight, is the weight per unit
volume of material
Υ = ρg

Where: ϒ = specific weight (kN/m3)

ρ = density of material (kg/m3)
g = gravitational pull (9.81 m/s2)

Specific Gravity (Gs)- is the ratio of weight/mass of a given volume of

solids to the weight/mass of an equal volume of water at 4°C
ϒ ρ
Gs = =
ϒ w ρw

Where: ϒ = specific weight (kN/m3)

ρ = density of material (kg/m3)
g = gravitational pull (9.81 m/s2)

Porosity (n) - is the degree to which volume of the material is interspersed

with pores. It is expressed as a ratio of the volume of pores to that of the
specimen
VV
n=
V

Where: n = porosity
VV = volume of voids (m3)

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 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 3

V = total volume of specimen (m3)

Void Ratio (e) - is defined as the ratio of volume of voids (V V) to the volume
of solids (VS)
VV
e=
VS
Where: e = porosity
VV = volume of voids (m3)
VS = volume of solids (m3)

Water content (w) – also known as natural water content or moisture

content, is the ratio of the weight of water to the weight of the solids in a
given mass of specimen
Ww
w=
WS

Where: w = water content

WW = weight of water (kg)
WS = weight of solids (kg)

Saturation (s) – is the ratio of the volume of water to the volume of the
voids in a given specimen
Vw
s=
VV
Where: s = saturation
VW = volume of water (m3)
VV = volume of voids (m3)

Weathering Resistance is the ability of a material to endure alternate wet

and dry conditions for a long period without considerable deformation and
loss of mechanical strength.

Water Permeability is the capacity of a material to allow water to

penetrate under pressure. Materials like glass, steel and bitumen are
impervious.

Frost Resistance denotes the ability of a water-saturated material to

endure repeated freezing and thawing with considerable decrease of
mechanical strength. Under such conditions the water contained by the
pores increases in volume even up to 9 percent on freezing. Thus, the walls
of the pores experience considerable stresses and may even fail.

Heat Conductivity is the ability of a material to conduct heat. It is

influenced by nature of material, its structure, porosity, character of pores
and mean temperature at which heat exchange takes place. Materials with
large size pores have high heat conductivity because the air inside the
pores enhances heat transfer. Moist materials have a higher heat
conductivity than drier ones. This property is of major concern for materials
used in the walls of heated buildings since it will affect dwelling houses.

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 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 4

Thermal Capacity is the property of a material to absorb heat described

by its specific heat. Thermal capacity is of concern in the calculation of
thermal stability of walls of heated buildings and heating of a material, e.g.
for concrete laying in winter.

Fire Resistance is the ability of a material to resist the action of high

temperature without any appreciable deformation and substantial loss of
strength. Fire resistive materials are those which char, smoulder, and ignite
with difficulty when subjected to fire or high temperatures for long period
but continue to burn or smoulder only in the presence of flame, e.g. wood
impregnated with fire proofing chemicals. Non-combustible materials
neither smoulder nor char under the action of temperature. Some of the
materials neither crack nor lose shape such as clay bricks, whereas some
others like steel suffer considerable deformation under the action of high
temperature.

Chemical Resistance is the ability of a material to withstand the action of

acids, alkalis, sea water and gases. Natural stone materials, e.g. limestone,
marble and dolomite are eroded even by weak acids, wood has low
resistance to acids and alkalis, bitumen disintegrates under the
action of alkali liquors.

Durability is the ability of a material to resist the combined effects of

atmospheric and other factors.

Example:
The in-situ weight of a 1 cubic meter of coarse aggregates is 1600 kg. When
it is dried in oven, it weighs 1500 kg. The density of 1 piece of coarse
aggregate taken from the specimen is 2000 kg/m3. Determine the following:
a. Water content, w
b. Porosity, n
c. Void ratio, e
d. Saturation, s

