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CMT - Module 1-1

This document provides an introduction to construction materials and testing. It discusses how civil engineers must understand material behavior and selection to design and build infrastructure. The course objectives are to understand engineering materials concepts and recognize important construction materials. Later sections will cover the characteristics, properties, production processes and testing of common materials like steel, concrete, wood and composites. Understanding materials is fundamental for civil engineers to perform design, construction and maintenance responsibilities.

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John Fred Marzan Cativo
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84 views

CMT - Module 1-1

This document provides an introduction to construction materials and testing. It discusses how civil engineers must understand material behavior and selection to design and build infrastructure. The course objectives are to understand engineering materials concepts and recognize important construction materials. Later sections will cover the characteristics, properties, production processes and testing of common materials like steel, concrete, wood and composites. Understanding materials is fundamental for civil engineers to perform design, construction and maintenance responsibilities.

Uploaded by

John Fred Marzan Cativo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CE 222 Construction Materials and Testing Module No.

c CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TESTING


OVERVIEW

A basic function of civil and construction engineering is to provide and maintain the
infrastructure needs of society. The infrastructure includes buildings, water treatment and distribution
systems, waste water removal and processing, dams, and highway and airport bridges and
pavements. Although some civil and construction engineers are involved in the planning process,
most are concerned with the design, construction, and maintenance of facilities.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, you will be able to;

1. Understand the concept of Engineering Materials


2. Recognize the importance of different kinds of Construction Materials

DEFINITION

There are, it is said, more than 50,000 materials available to the engineer. In designing a
structure or device, how is the engineer to choose from the vast menu the material which best suits
the purpose? Mistakes can cause disasters. During World War II, one class of welded merchant ship
suffered heavy losses, not by enemy attack, but by breaking in half at sea: the fracture toughness of
the steel – and, particularly, of the welds was too low. More recently, three Comet aircraft were lost
before it was realized that the design called for a fatigue strength that – given the design of the
window frames – was greater than that possessed by the material.

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 1


CE 222 Construction Materials and Testing Module No.1

The common denominator among these responsibilities is the need to understand the behavior and
performance of materials. Although not all civil and construction engineers need to be material
specialists, a basic understanding of the material selection process, and the behavior of materials,
is a fundamental requirement for all civil and construction engineers performing design, construction,
and maintenance.

Material requirements in civil engineering and construction facilities are different from material
requirements in other engineering disciplines. Frequently, civil engineering structures require tons of
materials with relatively low replications of specific designs. Generally, the materials used in civil
engineering have relatively low unit costs. In many cases, civil engineering structures are formed or
fabricated in the field under adverse conditions. Finally, many civil engineering structures are directly
exposed to detrimental effects of the environment.

The subject of engineering materials has advanced greatly in the past few decades. As a result,
many of the conventional materials have either been replaced by more efficient materials or
modified to improve their performance. Civil and construction engineers have to be aware of these
advances and be able to select the most cost-effective.

The introduction to materials engineering includes information on the basic mechanistic properties
of materials, environmental influences, and basic material classes. In addition, one of the
responsibilities of civil and construction engineers is the inspection and quality control of materials in
the construction process. This requires an understanding of material variability and testing
procedures.

Later on, this course also presents the characteristics of the primary material types used in civil and
construction engineering: steel, aluminum, concrete, masonry, asphalt, wood, and composites.
Since the discussion of concrete and asphalt materials requires a basic knowledge of aggregates,
there is a chapter on aggregates. Moreover, since composites are gaining wide acceptance
among engineers and are replacing many of the conventional materials, there is a chapter
introducing composites. The discussion of each type of material includes information on the
following:

■■ Basic structure of the materials


■■ Material production process
■■ Mechanistic behavior of the material and other properties
■■ Environmental influences
■■ Construction considerations
■■ Special topics related to the material discussed in each chapter

For every material, it includes an overview of various test procedures to introduce the test methods
used with each material. However, the detailed description of the test procedures is left to the
appropriate standards organizations such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Also, there
are sample problems in most chapters, as well as selected questions and problems at the end of
each chapter. Answering these questions and problems will lead to a better understanding of the
subject matter.

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 2


CE 222 Construction Materials and Testing Module No.1

REFERENCES

Kenneth N. Derucher, et al. Materials for Civil and Highway Engineers, 1994, 3rd Edition,
Prentice Hall International

Moore & Moore, Materials for Engineering, International Edition

Michael S. Mamlouk, Materials for Civil and Construction Engineers

Raymond Higgins, Materials for Engineers and Technicians

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 3

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