CIVIL ENGINEERING MATERIALS

1. Basics of Civil Engineering Materials

Materials used in Engineering Constructions
 Buildings
1. Brick 2. Stones 3. Wood 4. Rebar 5. Glass 6. Concrete 7. Plastic 8.
Insulation materials (fiberglass, foam boards, mineral wool, etc.) 9.
Roofing materials (Wood shingles, metal roofing, tiles, slate, etc.)
10. Adhesives and sealants (Used for bonding materials and
preventing water infiltration) 11. Fasteners (nails, screws, bolts, and
other connectors) 12. Paints 13. Electrical wiring and components
(Copper or aluminum wiring, switches, and other electrical
materials) 12. Plumbing materials (Pipes, fittings, valves etc.)
 Road and Bridges
1. Asphalt 2. Concrete 3. Rebar 5. Cement 6. Aggregate 7. Bridge
Bearings 8. Expansion Joints 9. Guardrails 10. Traffic Control Devices
11. Concrete Admixtures
Materials used in Engineering Constructions
 Irrigation and hydropower
1. Concrete 2. Steel 3. Cement 4. Aggregate 5. Pipes (for irrigation)
6. Turbines 8. Generators 10. Gates and Valves 11. Concrete
Admixtures 13. Penstocks
 Water, gas and petroleum Supply
1. Pipes (various materials such as steel, PVC, HDPE) 2. Valves 3.
Fittings 4. Pumps 5. Metering and Control Instruments
6. Pipeline Coatings 7. Concrete (for support structures) 8. Steel (for
support structures)
 Classification of Materials
1. As per existence in nature
a) Natural
b) Artificial
2. Functions or usage
a) Solid building materials
b) Binding materials
c) Finishing materials
d) Insulation materials
e) Special purpose materials
3. As per metallurgy
a) Metals
b) Non metals
4. As per Composition of Materials
a) Metals and alloys
b) Ceramic materials
c) Organic materials
Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

Color: Related to color appeared

Density: Mass of the material per unit volume
Dimensions: Shape and size
Durability: Resistance of material to action of atmosphere and
environmental factors
Fire resistance: Ability to withstand against fire without changing
its shape and other properties.
Frost resistance: Withstand substantial freeze and thaw cycles
Hygroscopicity: Property of absorb moisture from ambience
Moisture resistance: Resist regular drying and wetting
Permeability: Water/air to pass through it
Porosity: Gives the volume of the material occupied by pores. It
is the ratio of volume of pores to the volume of material
Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
Bulk density: It is the ratio of mass to the volume of the material
in natural state including voids and pores
Specific gravity: It is the ratio of mass of given substance to the
mass of water at 4⁰ Celsius for the equal volumes
Weathering resistance: The property of a material to withstand
all atmospheric actions without losing its strength and shape.
Coefficient of softening: It is the ratio of compressive strength of
a saturated material to its compressive strength in dry state.
Refractoriness: The property of a material which cannot melt or
lose its shape at prolonged high temperatures.
Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES: The properties of materials against the
chemical actions or chemical combinations are termed as
chemical properties.