Solution:
Given:
Vt = 1 m3
mt = 1600 kg
ms = 1500 kg
ρ = 2000 kg/m3

M
ρ=
V
Ms 1500 kg 3
V S= = =0.75 m
ρs 2000 kg /m3

M t =M s + M w
M w =M t −M s=1600 kg−1500 kg=100 kg

Prepared by: Engr. Jerico P. Fiel

 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 5

Mw 100 kg 3
V w= = 3
=0.1 m
ρw 1000 kg/m

V t =V s +V w +V a
3 3 3 3
V a =V t−V w −V s =1 m −0.1m −0.75 m =0.15 m
3 3 3
V v =V a +V w =0.15 m +0.1 m =0.25 m

a. Water content,
W w 100
w= = =0.067
W S 1500

b. Porosity,
V V 0.25
n= = =0.25
V 1

c. Void ratio,
V V 0.25
e= = =0.333
V S 0.75

d. Saturation,
V w 0.1
s= = =0.4
V V 0.25

Mechanical Properties of Material

The important mechanical properties considered for building materials are:

strength, compressive, tensile, bending, impact, hardness, plasticity,
elasticity, and abrasion resistance.

Strength is the ability of the material to resist failure under the action of
stresses caused by loads, the most common being compression, tension,
bending and impact. The importance of studying the various strengths will
be highlighted from the fact that materials such as stones and concrete
have high compressive strength but a low tensile, bending and impact
strengths.

Compressive Strength is found from tests on standard cylinders, prisms

and cubes—smaller for homogeneous materials and larger for less
homogeneous ones.

Tensile Strength is the ability of a material to resist tensile loads. The test
specimens of metals for tensile strength are round bars or strips and that of
binding materials are of the shape of figure eight.

Bending Strength tests are performed on small bars (beams) supported at

their ends and subjected to one or two concentrated loads which are
gradually increased until failure takes place.

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 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 6

Hardness is the ability of a material to resist penetration by a harder body.

Mohs scale is used to find the hardness of materials.

Elasticity is the ability of a material to restore its initial form and

dimensions after the load is removed. Within the limits of elasticity of solid
bodies, the deformation is proportional to the stress. Ratio of unit stress to
unit deformation is termed as modulus of elasticity. A large value of it
represents a material with very small deformation.

Plasticity is the ability of a material to change its shape under load without
cracking and to retain this shape after the load is removed. Some of the
examples of plastic materials are steel, copper and hot bitumen.

SAQ (SELF ASSESMENT QUESTIONNAIRE)

1. Why is it important to study the properties of building materials?

SUMMARY

Due to the great diversity in the usage of buildings and installations

and the various processes of production, a great variety of requirements are
placed upon building materials calling for a very wide range of their
properties: strength at low and high temperatures, resistance to ordinary
water and sea water, acids and alkalis etc. Also, materials for interior
decoration of residential and public buildings, gardens and parks, etc.
should be, by their very purpose, pleasant to the eye, durable and strong.
Specific properties of building materials serve as a basis for subdividing
them into separate groups. For example, mineral binding materials are
subdivided into air and hydraulic-setting varieties. The principal properties
of building materials predetermine their applications. Only a comprehensive
knowledge of the properties of materials allows a rational choice of
materials for specific service conditions.
The importance of standardization cannot be over emphasized. It
requires the quality of materials and manufactured items to be not below a
specific standard level. However, the importance of standardization is not
limited to this factor alone, since each revised standard places higher
requirements upon the products than the preceding one, with the effect that
the industry concerned has to keep up with the standards and improved
production techniques. Thus, the industry of building materials gains both
in quantity and quality, so that new, more efficient products are
manufactured and the output of conventional materials is increased.

REFERENCES

Books:
1. Ashby, M. F. and D. R. H. Jones. Engineering Materials 1, Third Edition:
An Introduction to Properties, Applications and Design. 3rd ed.
Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005
2. Callister, W. D., Jr. Materials Science and Engineering—An Introduction.
6th ed.
New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2006.

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 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 7

3. Flinn, R. A. and P. K. Trojan. Engineering Materials and Their

Applications. 4th ed.
New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1994.
4. Materials for Civil And Construction Engineers 3rd Ed. Michael S.
Mamlouk & John P. Zaniewski Prentice Hall 2011

Online
5. [Link]

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Revision: 02
Effectivity: August 1, 2020

Prepared by: Engr. Jerico P. Fiel