Chemical resistance: The ability of a construction materials to

resist the effects by chemicals like acids, salts and alkalis is
known as chemical resistance. Underground installations,
constructions near sea should be built with great chemical
resistance.
Corrosion resistance: Formation of rust (iron oxide) in metals,
when they are subjected to atmosphere is called as corrosion
Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES: Properties of materials are found
out by applying external forces on them.
Strength: The capacity of a material to resist failure caused by
loads acting on it. The load may be compressive, tensile or
bending.
Hardness: The property of a material to resist scratching by a
harder body. MOHS scale is used to determine the hardness of
a material.
Elasticity: The capacity of a material to regain its initial shape
and size after removal of a load is known as elasticity and the
material is known as elastic material. Ideally elastic materials
obey Hooke’s law in which stress is directly proportional to
strain
Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES:
Plasticity: When the load is applied on the material, if 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 plasticity.
Brittle: 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.
Fatigue: It is the phenomenon that lead to the deformation or
even failure of components when it is subjected to cyclic
loading.
Abrasion: The loss of material due to rubbing of particles while
working is called abrasion. The abrasion resistance of a
material makes it durable and provide a long life.
Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES:
Toughness: Toughness is the ability of a material to absorb
energy during plastic deformation upto fracture. A material
with high strength and high ductility will have more
toughness.
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 it can occur rapidly.
Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
THERMAL PROPERTIES:
Freezing point: Temperature at which material starts freezing at
normal pressure.
Thermal capacity: It is the property of a material to absorb heat.
Thermal conductivity: The amount of heat transferred through
unit area of specimen with unit thickness in unit time is
termed as thermal conductivity.
Thermal resistivity: It is the ability to resist heat conduction. It is
reciprocal of thermal conductivity.
Specific heat capacity: Heat required to change/raise the unit
degree temperature per unit mass of material without
changing state
Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
THERMAL PROPERTIES:
Coefficient of expansion: Expansion per change in temperature
per original parameters (coefficient of linear expansion, coefficient
of superficial expansion and coefficient of cubical expansion)
Coefficient of Linear Expansion: Increase in length per unit
original length per degree rise in temperature.
Coefficient of Superficial Expansion: Increase in area per unit
area per degree rise in temperature.
Coefficient of Cubical Expansion: Increase in volume per unit
volume per degree rise in temperature.
Boiling point: Temperature at which material boils or starts
vaporization at normal pressure
Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES:
Electrical Properties of Building Materials: The properties of a
material to conduct or to resist electricity through them are
electrical properties of material. For eg. Wood have great electric
resistance and stainless steel is a good conductor of electricity.
Properties:
Conductivity: The ability of a material to conduct electric current.
Resistivity: Resists the flow to electric currents through it.
Di-electric strength: The maximum electric field that the material can
withstand under ideal conditions without undergoing electrical
breakdown and becoming electrically conductive
Super conductivity: Properties of superconductor whose resistance
decreases gradually as its temperature is lowered and has a
characteristic critical temperature below which the resistance drops
abruptly to zero.
Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES:
Materials in which magnetization can be induced are called
magnetic materials.
Properties:
Hysteresis loss: Loss of magnetic property.
Permeability: Ability to support the formation of magnetic field
within itself
Coercivity: ability of a ferromagnetic material to withstand an
external magnetic field without becoming demagnetized
Properties of Civil Engineering Materials
OPTICAL PROPERTIES:
Optical Properties of Building Materials: Optical properties of
building materials refer to the way these materials interact
with light. These properties play a crucial role in determining
how a material looks, transmits, reflects, and absorbs light. For
example, materials with high reflectance(like glass) may be
used to enhance natural lighting, while those with low
emissivity (Like metals) may contribute to better insulation.
Properties:
Opacity: Blocks the light to pass through it
Transmissivity: Allows light to pass thought it
Reflectivity : Ability to reflect light to some extend
Refractivity: Allows light to pass through it as refractive
phenomenon
 Failure of Materials
1. Ductile Failure
Ductility refers to the ability of a material to deform plastically (i.e.,
undergo significant plastic deformation) before rupturing or
breaking. Ductile materials are characterized by their ability to
stretch and bend without fracturing easily.
When a ductile material is subjected to stress, it undergoes
significant plastic deformation, allowing it to absorb a considerable
amount of energy before finally rupturing. This deformation is
typically visible, and the material may experience necking, where
localized narrowing occurs before ultimate failure. The failure of this
type is Ductile Failure.
Examples: Many metals, such as copper, aluminum, and mild steel,
exhibit ductile behavior.
 Failure of Materials
2. Brittle failure
Brittle materials, in contrast, lack significant plastic
deformation ability. They tend to fracture with little or no
plastic deformation.
When a brittle material is subjected to stress, it deforms
elastically up to a point and then fails abruptly without
significant plastic deformation. The fracture is typically clean
and without much warning. The failure of this type is Brittle
Failure.
Examples: Ceramics, some types of glass, and cast iron are
examples of brittle materials.
 Factors affecting the Selection Of
Materials
 Properties
 Availability of materials
 Reliability
 Performance required
 Socially acceptable & technically sound
 Physical and chemical properties required
 Durability of materials
 Quality required
 Test procedures
 Disposability
 Easy manufacturing
 Design suitability
 Safety
 Economic consideration and Environment
 Material and environment
Interactions
Material and environment interactions refer to the ways in which materials respond
to and are affected by their surrounding environment. This interaction is crucial to
understand, especially in engineering, construction, and materials science, as it
directly influences the performance, durability, and safety of structures and
products. Various environmental factors can impact different materials, leading to
changes in their properties, behavior, and overall integrity. Some key aspects of
material and environment interactions include:
 Corrosion: Metals can corrode when exposed to certain environments, especially
in the presence of moisture and specific chemicals. Corrosion can weaken
structural components and affect the material's appearance.
 Weathering: Exposure to sunlight, rain, wind, and temperature variations can
cause weathering of materials. This is often observed in outdoor structures,
leading to degradation, fading, or surface changes.
 Erosion: Erosion refers to the gradual removal or wearing away of material
surfaces due to the abrasive action of external factors such as wind, water, or
other environmental agents. Erosion can lead to the loss of material,
compromising the structural integrity of surfaces.
 Thermal strain: Thermal strain refers to the deformation or dimensional changes
that materials undergo in response to temperature variations due to continued
action of expansion and contraction. Thermal strain can induce stress within
materials, potentially leading to structural issues. Inadequate consideration of
thermal strain can result in warping, cracking, or other forms of deformation.
Thank you!!!